Max Payne

S Max Payne is not only an incredibly well designed, all-around fun game. It's an example of how well story and atmosphere can be implemented flawlessly into a videogame and ultimately be the strong point of that title. Although it has aged since its release in back in 2001, Max Payne still holds up as a charming, enthralling videogame that not only executes well in the gameplay department, but also enthralls the player in a storyline that sucks you in and keeps you thoroughly entertained from beginning to end.

 The game opens with Max Payne standing on top of a tall aiser building, the moment he begins to narrate his current situation and takes you back three years prior to the events, you hear just how well the voice actor who plays Max Payne (James McCaffrey) portrays his character and gives a unique personality that sets him apart from your usual videogame protagonist. For three years, Max was trying to track down the source of the drug the junkies who killed his wife and child were on, valkyr, which eventually led him to the subway scene where he was to meet his old partner, Alex. Turns out Max is in the middle of a huge bank heist and tries to fight through all the thugs to get to the bottom of what's going on. As he meets up with Alex, he is shot in the head by an unknown assailant, leaving Max Payne to be the murder suspect. This is where the story really unfolds as Max becomes a wanted fugitive constantly pursued by the cops, amidst tracking down the source of the drug responsible for his families murder , getting his revenge on the mafia who framed him,  and ultimately attempting to clear his name. The story of Max Payne really entangles you as it is told via comic book like sequences, which are narrated by Max Payne, who's unique voice and personality make him such an interesting character, who continues to grow throughout the 10-15 hours long campaign. It's a story of vengeance, betrayal, and redemption that executes everything so well that it coud've very well of been a mov...never mind. Story 9/10

 The gameplay in Max Payne is what you'd expect from a TPS, you're given a behind the back view of Max as you maneuver him with the left analog stick (clicking it will make Max crouch) and aim with the right. Like you'd expect, you use the RT to shoot and the four face buttons to perform such actions as jumping, reloading and so on. Hitting the RB will trigger a bullet time mode, similar to The Matrix and John Woo films respectively, which slows down everything in the game, giving you clearer shots of your enemies and making it easier to avoid deadly bullets. What's cool about this is that you can jump and dive out of the way in bullet time, making for some pretty cool sequences. Now for the time, these mechanics were not very original, considering there had been other TPS games before Max Payne that used this same control scheme. But what makes it stand out is the bullet time feature, which was truly unique to Max Payne at the time making for a solid shooter experience. Gameplay 8/10

Now for the visuals, well what can I say. I'm reviewing this game eight years late. You really can't say the graphics for this game are bad. Outdated? Yes, definitely, but this was a 2001 release, so it's only fair to be forgiving. So while I played this, I was never really bothered by the graphics in this game, although sometimes it was a little too dark for my liking. But this is not a colourful game, it sets out to create a dark, moody atmosphere to fit the tone and feel of the game, and the execution works. The character models, though sometimes bland, are animated relatively well, and the enviroments usually look very well designed and well thought out. There were points where the graphics were a bit choppy or, the framerate dipped a bit, but I never experienced any real issues. Graphics/Visuals 7.5/10

One of the things that really impressed me about this game was the voice acting. Everyone who contributed to the voice acting in this game did so well with the script they were given. One of the biggest draws of the character Max Payne is his unique voice that truly fits his character and gives him a personality, it just makes him that much more likeable. Everything that Max should be, he is because his voice was delivered so perfectly by the actor. The rest of the audio is what you would, expect. Gun shots sound like they should, explosions, the roar of car engines and the sound of Max's feet hitting the floor as he runs. The sound effects are nothing to be blown away by, but they work. Music doesn't often come into play, it usually has either an eerie tone or a kind of rock n'roll tone when fighting a large group of enemies. And of course the theme song which is played at the title screen is brilliant. When you hear it you'll know that this is what the Max Payne theme should sound like, it fits perfectly. Audio/Sound 8.5/10

So the bottom line is that Max Payne isn't your typical shooting game, it's so much more then that. It's a story driven game that pays the right amount of attention to Max and his constant struggle against the mafia, the police and the dealing with the pain of all that he's lost. More characters come into play such as his alleged love interest, Mona Sax and Nicole Horne, the source of all his suffering. It's not just a game, it's a story, a plot with so much personallity that other games that came out around the same time Max Payne did couldn't compete. It's a dark, gritty, relentless story that won't get any happier no matter how much you feel for the title character. It succeeded at what it set out to do, and the end result was a brilliant game that was easily one of the best for the Xbox. If you haven't checked it out yet, I suggest you do. You won't regret the 10-15 hours you spend playing this masterpiece. Props to Remedy.