Max Payne

My initial impression of "Max Payne" was a very good one. I waited and waited for the titles' release date from the first day I heard of it. I wasn't into PC gaming back when it was originally announced in the year of 1997 but rather when it was hyped up in early 2001. The game was said to be released in late July of that very year; I could hardly contain my excitement. I had read about the spectacular graphics (powered by the Max-FX engine), the non-stop gun fights, the detailed physics, and of course, the Bullet Time feature. Being able to slow down time while watching items explode in graphic detail put in front of a top-of-the-line visual engine was something I could hardly wait to get my hands on. I distinctly remember upon "Max Payne's" first week of release that it was priced at close to $35.00 at Best Buy, on sale mind you. I immediately purchased a copy, installed it, and was privileged enough to play one the greatest action games ever created. I can honestly say that the four year wait was more than worth it.

What one may have purchased this game for is the Bullet Time. You can try to beat around the bush and pretend that the actual gameplay is marvellous. With that said, they may also say that what truly brings this title into its own are the stunning particle effects. But deep inside of every gamer there is that special place specifically for the Bullet Time feature. If it wasn't for this aspect of "Max Payne" there wouldn't be much to differentiate it from other action games (other than the still great graphics). Running into a room, pressing either the shift key or right mouse button instantly puts Max into a "Matrix"-like slow-motion action sequence that allows him to aim in real-time and dispatch of many enemies at one time. The sight of bullets flying by Max's head, just barely missing his appendages and his cranium is an understatement to be called exciting. Muzzle flashes from various weapons are going off and every second another shell casing hits the floor slowly and another bullet just misses its mark. Max slides across the floor, dodging every shot, and by the time he's back on his feet every enemy that was once standing mightily is dispatched in a pool of blood and splattered brain matter.

I apologize if I got off-topic with that last mini paragraph but to truly explain the Bullet Time feature is to give an example of its genius. Not only does it give you an advantage over insurmountable odds, but it's also one of the greatest ideas to be utilized in a PC game of all time. I never tire of slowing time down to a crawl and jumping through the air while firing off rounds from a shotgun. The Remedy Entertainment team (the games' developer) apparently saw too many John Woo films throughout their lifetime as his influence is all over the gameplay. Everything from the double-fisted shooting to the acrobatic stunts that have Max flying backwards and shooting pistol rounds at anything that moves is something that would come directly from his influence. It's an extremely exciting adrenaline rush that should put any fan of action games into Heaven for twelve hours. The pure innovation that went into just how much can be accomplished by simply shooting is astounding. It's rare that I don't become bored with at least any gaming title, but "Max Payne," unsurprisingly I might add, never pulled me into a state of redundancy.

You won't find any obligatory stealth missions for the sake of variety or any side "objectives" such as protecting a hostage or escorting a character through a particular section without getting him killed. Its straight forward run-and-gun action at it's finest from the beginning until the climactic conclusion. Of course it may be linear but it's of a GOOD linear quality. If a game is fun and enjoyable to play, open ended features and linearity seem to blend in with one another. "Max Payne" is one such title. Simply jumping into a slow-motion action frenzy accompanied by exploding beverage bottles, pieces of plaster flying about, and broken glass showering Max as he sends bullets flying into a room full of enemies are jaw-dropping; I can't say it enough at just how fun the Bullet Time feature is. It gives the game its identity and also manages to bring also the great action sequences from excellent to just plain stunning. You may just run, press a switch, shoot, run some more, get to the exit and repeat, but I'll be damned if it isn't done in a stylish, inventive, innovative, and downright enjoyable manner. You couldn't ask for much more in an action game than what is delivered here. Even if you COULD complain about a lack of variety you would be too wrapped up in the sheer amount of noir-ish gun play and faint-inducing stunts to truly mind. The gameplay is made up of a collage of diving manoeuvres and double-fisted gunfights; I couldn't ask for anything less.

One may find fault in simply shooting everything that moves, but I can't say that it's pure fun to partake in enough. I can't remember the last time I was this addicted to a game. Even over a year since its initial release date, I can still find myself going on "Max Payne" sprees simply based on the adrenaline-based nature of it's gameplay features alone.

The other feature that was hyped up just as much as the "Matrix"-like slow-motion gunfights were the graphical achievements of this particular game. The particle effects have had they're fair share of publicity and have been amongst "Max Payne's" most talked about features. I concur with all of that simply based on how the visuals complement the action overall; that's more than including the particle effects and John Woo feel that the game exudes. It drips stylish gun battles and cinematic effects at every sweep of a hallway and every turn of a corner. To say that it would be more than a shame to not give credit to a feature that truly brings it to life would be lowering "Max Payne's" value to those who haven't played it yet. Great visuals do not a good game make, but when accompanied by magnificent gameplay, they often times go hand in hand to craft a truly classic, memorable, fully realized gaming title.

This is one such game. Richly detailed environments are littered with torn pieces of wallpaper, floors cluttered with shot out glass and destroyed insides of a fire extinguisher spread over the dirtied carpet. Of course this may not sound like much when simply reading it it's hard to fully describe "Max Payne" on paper. Actually seeing the smallest most intricate details of this title are its most brilliant. You can easily see the changes of facial expressions every time an enemy NPC pulls a trigger as if to signify the power of the recoil of the gun or the excitement felt when pulling the trigger. It's moments like this that are found in action films that add to the fun factor and the general feel. As objects explode into a fiery display of sparks and blue flames, you can see pieces of what's left flying right past Max as the added T&L Lighting is utilized fully. Portions of Max are lit up brightly or dimly to detail the impact of the explosion or simply how he faces the light. Shadows can be seen under his eyes in lowly lit environments but can be changed in a split second from his own muzzle flash. The detail found on Max Payne himself is beyond astounding. Wrinkles can be seen in his under shirt, the buttons on his leather jacket are fully visible, and stubble marks can be clearly seen on his face as well as the crease marks around his cheeks. His hair seems to be parted according to each individual strand rather than simply a skin exported on the model of his head. His shoes seem worn and of age to say that he's had them for quite awhile. To top this off, his leather jacket sways as he moves as do his pants which move with the wind to reveal rolled, white socks. Even over a year after its release it's still close to being top of the line.

The "co-stars" so to speak aren't as detailed. That's not to say that they're mediocre in any way, however. Compared to the level of texture colour, vibrancy, and high resolution found on Max Payne himself, the sheer number of enemies and detailed that would have needed to be added would have been a challenge on a processor to craft them after his level of detail. The textures are easily classified as high-res and can be seen that the colour and texture work is top-notch. The same factors apply to them as Max; the facial work is amazing. The photo-realistic faces (which were actually scanned and placed onto the definitive character models) are of great quality and I would be hard pressed to find better. Although the color palette may not be as broad and as ground breaking, the amount of sheer detail from buttons to blank stares to facial expressions, all the way to the spots of matter on shoes to the cloth-like look of shirts and pairs of pants is simply amazing. The quality of the hair textures still stands; the colours are magnificent and the different shades add quite a bit of variety to the overall character model. These can definitely be seen as creations that took a lot of time to fully craft. The finished product is great to simply sit back and watch as much as it is to shoot at.

I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of the visual quality as the particle effects and environmental detail is something I've only briefly explained. The locales are just as good ,if not better, than the character models and they're accompanying details. From gloomy subway stations all the way to glorious representations of skyscraper-height corporate businesses, it all looks excellent. The level of detailed added into the many different textures and attention to detail simply astounds me, even today. Specks of plaster coming off of the walls in slum hotels to wall paper being ripped away, images of cheap seedy hotel rooms, and excellent representations of bullet-riddled portions of random rooms is pure gaming bliss. The usage of hi-res textures and a complete disregard of everything even remotely not achieving graphical excellence make this a more than beautiful game. When the character models all placed into these well constructed, well-detailed and well-attired locales in-game, the results are beautiful. The architectural design at hand is unbelievable; it ranges from curved, smooth surfaces to caved-in cement-dotted walkways. Destroyed sections of the locations you visit are nothing less than spectacular and truly benefits from great geometric modelling.

I know the visual section is long-winded but almost complete. I can't go any further into the review with trying my best to describe the particle effects to the reader. Simply shooting the enemy when in Bullet Time might appear to be good enough, but doing it while seeing stray shots shatter glass, puncture water dispensers, and shatter bottles makes it all the much better. Walls can be seen crumbling in slow-motion and even soda cans dispense liquid in the same instance. The sheer level of destruction puts the cinematic feel of "Max Payne" over-the-top and makes it much more than enjoyable to play. I can only describe it as directing your own John Woo-like action movie spanning twelve hours. The detail put into the particle textures and their aftermath makes it much more visually mesmerizing.

One can't imagine how a game can even get any better. Of course with a legendary title such as this it's almost certain that nearly every aspect will be similarly great. The audio category is certainly no different as it's just as appraised as the other aspects of this game.

Beginning with the voice acting, I was blown away by the talent exhibited. The voice actor who portrayed Max Payne himself (whose name escapes me at this moment) is beyond reproach as this legendary gaming character. He exhibits emotion upon first introducing the character and completely lacks any by the games end. The development of the character is brought through in his acting well as it seems as if Max has become desensitized to the world of violence and deceit. The monotone speaking style also plays a big factor in portraying Max as a cold-hearted individual, it's also more than apparent that this is due to past events. From simply lending your voice to a character and having the results come out this good is unbelievable.

Of course it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you that the other actors hired didn't quite match that performance. They still do a remarkable job. Personality oozes out of the spectacular dialogue and it's TRULY then that the NPC's are brought to life. The believable New York accents lend a realistic quality to the characters portrayed and also lend a load of needed personality. The professional grade quality and talent that shines through at every word spoken is something that is rarely achieved. The dialogue is equally as good and truly makes the game feel as if it's a cinematic classic.

Be sure to pull your ears away from the voice acting long enough to fully appreciate the sound effects as well. The realistic nature of the guns fired and even footsteps are done in crystal clarity. Everything is fully audible and as crisp as the next added audio segment. Although one-liners are repeated and can draw on the nerves eventually, it rarely affects gameplay when considering just how much perfection is found in this title. The sound of ricocheting bullets and explosions are also top-notch and blend in with the sound of snow storms and gunshots flawlessly. It seems almost unbelievable to find a game that has this much going for it and not a single flaw noted. Even the music is above listenable and fits well with the action sequences, moments of dread, and the overall atmosphere that can be felt throughout the duration of this game.

You won't have any trouble controlling this classic either. The default set-up is great for everybody from beginners to veteran action gamers. Of course manoeuvrability benefits from few key presses; the intuitive placement makes it easier than I believe it should be to control. Jumping into Bullet Time and firing is as easy as tying yours shoes while jumping ledges while randomly switching weapons is just as easy. I can't put it in a much more elementary explanation other than to say it's almost close to perfect.

Alas we reach an aspect that "Max Payne" doesn't dominate; the NPC AI. They simply charge you without any form of tactical variety utilized to possibly elude you to an untimely demise. The most advanced form of intelligence they exert is to walk backwards while stepping from side to side while firing at you. This does make the game slightly easier due to the fact that the enemies have a good amount of accuracy and don't include flanking, taking a different route of attack, etc... But it also takes away from the more challenging nature of it as well. The enemies are unmemorable in the way of intelligent opposition, but then again, that doesn't detract from the fun factor in any way at all. The auto-adjusting difficulty does make up for the lack of AI in many parts of the game due to the fact that the random challenges are a welcome change from simply selecting easy, medium, hard, etc... and tend to create more of a challenge when a lack of AI is involved.

You won't find any multiplayer support here whatsoever but who really gives a crap?!? The classic single player game will set the paradigm for which all future shooters will be set. Not since "Half-Life" and "Mafia" has a single player experience been this good.

Is "Max Payne" compulsory for any fan of action games? By all means, yes. It would be a challenge for me to find a game that is this much fun to play, looks this good, sounds this great, features so many gameplay-enhancing aspects, and manages to get nearly everything right. If you're an action gamer you can't pass up the opportunity to own this game at any cost (within reason). It's the closest any action game has come to reaching pure perfection. You may be asking yourself how that can even be, but upon first playing it up until the spectacular ending, you'll understand why every word of this review is oozing positivity.