Max Payne

Rating:
Summary: If you liked Half-Life and Deus Ex - you're gonna love this
Review: Although it's a little short (10 hours), it's definately worth the money. I thought the bullet time would be more of a pain than anything - I certainly didn't expect it to be built into the game this well and to be so functional. You really have to play it to believe it. Not for kids though.

Rating:
Summary: Max Payne review by a (non critic)
Review: I read that the slow motion effect was going to be Cheesy, but i personally find it super cool, the graphics are definatelly an improvement, probably the best out there at the moment, even better than codename 47 or project IGI, also, anything you shoot is affected realistically (you dont just see a black dot appear on it)my wife said it looks more like a movie than a video game, might be a slight exageration but pretty close, the only thing i personally didnt like about it is the way the caracter moves when he runs, but other than that, his movement when he dodges bullets and his manuevers are very innovative, the caracters seem to have a lifelike personality about them, they dont seem animated, the way they talk and move and interact, the ai is also somewhat improved dispite the fact that slow motion ability you get gives you a very unfair advantage over them, but then again its also just one of you, and many of them, and the slow motion runs out, and has to recharge by waiting. with all this said, i would definatelly recommend this game.

Rating:
Summary: It's not a waste of money by a long shot.
Review: Ok, I know that a lot of people have hangups about this game. Some say that it's too short, or all it has going for it is bullet time. (bullet time, in case you don't know, is the matrix like effect that you can toggle to slow time down without affecting how fast you aim, it's pretty mind blowing) They, however, are entitled to their opinions but I think they're wrong.

Graphics: The graphics are the best I've ever seen on any platform. You need to have a pretty juiced up system, but if you do, you'll be astounded. Even if you don't they're still amazing. There are a few quips, when people pull their guns out of their shoulder holsters, it looks as though they're gingerly holding it by two fingers until they level it. Also, Max's face could use some more animations. He has three: just standing there with a smirk, squinting because of muzzel flare or explosions, and an unhappy one when he's dead. But the shear attention to detail with everything else makes those non issues. You can see the bullets whizzing by your head, the gun recoil expelling the empty shell, the spots where blood sprays will stain the wall or ground appropriatly, not just a sprite.

Gameplay/Control: I use the typical WSAD approach to gaming which is default for MP. You can configure it however you choose but I've heard some people complain about the lack of joystick control. Max is very easy to move around and especially with bullet time, you have no problems aiming. The only downfall is the reticule is a small white dot which at times is hard to spot. It would have been nice to have a larger crosshair. Basically, if you've every wanted to be in a John Woo movie, now's your chance.

Story: I must admit that I haven't finished the game as of yet but I've gotten pretty far and I'm not too disapointed with the story. It's told in a graphic novel/film noir approach and, given that the writers are gamers and not pulitzer winning novelists, it's pretty good. The point of the story is to empathize with the hero. So many games nowadays having you not giving a rats behind about the main character. A shame.

Sound: The sound is great. I think the gunshots should be louder than they are but there are mods out there to help with that. The music is very mood setting and the voice acting is fabulous. Many games have been ruined by poor voice actors but this one is enhanced by it. Some of the written dialogue is a little cheesy but not when it is spoken aloud by these guys.

Anything else: I usually play a game all the way through before I download any mods for it. (a mod is a file that can alter certain aspects of the game, either visually or sound) But I'm definitely looking forward to fininshing so I can try out some of the very cool mods out there for this game.

Overall: This is a very dark, very violent game, definitely not suitable for children. However, it's definitely going to be in the running for Game of the Year.

Rating:
Summary: Great Graphics but Where's the Joystick??
Review: With this game I find it important to mention what system and settings are being used:

Computer: PCV-RX370DS Processor: P4 1.3Ghz RAM: 512MB 800Mhz Rambus Monitor Resolution: 1024 X 768

First off, the game has incredible graphics. It appears more like a DVD than a video game. No complaints whatsoever on a graphics stand point. The game moves very fluidly (yes, the P4 and the 512MB of RAM are probably the main contributors to the fluid movement). Also note that I set every setting within Max Payne to the highest possible setting to get the most out of the game.

However, I have not played more than 3 minutes of the game because of its LACK OF JOYSTICK support. I can not come to grasps with the idea that it took years for this game to be released and then when it does, it doesn't even support a joystick!! Ridiculous!! I would have been disappointed if the game wouldn't have supported force feedback, but to not support a joystick at all!? What where the developers thinking?

Anyway, if you are the type of gamer that still uses the keyboard for game play (I know plenty of people that still do), you don't get disturbed by the scene settings (keep in mind that the opening scene shows your dead infant and dead wife in gruesome detail), and you want to see what all the hype is about regarding this game, snag it. But as for me, it will sit on my hard drive unused until someone develops a patch that allows for joystick support (force feedback support would make it that much better).

Rating:
Summary: I can't say enough
Review: First off, Max Payne is the greatest game I ever played. Before finishing reading this article order it so you can get it that much faster. Max Payne is a grity story ment for a mature player. the graphics are stunning and realistic and the bullet time is insane. This is a different type of shooting game, it actually has a story to it. the only thing u have a problem with is the case; it is a DVD case and i can not put it in my rack... other then that, get the game.

Rating:
Summary: Max Payne- Better than Quake, Half-Life and Unreal
Review: OK, when I took this game home and installed it, the only problem I found is that you can't use the arrow keys to turn, you have to use the mouse. But soon I adjusted and it turned out to be very useful and more effective than the keys. Now onto the game itself. Max Payne is a DEA cop whose wife and baby were brutally murdered by junkies high on the fictional street drug Valkyr. The game starts with a cinematic sequence of Max standing on top of a tower block in New York holding a sniper rifle. He starts explaining how he ended up there. The game levels are seperated by graphic novel type pages. I first thoght this couldn't be as good as 3D cutscenes, but I was wrong. The comic book pages add depth and grittiness to the story. During gameplay, Max has access to a nifty little feature called Bullet-Time. There are two ways of using this- by pressing ALT while standing still- this will slow down time and enable you to dodge enemies more efficently. The second way is pushing the right mouse butoon while moving in a direction. This puts you into a slow motion dive in that direction, enabling you to dodge bullets otherwise called shoot-dodging. While in shoot-dodge mode you can move the mouse, turning you in real-time therefore pulling off amazing rolls. The in game enemies are quite smart, they hide from you and throw grenades. The only glitch is that they sometimes shoot there teammates- which is quite funny. The damage inflicted on enemies ny you is quite realistic- with only the beefed up characters and later game-enemies that require more punch. This mistake is made in almost EVERY game with 'boss' characters, although some Mods (modifications) of games correct this mistake. When comparing Max Payne to other action games- Half-Life, Unreal and Quake. It is more realistic-if you get shot at close range with a shotgun you die, it's graphics are better- I suppose this is true about (almost) every new game but Max Payne's graphics are superior compared to Half-Life, in some bits of Max Payne, when you kill an enemy, you will see a cinematic shot of him dying with great facial expressions and you can shoot just about anything in the game environment and it will be destroyed- in one level an alarm is going off and if you shoot the alarm, it breaks and Max says 'Thank you'. Max Payne ships with 3 level editors- a level editor, a character editor and an effects editor. Although the manual states these are easy to use, they aren't really and you will have to find a tutorial on-line. The only downside to Max is that there is no multiplayer, the reason for this is that bullet-time in multiplayer would confuse other players. All in all, Max Payne is a brilliant game with good graphics and gameplay, a little on the short side but great levels. However, Max Payne is not meant for younger players, the drug scenes and blood/gore is particulary graphic. I hope that helps anybody deciding weather or not to buy this game.

Rating:
Summary: A Well-Made Depiction of Society's Ugly Side
Review: This is a great game, but, some may be uncomfortable owning a game with this kind of content. It does have an M rating, but that doesn't say it all. These details below were really what made me decide whether or not to own this game:

ATMOSPHERE: This is not light-hearted game. Most of the game is spent in back alley slums and run down whorehouses, complete with stoned out drugees, random screams and sirens, and dismal and depressing settings. On top of that, for a large part of the game you're in a Satanists Lair with rituals and evidence of rituals all intact. Some might enjoy that gritty realism and some not, you can decide that for yourself. You also revisit some disturbing dreams of murders of a family where you hear the screams of some women and children.

VIOLENCE: Isn't really as gory or realistic as the setting could be. Mostly it's just cinematic action style that's a little on the bloody side. In comparison, it's nowhere near as graphic as Soldier of Fortune or Kingpin, which are similar games in nature. I'd say the violence level (not the atmosphere) compare to the feel of the movie The Matrix.

SEXUAL CONTENT: Some evidence of prostitution, but no actual acts presented. Some bikini posters on the wall. .

PROFANITY: Not heavy, but present to a PG or PG-13 level.

OVERALL: if these things above are of no concern to you, there is no reason not to buy this game.

Rating:
Summary: BEST ACTION GAME EVER!!!
Review: This game is definetely today's leader in graphics and system requirements, and the developers finally put a decent story in an intense action game, but its gameplay is same old third person variant of the FPS only it is with one powerful addition: Bullet Time or slow motion, which adds more to it. Gamers may trigger it whenever they feel like it and it has its one sense of style and adds eye candy to already jaw-dropping graphics as well as it gives you advantage over your foes (which are just plain nasty to deal with because: 1.extremely beefy 2.might shoot through their allies to kill Max 3.very alert). Max can also shootdodge, that is leap sideways in slo-mo and shoot while keeping himself less likely to get hit by enemy bullets, in addition that he can just dodge bullets by jumping sideways. Yes, it took very long to finish this game and it is quite short, but in fact, most people (me too) get so addicted to games like Max Payne that they'll beat it in record time and start whining about its length right after they beat the last level. When it comes to multiplayer, to enlighten people who are guessing why Remedy did not include it, consider the "slo-mo", because this is what this game is all about. If there was multiplayer, then imagine how you'd play with other human opponents, if one goes into slow motion, then all of them would, resulting horrible experience when some would go into slow motion without triggering it. That means that it could only be limited to 2 human players at once. When it comes to performance, the only necessary requirements for this game to run at optimum are 256 MB RAM and a 64 MB video card (I would recommend NVIDIA's Geforce cards). The game's textures take up lots of memory especially when running at 32-bit texture color depth and at high level of texture quality and sharpness. 1 ghz CPU will be more than enough for this game.

Rating:
Summary: A truly excellent, innovative shooter
Review: Max Payne is one of those rare games that comes along every once in a while that breathes new life into a genre that seems to be all boring clones. I have played many shooters, and yet Max Payne was a totally new experience. It is unlike any other shooter out there. I have played very few games with such a deep, involving story. From the first episode in the game, you are deeply involved in the character and the story. Max Payne is a complex character who is very realistic. The gameplay in this game is truly superb as well. The action is intense and smooth-moving. It is difficult but very fair. The feature that you surely have heard about the most is bullet-time. This is truly a unique feature that adds a lot to the game. You will surely end up using it a lot. It provides for a lot of very cool sequences. The game is a bit short, but the included mods (Hard-Boiled, New York Minute, and Dead On Arrival) should provide some additional longevity. I would not recommend this game for younger players, though. My brother is 15 and he found a couple parts a bit disturbing, though that could just be him. I personally am 18 and found nothing to be disturbing. There is mild swearing but nothing you don't hear everyday. Max Payne is truly an enjoyable game and a very worthwhile purchase. Even without multiplayer it is a rewarding experience to play through. It like nothing you've ever played, even if you think you've seen everything a shooter can do.

Rating:
Summary: Beat my expectation
Review: This is a roller-coaster ride of a game. The settings are more varied than the hard-boiled film-noir game premise led me to expect, which was a pleasant surprise. The relentless pacing and scale reminded me of "The Fugitive," as well as "The Matrix" and all of the Woo movies. It is a linear game - problems only have one solution and it is often to shoot. But it is as close to playing out a great action movie as I have seen yet.

Some people complained about the length, but it seemed a mid-lengthed game that delivered fully on the premise in richness, pacing, and story. I can't wait to play it a second time.