Rating: 
Summary: This game can not be described by words...
Review: This game really deservs higher than a 5 star review... although that is the limit.. so i cant show how much i appreciate this game... anyways... let me explain how this game is a winner:When it comes to first persons, i want a fun game becuase they usually have little to no story line... When it comes to any other game though, a story line, and a good story line, is needed... this game hits the spot on it... it is better than half life's story... You are an undercover cop trying to solve a puzzle in a corrupt crime city... you make a few boo-boo's and right up at the start, not only are you fighting a viscious gang, but also the NYPD!!! The storyline is in detail with the recent death of Max Payne's Wife and Daughter. As Max Payne, you must fight your pain and excape from a battle you can only hope to win. I dont want to give away too much of the story, so now down to the performance... and i have only one word: Brilliance!!! The Graphics are unlike any game i have ever seen before... They are truely amazing... Since i am a young kid at age 11, i can not have the top of the line computer... i have a 500mhz pentium 3 processor... and a Voodoo 5 AGP (Which has been a real drag to deal with). The graphics are unbeleivably relistic, and dont forget the detail and lighting. Whatever geniuses that Ravan Soft came up with to hire, they were pretty advanced programmers! Max Payne wears a neclace that looks just like mine and it was an extremely close representation... AND THAT'S DARN INCREDIBLE!!!! The thing that i find amazing is that even my junky processor can run it without any glithes or problems... Now for gameplay: The gameplay is no worse or better than the graphics... The gameplay, you could say, is plain excelent... let me explain the upsides and the one downside: First off, the game is very realistic when it comes to aiming... it isnt frustratingly impossible like Counter Strike... it is good enough to kill your enemies without too much trouble... but beware! the enemies get much harder to kill! This is a dumb thing to say... but the gameplay is fun enough for me to play for hours! My favorite feature in this game, which everyone has mentioned in every review, is the bullet time gameplay... In bullet time, you can slow down the gameplay to as slow and exciting as the matrix, and what a lot of people thought: "You think they will come out with a computer game of the matrix? If they did, it would be really cool with all the graphics and special affects!" You could definetly say that this is the game that is just like the matrix when it comes to gameplay... I forgot to mention what bullet time's feature are: Bullet time has many features... Obviously, the first feature is that the bullets show up on the screen wizzing by at you at slow speeds, which makes you have an advantage against your enemies if you have to dodge bullets like raindrops... Secondly, it has real cool music in the background that is supposed to show the tension and your heart pounding when your are scared of dying in the almost impossible chance you will dodge every bullet that comes at you. Lastly, it does not spoil you completely for it does have a time clock for how long you have waisted your bullet time capacities... you have around 2 minutes of bullet time before you run out... and you regenerate in 10 minutes or so... The only problem i had with this game is that i had to call up tech support becuase my game kept on exiting and freezing without notice... if you have a turtle beach sound card or anything identical, you will need to disable 3d sound... which isnt too bad becuase 3d sound doesnt make much of a difference. So, all and all, Max Payne has to be one of the best computer games ever created... As long as you have a fast computer, a craving for fast, pressured gameplay, and a great story line, this will be one of your favorites too! Quote: "THIS GAME HAS 'GAME OF THE YEAR' WRITTEN ALL OVER IT!" - PC Zone
Rating:
Summary: Thrill from beginning to end
Review: If you even think of buying something else forget it. Max Payne is the best game of 2001. A plot that will keep you drawn in close from start to finish. A game that you will sit down and play and lose track of time. A fantastic game which captures the slo-motion of the "Matrix" in a bullet-time mode. If you like games like Halflife, Hitman Codename 47, or Rainbow six you will love this. The best Action game ever invented!
Rating:
Summary: My Paen to Payne
Review: In any human activity, from making love to writing a symphony to throwing a football to making a game, there is Craft and there is Art. At the level of Craft, things are done right: polished, professional and just what you'd expect from competent purveyors of the activity. At the level of Art, there is something more: a new level of perfection and polish, or a brilliant, innovative design twist, or depth and profundity that transcends the limits of the genre. Craft and Art are always playing a game of tag: an otherwise craftsmanlike product might have flashes of artistic brillance, while even great artists sometimes produce merely craftsmanlike work. All this is to say that I have played dozens (if not hundreds) of computer games over the years, and while many are competent, enjoyable, and sometimes even awe-inspiring examples of Craft, rarely does a game approach the status of Art. MAX PAYNE is, I think, a genuine work of Art. Does it innovate? Yes and no. It hews pretty closely to FPS conventions--run and gun,even sometimes rail-shooter rigidity; strategically placed power ups, weapons and health boosts; absurd ly unrealistic damage modeling to the hero; switch hunting and even jumping puzzles. There are also many innovations: the "bullet-time" effect; cinematic camera control; graphic novel presentation; photorealistic environments. Criticising MAX PAYNE for sticking to FPS conventions is like knocking Brahms for sticking to sonata form in his symphonies. In any form of endeavor, there is Art that innovates (and is often brilliantly uneven because of the hit-and-miss nature of it), and there is Art that is summation of the tradition from which is comes. I think MAY PAYNE will be remembered not for its innovations, but because it deepens, expands, and then transcends the conventions of the genre. The story is involving (if convoluted), the visuals unmatched, and the overall polish nearly flawless. I applaud Remedy for releasing a product that is so nearly free of technical issues (there are more bugs in the first 2 minutes of ANARCHY ONLINE than in the whole of MAX PAYNE). I play a lot of games. Some of them are visual feasts, some are innovative, most don't stay on the hard drive for long. MAX PAYNE is the most polished, compelling, and flat-out brilliant game I have played in years.
Rating:
Summary: Welcome to Bullet Time
Review: Imagine, if you will, a video game so intricately choreographed and designed that it became a piece of art. Now take the special effects from one of the most popular contemporary sci-fi movies ever created and blend them seamlessly into the framework of the gameplay. Add the most intelligent, gritty storyline you've ever seen and to finish off add the most sublime graphics to cross a PC screen since the dawn of time. You now have a game called Max Payne. I have to admit I was sceptical about this release. Horrendously long development time, hype after hype about its 'revolutionary' features it sounded disturbingly like the ill-fated Daikatana of late last year. Thankfully, I was wrong. Max Payne is set in New York City, probably a couple of years ahead of our time since economic depression has set in and the pinstriped gangsters have reclaimed their old turf. Max is an undercover cop investigating the trade of a hyper addictive drug called Valkyr. His family was brutally murdered three years previously by Valkyr junkies and ol' Max has revenge on his mind. The storyline is covered by a brilliantly drawn comic strip with short cut scenes covering some of the less significant events. Some top quality voice acting adds to the effect. The advantage of this is that each strip gets logged as it is uncovered so at any time you can review the storyline simply by hitting the F1 key. Along with this, each chapter begins with Max in some kind of nightmarish er...nightmare in which he re-lives the night of the killing of his wife and baby in a grizzly dreamscape. Very disturbing. The game itself is effortlessly simple. The direction keys move you back and forth as well as strafing left and right whilst the mouse is used to aim like any self respecting first person shoot'em up. Weapons are fired with a click of the mouse and items are used by pressing the return key. And the right mouse button activates bullet time. Bullet time. The item that sets Max Payne above every other action game and threatens to steal Half-Life's crown as best action game ever. Bullet time slows down every thing that is happening on the screen with the exception of Max's aiming crosshair, which can be moved around at regular speed. As the name suggests it also slows down the bullets of both you and your adversaries. This means you can dodge oncoming fire and get yourself out of trouble even when all seems helpless. Although slightly disorientating at first, once mastered bullet time gives Max the ability react at in-human speed even when grossly outnumbered (which happens a lot). Bullet time can be utilised in two ways either continuous (single click of the right mouse button) or 'jump bullet time' which utilises the feature for the duration of a single dive in any direction (right click plus the direction in which you want to dive). The end result is that not only does it look extremely cool but it also adds a new dimension to gun fighting. All of this looks even cooler with Max Payne's graphics. A warning: Do not attempt to play Max Payne if you have a PC or graphics card released more than 18 months ago. The graphics become blocky, the game stutters and a lot of enjoyment is lost. When run on optimum settings Max Payne is truly breathtaking. Each character has different expressions for different situations and, a feature which complements bullet time, each bullet is an individual model. What this means is that they actually exist in the game world. No more flash out the barrel followed by an impact with a far too distant enemy, if you fire a pistol it actually takes a noticeable amount of time to reach a far off target. This feature is taken to its peak with the sniper rifle, which, when fired on target will change the players perspective to that of the bullet as it travels at supersonic speed towards its target. Max Payne, in my view, has put the final nail in the coffin of first person shoot'em ups outside multi-player arenas. Everything about this game is near perfection. I'm not joking. Buy this now.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent work, Remedy
Review: I can honestly say that this is one of the best games Ive ever played(and Ive played a lot of games). It has the best graphics Ive ever seen in a game. It has a very good storyline. But detailed graphics and a good storyline arent what makes this game stand out. Most of all, its FUN. The very first time i experienced bullet time mode, i felt like i was in the matrix. This is easily a candidate for game of the year. The only thing i would have liked is if it were longer, but it still deserves 5 stars. Good job, Remedy.
Rating:
Summary: Corney name, excellent game
Review: Although the name of this game might be a turn off at first (Max Payne? How original!), you should never judge a book by it's cover. At a glance it may seem like just another clone shoot-em-up game, but in reality the game is quite innovative and just about the most fun you'll ever have with a shooting game. You play the game as Max Payne, an undercover DEA agent who's having a streak of a bad luck (to put it lightly). I don't want to ruin the story, but bottom line is that you'll end up having to shoot your way out of every situation. The gameplay is superb! With a short and painless tutorial, easy to navigate controls, and 10-20 minute learning curve, the game is quite easy to jump into and play. The story plays out like a bad action flick, but it's fitting and actually adds to the gameplay. The graphics are excellent and the level of detail is amazing as well. Within the game you'll see bullet holes from every shot you've taken and looking down at the floor you'll even be able to count the shells from your gun. There is no item decay which helps add to the realism, if you gun down some punk you can run around for 20 minutes and when you return his body will still be there (and so will the shells from your gun). The story settings are excellent as well. Running around seedy parts of the Bronx while gunning down mobsters and drug addicts is quite a change of pace from the your normal shooter where you're on a space station killing stupid looking aliens. Also, the "Bullet Time" effect is something completely new to the genre that really makes the game shine. Basically what "Bullet Time" does is put the game in slow-motion allowing you to get a better edge in gun battles and perform beautiful action-movie-like stunts. Although "Bullet Time" sounds like a cheat, it's really what makes the game great. You won't be able to just do it whenver you want for as long as you want. You have an Hourglass that determines how much B-Time you have left, and even when it's full it's only a couple of seconds in total. Earning more B-Time requires you to kill thugs WITHOUT using the B-Time, so it is best saved for tight situations. Now although I do rate the game with 5 Stars, it does have it's annoyances. For one, the game is quite short. If you have a whole day to yourself you can blow through the game within a good 10 hours. Another annoying thing is the AI reflexes. It's almost impossible to sneak up on these thugs! The second you enter the room they are all aware of your presence, sometimes even before you enter. It's frustrating because these are supposed to be low-level hoodlums and yet they have the reflexes of a Navy SEAL. Another thing that will annoy the hell out of you is how long it can take to kill the people sometimes. You'd think a point-blank blast to the stomach from a Pump-Action Shotgun would be enough to finish off ANY human being... but be prepared to fire again. It'll also annoy you when you put 10 rounds from your Beretta into a gangsters chest to have him keep charging at you as if unaffected. Basically the bad-guys show no sign of pain or injury other than death. You can shoot him in the legs all you like, it won't do much other than kill him... eventually. But even with these problems I still rate the game a five because once you're playing, you won't even be thinking about these things. The game is short, but so much fun! Overall, Max Payne delivers a very entertaining and very fresh gameplay experience. With many realistic weapons to choose from, the Bullet Time feature, the realistic enviroments, and the action packed gameplay, Max Payne will have you begging for a sequel once you've completed the game. Bottom line... the game is FUN!
Rating:
Summary: The new standard in action games!
Review: This is my new favorite game of all time! A game needs a good story line, and this once hooked me fast, and kept me up until I beat the game. The graphics are... well.. I have never seen anything like it in a computer game. The models are skins of max and the NPCs were amazing... so life-like. I love the bullet-time or time-slowdown-thingy a lot. It really enhances the gameplay and is very fun to use. I give this game a 5 star rating.
Rating:
Summary: GOY! Oi Oi Oi!
Review: Children...lets me jest say this game rocks! No 2 ways about it. Buy this game and be happy.
Rating:
Summary: The best game ever!
Review: This game is unbelievable. The game has been hyped and hyped beyond imagination. I must tell you, after hours and hours of playing this game, it has lived up to all the hype in the world 10 fold. If you even slightly like action or shooters, you will ditch your own wife for this game. The controls are very simple. The graphics are just unbelievable. You will need a very fast (geforce 2 or better) video card to handle the game. Max Payne was actually accounting for 80% of the reason i bought a Geforce 3 video card. While i was playing, I was amazed at every instant. The sound is great, most things u can interact with and the explosions are the best I have ever seen (and i have had more then my share of games). The music is great (much applaud to whoever compiled this music), it keeps you into the game like no music ever has. While playing this game, true to their word, you actually feel like you want to shoot these people. The storyline is unbelievable,too, with twists and turns at every corner. You fight your way to find out why your family has been killed as the mob and the law are fast on your tail. This game is more then half life, duke nukem, unreal tournament, and deus ex put together. This isn't another Half-Life, this game is in a league of its own. No multiplayer is almost dust in the wind when you get such an action packed, unlimited replay value of a single player. This is well worth 45 or 50 or even 100 dollars. This game is too good to be compared to anything ever created. This game goes far beyond the hype. Shootdodging will make you drool after you have done it for the first time. Your jaw will drop after you've jumped from a corner and unloaded on 4 guys with double uzi's. You CANNOT be dissappointed by this game if you like action or shooters AT ALL. This game deserves a million stars. A+. Much applaud to the makers who spent years developing a great, great game. A Max Payne sequel would be the greatest thing since the discovery of electricity!
Rating: 
Summary: fresh new shooting adventure
Review: Max Payne is a very fun shooter ,especially because of the bullet time feature (that Matrix slowmotion effect)it's very fun to play. graphics are pretty good ,the backgrounds are goodlooking and the characters are very detailed. the sound is also atmospheric and sets the game in the right mood. The gameplay is alo well done ,it's a bit like hitman ,you run and use things with your keyboard and you aim with your mouse and shoot with your mouse . The downside of this game are the cutscenes , as good as the in game graphics are as bad are the cutscenes ,hey are just comicbook pictures!with a bad voice over just ripped from an old B gangster movie. But all in all it's a fresh new shooting game . a real recommendation!!!
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