A Unique Gaming Experience (Max Payne (PS2))

Member Name: ps2update

Product:	Max Payne (PS2)
Date:	02/02/02 (101 review reads)
Rating:

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Max Payne is a game with a very adult theme to it, arguably more adult than Grand Theft Auto 3 yet it is only rated 15. Max Payne was originally released on the PC where it was a massive hit and it is set to be a hit on the PS2 as well. Max Payne includes drugs, hookers, violence, gambling, and swearing, in short this is a strictly adult game. Wouldn't it be great if a great gangster game was released to compliment all the great gangster films? It is now!

GRAPHICS

From the heart pounding beginning till the very end Max Payne is visually one of the most impressive games on the PS2. Max Payne concentrates on everything, it will look at the most basic of structures and put them in true 3D and it will turn the simplest things into works of art. As this is a gangster based game with drugs, casinos, alcohol, sex and the whole shebang it isn't a great shock to see cigarettes in ash trays, Max Payne beautifully shows the smoke coming off the end of the cigarette in a corner, the yellow smoke discolouring the ceiling. Bricks have been carefully put together, as have cars, buildings, and household objects. Max Payne himself is a site to behold; his leather jacket is crinkled and done to such a high degree of accuracy that you can almost smell the leather, his stubble is accurately created, each hair is in place (it never moves even when being shot in the head, perhaps something to consider for the next gangster game), and a serious of character lines are on his face.
Sex then - the gamer gets to witness beds vibrating up and down in a brothel (in one case there is a man splattered in blood lying there as the bed vibrates up and down), scantily clad women are plastered on the walls, and a few other treats and references to the subject.
Violence then - there is plenty of violence in this game, as you will find out. When disposing of gangsters you have a vast array of weapons at your disposal, however you take them out there is bound to be buck
ets full of blood - excellent! Fancy throwing a grenade? Visually the explosion of a grenade is spectacular not to mention the effects it can do, and that's just to the surroundings! This game is one of the bloodiest games available, it is on par with GTA3 if not surpassing it and violence is on a much larger scale.
The weapons that Payne gets to use don't look bad either although it is comical how he holds that bat!
It would only be too good to be true if there weren't some graphical errors or glitches and as with all games there is an error! When getting too close to a wall a part of your body may go through it, a problem that gamers will only be too accustomed with in action games, it's annoying but it doesn't happen very often and with the overall look of the game you can forgive Max Payne for one slight hiccup.
Max Payne is one big cinematic experience; it has great effects such as "shoot-dodge" and "bullet time". Shoot-dodge makes the gamer feel as if they are in a film, you can dive forward or to a side and shoot when you are in the air. Think of a typical gangster film, you are behind a pillar and your enemy is in front of it, with a pillar in between the two of you it doesn't take a genius to work out that neither of you are going to hurt the other one. With shoot-dodge you can jump out from behind the pillar to the side and shoot while side jumping to the ground. Then there is bullet time; this is even better than shoot-dodge. If you are finding it hard to shoot somebody or you just want to add a cinematic feel to the game you can use bullet time, bullet time will enable the action to slow down all except for you, this means that there bullets will inevitably go slower but yours will go at the same speed, this means that many enemies will eat much lead will bullet time is activated. Although bullet time and shoot dodge are great features as with all good things they come at a cost, you have a bar so
use it wisely!
18/20

GAMEPLAY

It's all very well looking the bees knees but if it doesn't play well then Max Payne is like polishing a turd - it will look nice but it wont be any good! Luckily for the gamer Max Payne is not like polishing a turd at all, it plays like a dream. With shoot-dodge and bullet time (mentioned above) the game does actually feel dangerously realistic. Max Payne is a bad ass and he isn't going to bow down for anybody, as Max Payne you attack anything that attacks you or looks threatening. You get to choose from weapons varying from a baseball bat and crowbar to a shotgun and Uzi's. Depending on who you are facing depends on which weapon is best to use, if you want to jump out from around a corner and kill one man the shotgun is the best weapon, if you want to break a lock the crowbar is the best weapon, and if you want to take out multiple people at the same time the Uzi is the best weapon.
Max Payne can do a selection of things, he can activate switches, jump, roll, shoot and run at a lightning like pace. Max Payne is a fully interactive game meaning you can take advantage of objects around you. You can turn the TV on (usually you will find you are wanted by the NYPD - doh!), turn on taps, flush toilets, and call elevators among other things.
Max Payne is a narrative game, Payne is telling the story and looking back on the events, this is vaguely reminiscent of In Cold Blood for the original PSONE but that is where the resemblance ends. Payne will tell the story through action, and through speech. When there is an important part that the game wants the gamer to notice it will do one of two things; it will either cut to an FMV with speech or it will cut to a comic book style speech (this is surprisingly good).
Max Payne will not try to scare you like Silent Hill, and it wont try to give you the impression that you are a secret agent of spy like Metal Gear Solid will but what it will do is
give you a damn good game (something that both Silent Hill and Metal Gear Solid give you). Max Payne will meet a variety of people, some nice and some nasty. Whilst wondering around the gamer will see druggies, these druggies are possessed and intimidating usually muttering, "I'm going to die, this is not real". When faced with a druggie you can either ignore the druggie or shoot him for your pleasure, it really is up to you. If you do decide to shoot the druggie though beware…if there are fellow druggies near at the time of the shooting then they will be after you, and if you think a gang of criminals after you is bad then you think how bad it gets when we add druggies into the equation as well.
There is the odd occasion when you will meet somebody who will help you, for example in the train station when Max Payne requires a password for a door he finds an assistant (whatever you do don't shoot the helpful people because if you do you are quite simply screwed).
It is possible to listen in to conversations from gangsters who are looking out for you, usually they will say "he is going to bust in here any minute" or other phrases along those lines but sometimes you will get some really weird conversations, for example in one instance two guards are talking about vampire movies and eating Eskimos (this is a messed up world)!
When you are injured like on Resident Evil your character will look injured, limping from place to place (and if you can't tell how he is walking then there is a handy health bar in the left hand corner of the screen).
The problem with most games with a great concept is that the AI leaves the game looking more than a little shallow. Amazingly AI is where Max Payne excels (AI is artificial intelligence for all of those who didn't know). The enemies in Max Payne will rush around corners, roll out of your way, run to find mates to take you on and generally keep you on your feet. The enemies a
re almost as skilful as you meaning that every encounter is tough, you must be quick on your feet and tactful or you will go down…hard!
Max Payne will keep you playing throughout, some may call it repetitive considering the fact that you are just killing all the time, but most will call it innovative because of the great storyline to back it up, whatever you call it you can guarantee that this game is fun.
23/25

SOUND

Sound is almost as important as graphics in Max Payne as you really have to listen out and know what is going on in your surroundings. If you keep your wits about you and listen you can usually succeed against the enemy, whether they are talking, throwing a grenade or walking closer it is important to listen carefully. If there is a phone ringing or the fuzz of a TV signal you can find it judging on how loud sound is i.e. how near you are to the object. When interacting with objects the interaction is; visual interaction, sound interaction, or (usually) a combination of the two; this means that you will be treated to the sound of running water, the flush of a toilet and the hum of an electric bed bumping up and down.
Amplified gunshots and shouting is usually what's heard when in the middle of a gun fight, enemies will shout commands to there comrades concerning Max Payne whether they are ordering them to stay back or come forward and fight in numbers.
When in a narrative part of Max Payne you will hear the gruff deep voice of Max Payne accompanied by sinister music that you will get used to and appreciate throughout the duration of the game.
Sound helps to tell the story and is a lot more useful than one would initially believe, if you played Max Payne with no sound it would be an average title because the message simply wouldn't be put across (despite subtitles).
18/20

LIFESPAN

Due to highly intelligent AI and an extensive plot Max Payne will last you an incredibly long time
for an action game of its ilk. Max Payne is split up into 3 parts with chapters in each part. Although you could complete Max Payne the first time in say 3 days at a push you will just keep coming back to it again and again mainly for the incredible special effects and sheer blood in the game. Max Payne is the PS2's finest action game available and will therefore be a title you keep coming back to.
18/20

ORIGINALITY

Although there have been adult games (GTA3), action games (Syphon Filter), and games with a lot of blood (Resident Evil), there has never been a game quite like Max Payne. This is the first true gangster game and because of the hiding and cinematic effects it also has a James Bond feel to it at times. The storyline is fairly unique as it is looking back on the events and the use of shoot-dodge is a first for the PS2. Considering how long action games have been about Max Payne has added one hell of a lot of things in that haven't been seen before. Max Payne mixes the successful old bits of action games with the innovative new bits of action games giving the gamer a thrilling experience.
9/10

OVERALL

Max Payne is the ultimate cinematic gangster game; it is not for the feint hearted. Max Payne plays like a dream and mixes extreme violence and mature subjects with an intelligent storyline.

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