Max Payne (Xbox Classics)

The game is designed so you play a role in a movie. The storyboard is thick and rich and if you like violent games, this one is a pickup. There is something in Max Payne that sets it apart from all other games. It's called "bullet time." Bullet time is like what we all saw when Neo was dodging bullets in the Matrix. You have a limited amount of bullet time at your disposal. The effects are very cool and are used to surprise the enemy. You can jump to the side and enable bullet time and everything greatly slows down and you can fire at the enemy while in the air and if you carefully look, you can see the actual bullets zooming out of the barrel of your gun and through the enemy. You can also see the bullets being shot at you from the enemy's gun. The effects are very well done.

I'm still in the process of playing this game and am in the early stages, but I really like what I've seen and done so far. What the creators have done as far as replay value is interesting. When you beat the game, it unlocks a harder mode for you with tougher guys with better aim and your aiming becomes harder as well. And when you beat that mode, there is an even tougher one. The game comes with a variety of weapons to use, from a single Beretta to dual Uzi's. The Uzi looks especially neat in bullet time.

Overall the game has plenty of action and violence that will satisfy anyone's hunger for gore. The game's only weak point is the gigantic storyboard. I tried to pay attention to the storyboard, but then it just became overwhelming. Every 2 minutes, there was something along the storyboard interrupting your fun time. I just began to skip it all and continue with my shootings.

Off the topic, this game is where you would see the X-Box console shine. I've seen Max Payne on both the X-Box and the Playstation 2 and there IS a difference. The PS2 version of Max Payne skips frames often and other sections are choppy, while the X-Box displays it with at a very high frame rate and the lighting effects are far superior in comparison.

It's quite difficult for gamers coming fresh to Max Payne in 2003 to appreciate just how groundbreaking it was upon it's initial release. The game is perhaps most famous as the originator of the 'bullet-time' gameplay, which slows the action down Matrix-style whilst allowing the player to aim at normal speed. This effect was really impressive when first seen, although it has been copied many times since and it's allure has become somewhat muted as a result. However, Max Payne makes this effect more than just a gimmick; it's absolutely essential to use it when facing multiple enemies in order to avoid a quick death. In fact, no game since has implemented bullet-time to such a successful degree as this. It's not the only thing which makes Max Payne stand out, though - there's a rich and involving story, well-defined characters and even some decent voice-acting for once. The script is excellent; it's like a tongue-in-cheek homage to the hard-boiled 'noir' thrillers of the 'Thirties, and Max's deadpan delivery is admirable. The 'graphic novel' cut scenes are also very impressive, and the game evokes it's gritty atmosphere wonderfully well. The graphics are no longer top-notch, but they still look pretty good, and luckily the X-Box received an excellent conversion which is equal to the PC version in almost every respect (unfortunately the PS2 version is very poor). Criticism of the game is usually centred around it's length; you can finish it in around ten hours without too much difficulty. The game is now available at a reduced price which renders the question a moot point, but consider: would you rather play 10 hours of a top-quality title, or opt for 50 hours of rubbish? I'm not suggesting that all short games are good and all long games aren't - this plainly isn't true, as any fan of RPGs will tell you, but Max Payne is the very definition of quality over quantity. I can understand that perhaps younger gamers, with more spare time to play and less money to buy games, would be pretty disappointed to pay full price for something thay can finish in a day or two, but for anyone else I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this title. The good news is that Max Payne 2 is on the way later this year, so what better time to acquaint yourself with the original?

On it's release, Max Payne was rather left behind by the superb Halo. This seems a little unfair, because although Halo is the finest FPS ever, Max Payne is still a worthy purchase.

A very dark story unravells as you progress, with more twists and turns than a hollywood blockbuster movie. Worthy of the 15 certificate because of the content, the game is a lot deeper than many of the games in its genere.

The unique ability to slow down 'real' time into 'bullet time' is a fresh and welcome addition. The array of weapons is sufficient, and not OTT like many similar games. The only negative is that the controls can feel a little sluggish at times, but overall I think this game is second only to Halo on the console.