Originals November 29, 1999

Max Payne

Posted by: kombo

Immerse yourself into the world of Payne. Max Payne that is. Undoubtingly, this game positioned itself as one of the most anticipated shooters for the PC in 2001. On July 25th, 2001, gamers screamed in bliss as they took Payne up to their dwellings to cram it into their PCs, and they werenâ€™t disappointed. Just when we thought this game couldnâ€™t get any more superior then it already was, it was announced for a release on the Xbox Console. The crossover to Xbox was incredible. The game lost absolutely none of its magnificence from the PC version, and boasts graphics equivalent, if not better then the highest-end PC running Max Payne. Max Payne combines John Woo styles of Fighting, with the infamous bullet-time of The Matrix. A first impression one might have when investigating previews of this game, is that it is all about slow motion, Matrix-style, bullet-fest fighting, and that these styles may be monotonous and overused in the game. However, the way Remedy has tailored this, could not have been done better by the Wachowski brothers themselves. With the simple click of a trigger, you can switch from fast paced combat into a slow motion aerobic shootout. In real time, you can control the aim of Max, giving you a slight advantage over your opponents, with the capability of dodging bullets, and giving those goons a few of their own. Graphics Just what the doctor ordered. Max Payneâ€™s graphics are crisp clean, with incredible detail in the rough New York Bronx environments, the character and weaponry models, and particle effects. Payne is a world of itâ€™s own, you are set free in large surroundings with the assignment of pronouncing your way to certain points. Almost everything in the area is interactive, whether you are just looking to open a cupboard, grab a soda from the machine, or even stop to play some slots. One thing I would like to point out, that most people oversee, is that unlike most shooters, when you execute someone, their cadaver does not glide off into the wonderful world of narnia, it stays put. You can go through an entire scene shooting off 50 mobsters, and then voyage precisely back as far as you can go to where you went ahead killing them, and the first person who met the obscurity of Payneâ€™s arsenal will still be there. This goes the same for bullet-holes, blood streaks, and basically anything you damage. If itâ€™s one thing Payne really explodes in, it is the particle effects. Be it the snow flakes, gunpowder, breath or explosions, there isnâ€™t much ghastly you can say about it. Gameplay Payne is a shooter with a rich storyline, and edge-of-your-seat Gameplay. One could sum it up as saying, â€œYou walk from room to room shooting peopleâ€, and in contrast, the ones who appreciate shooters find it much more then that. In Max Payne, you play as a New York City cop, investigating the Valkyr drug case (aka: v) in the midst of the worst snow storm in the history of our existence, when everything goes off beam, you come home to find your wife and baby murdered. Broken, disoriented, and enraged, you vow to seek revenge on the man who did this to you, Jack Lupino. The way Remedy has set up the story in this game is very unique. Occasionally from time to time, a specific event will happen (i.e.: telephone call, note on desk, run into a top goon), and the game will open up in story mode, much like a picture book, with dialog. At any point in the game, you can open up the book and look back to the very beginning and read all the pages you have unlocked, basically, you are building a novel as you are playing the game. One would think that with the power of controlling bullet-time scenes at your fingertips could get redundant, when in fact it adds an important element to the Gameplay, and is required if you truly want to succeed in putting the v-junkies to rest. Strafing in slow motion with real time aiming gives you an essential advantage over your enemies, where you can dodge their bullets, and pop a few up their alley. Sound The voice acting in Max Payne was absolutely stunning. Maxâ€™s voice provided the deep, monotone, and intimidating sound his character needed. Every major character in the game had a unique and interesting voice, be it the new york accent, the mobster accent, or even the Russian accent. The weaponry effects were pin-point precise, each weapon had a distinguishing sound you could identify. The environmental effects got a tad annoying at some points, the footsteps of the floorboards were quite loud, especially since we were in a level with floorboards for a very long time. Overall All in all, Max Payne is definitely one of the better Xbox titles available right now. If you are looking for a game to go along with halo, give this one a go. The amazing port lost none of itâ€™s glory from the PC version, and unless you are going to go out spend hundreds of dollars on a PC upgrade to play this in Xbox Comparable quality, I can only suggest picking up an Xbox. --Matt Durrant