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100The sounds of Max Payne double the intensity of the game. From the beginning monotone opening to the deadpan, and deadly noirish conversations that Max has with the enemies, the game is a treat for the ears as well as the eyes.
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100Payne’s finest feature on the Xbox, however, may be its controls...Every function in the game is perfectly placed for intuitive control.
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92The PC version's visual quality--on a suitably good PC--managed to completely live up to the very high expectations produced by the early press, and the good news is that the Xbox version essentially looks just as good.
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One key improvement over the PS2 version is the lack of load times. Whereas levels had to be chopped up in that version the Xbox allows them to be loaded in the same way as the PC original, virtually eliminating any load times and keeping the sense of immersion high.
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90Max Payne will quickly rank as a favorite for most action gamers. This one's not for the kiddies though, as it is loaded with blood, killing, and dead babies. Enjoy.
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It's far and away the best third-person action game I've ever played, boasting an involving (if occasionally cheesily-told) story and pulse-pounding gameplay.
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Playing through Max Payne for the first time is a little like watching Pulp Fiction for the first time: Five minutes after the opening credits you know it’s awesome, and you don’t want it to end. [Feb 2002, p.88]
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Controls are ultra-responsive, and you don't feel restricted by the controller at any time, which again is impressive for a PC port.
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90Max Payne is a gritty, blood-filled, third person shooter from Rockstar. If you are appalled by slow motion and gory killings, then you should look elsewhere.
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90It seems to be improved for being on a console - third person games have always worked better with a decent gamepad, and this one is no exception.
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8910-12 hours of bullet ridden, shotgun loading, grenade tossing, lead pipe whacking, double gun wielding, fast reloading, pinpoint sniping, time stopping, third person shooting action. In short, get Max Payne.
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It doesn't have depth, brains, or complexity, but it does have killer looks and loads of style. [Feb 2002, p.67]
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Its pulp-novel story, gunfights straight out of John Woo's head, the incredibly cool Bullet Time gimmick, graphics that will stun the most jaded gamer.
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85When you are in the middle of the action, it is intense and very entertaining.
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Payne doesn’t rely on a multiplayer mode, flashy graphics engine, or ultra-realistic gore to satisfy the masses… it just delivers in a way that so many other games don’t.
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Despite being filled with tired cliches Max Payne is one of the most engrossing games released this year for the Xbox.
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85With no multiplayer modes at all, there's little reason to play after completing Max's rampage the first time. If this particular flaw doesn't bother you, however, Max Payne manages to deliver some of the best gunplay around, and is an involving and intense festival of urban decay, ultra-violence, and slow motion cinematic blood shed.
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This game doesn't only look great it also sounds amazing. The meaty gunfire and explosions will shake the very skin from your bones.
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It looks simply unbelievable and the gameplay and control is easy and intuitive. The bullet time alone makes it one of the premier action games on the Xbox.
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In slow-motion, it’s possible to catch every white bullet trail and crimson blood spray; we’d daresay it’s violence made beautiful. [Feb 2002, p.98]
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80Get Max Payne if you never played the PC version, and try to get a good surround setup to really experience the game as it was meant to be played.
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80Graphically it is almost impossible to notice any difference between the PC and the XBox version. While the PC can obviously run at higher (and prettier) resolutions, the XBox version seems to move along at a much more constant frame-rate and with a lot less stuttering.
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The game is preferable to the PS2 version as it has noticeably smoother frame rates and quicker load times, as well as the ability to Quick Save at any point.
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After the novelty wars off, the gameplay can get monotonous. [Feb 2002, p.166]