GAMES: GameSpot | GameFAQs | SportsGamer MUSIC: Last.fm | MP3.com MOVIES: Metacritic | Movietome TV: TV.com
Home | About Metacritic | About Metascores | What's New | Wireless Versions | Discussion Forums | Advertising Inquiries | Contact Us | RSS
Metacritic.com: We Deal With Criticism
     Help
> Switch to Advanced Search  
Film Video/DVD Music Games TV

Games

Playstation Reviews
PS3 | PS2 | PS One | PSP

Xbox Reviews
Xbox 360 | Xbox

Nintendo Reviews
Wii | DS | GBA | Cube | N64


PC | N-Gage | Dreamcast

How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Games In Our Forums

 

Upcoming & Recent Releases

sort by name sort by score

xx Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Make the Grade
xx Army Men: Soldiers of Misfortune
xx Avatar: The Last Airbender - Into the Inferno
53 B-Boy
xx Ben 10: Alien Force
xx Bolt
xx Bratz Girlz Really Rock
xx Buzz! Junior: Ace Racers
xx Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2009
xx Cake Mania: Baker's Challenge
xx Call of Duty: World at War - Final Fronts
74 Crash Bandicoot: Mind over Mutant
55 Dance Dance Revolution X
xx Disney Sing It
xx Disney TH!NK Fast
xx Dog Island, The
61 Dokapon Kingdom
40 Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World
xx DT Carnage
xx Dynasty Warriors 6
73 Eternal Poison
xx Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli
81 FIFA Soccer 09
30 George of the Jungle and the Search for the Secret
xx Guitar Hero World Tour
xx Hannah Montana: Spotlight World Tour
xx Hasbro Family Game Night
xx High School Musical 3: Senior Year Dance!
xx Jeep Thrills
xx King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga, The
xx Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories
xx Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon, The
77 LEGO Batman
xx Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
xx Madden NFL 09
48 Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
68 MLB Power Pros 2008
xx Monopoly
xx Monster Jam: Urban Assault
xx Moto GP 08
xx NBA 09: The Inside
xx NBA 2K9
xx NBA Live 09
xx NCAA Basketball 09
xx Need for Speed Undercover
xx NHL 09
xx NHL 2K9
xx Pipe Mania
xx Pro Evolution Soccer 2009
xx Quantum of Solace
xx Rock Band 2
xx Rock University Presents: The Naked Brothers Band - The Video Game
xx SCORE International Baja 1000
xx Shaun White Snowboarding
xx Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
79 SingStar BoyBands vs GirlBands
74 SingStar Country
76 SingStar Legends
70 SingStar Pop Vol. 2
70 SingStar Singalong with Disney
xx Six Flags Fun Park
xx Sonic Unleashed
xx Speed Racer
69 Spider-Man: Web of Shadows
xx SpongeBob SquarePants featuring NickToons: Globs of Doom
68 Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
xx Summer Athletics: The Ultimate Challenge
xx Tak and the Guardians of Gross
xx Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09
58 TNA iMPACT!
xx Tomb Raider Underworld
52 Warriors Orochi 2
30 Women's Volleyball Championship
78 WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2009
78 Yakuza 2

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.



Printer-Friendly Version Email This Page Discuss In Our Forums
Max Payne ps2 Game Reviews
Max Payne
Critic Score
Metascore: 80 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
7.2 out of 10
based on 21 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 22 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game

Max Payne is a man with nothing to lose in the violent, cold urban night. A fugitive undercover cop framed for murder, and now hunted by cops and the mob. A man with his back against the wall, fighting a battle he cannot hope to win. Prepare for pain with this much-anticipated 3rd-person shooter. [Rockstar Games]

PUBLISHER: Rockstar Games / 3D Realms
DEVELOPER: Remedy
GENRE(S): Action, Third-Person Shooter
PLAYERS: 1
ESRB RATING: M (Mature)
RELEASE DATE: December 7, 2001

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

90
GameShark
Yes, this game has the power to rip families apart, it's that cool. With nice graphics, violence, swearing, and Matrix-style camera angles galore, this is a must-have for action game fans.
Read Full Review
90
Hot Games
If you want the hard-boiled action of "Grand Theft Auto III" up close and personal, this is the game for you.
Read Full Review
90
GamePro
The Dual Shock organizes controls logically and offers the sharp response, especially considering the cool Bullet Time and Shootdodge aspects, which slow down time for Matrix-style gunfights.
Read Full Review
83
TotalGames.net
While it’s tricky to recommend a game that doesn’t run too well on a piece of hardware with static tech-specs, the fact remains that, gawd bless ’im, old Max had us entirely enthralled until the end of his adventure.
Read Full Review
82
Electric Playground
This excellent, visceral shooter is just the tiniest bit on the short side, but remember what the man said: In a New York Minute, everything can change.
Read Full Review
81
IGN
Delivers non-stop, ultra cool, and fun-as-hell action. And I highly recommend it on the PS2, if that's the only system you own. But if you own a PC or an Xbox, definitely skip this version, as it's the weakest of the trio in every aspect.
Read Full Review
80
PSM Magazine
While the graphics are generally well done, the framerate gets sketchy when there’s a lot going on. [Feb 2002, p.46]
80
Yahoo! Games
It's original, foreboding, action-packed and full of dark humour, uplifting surprises and plenty of serious shooting for you to get to grips with.
Read Full Review
80
Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
Bullet Time…just looks so friggin’ neat. [Feb 2002, p.110]
80
GameSpot
The game loses much of the original PC version's polish in translation to the PS2--loading times are bad, and the game's sluggish frame rate and blurry textures aren't flattering, especially if you've seen the far-superior-looking PC and Xbox versions...Otherwise outstanding.
Read Full Review
80
Total Video Games
The overly detailed and crisp textures have been downgraded, character models sport lower polygon counts, on occasion the framerate becomes extremely choppy.
Read Full Review
79
Gamezilla!
I can’t help but caution people that as a PC owner, Max Payne for the PS2 won’t get much gameplay while I’ve still got the PC version on my shelf.
Read Full Review
78
Game Informer
The control is not nearly as fluid as it needs to be. [Feb 2002, p.84]
78
GameSpy
So much of what makes this game cool is lost in translation to a less potent platform. If the PS2 is your lone system, you'll still have a good time, but may be left wondering what all the hype was about.
Read Full Review
75
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Once Bullet Time’s novelty wears off, you’re left with a repetitive shooter, blasting the same species of enemy over and over. [Feb 2002, p.158]
75
Game Revolution
While not without its flaws, Max Payne is a solid addition to any PS2 library, provided you didn't play the PC version, you don't have an Xbox and you aren't just itching to see Max on your big screen TV.
Read Full Review
73
GamerWeb Sony
Somehow Remedy Entertainment made the PS2 look like an old man when compared to the new console and the tried and true personal computer.
Read Full Review
70
All Game Guide
Even if the overall experience is a bit too short, the length to which it goes to inspire some real John Woo-style gunplay and adrenaline is impressive and definitely deserves praise.
Read Full Review
70
PSX Nation
Unfortunately, like other games that have an incredible opening act but don't know how to close the show (certain overhyped Konami action/stealth game come to mind?), "Max Payne" sometimes falls into "Soul Reaver 2"-like pretentions of grandeur that fall short.
Read Full Review
67
XenGamers
It just can’t match up to the PC and Xbox versions due to the difference in graphics quality and the lack of an important gameplay element.
Read Full Review
50
GamePen
On the Playstation, it’s (practically) just as fun [as the PC], but the additional flaws it picks up really cut into the experience. I’d seriously flag this as a “rent first” title.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 7.2 (out of 10) based on 22 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Vid M. gave it an8:
Bloody, good fun! Max wins the "Most Bomb Facial Expression" Award. Very short, but worth a few bucks to pick it up used.

John J. gave it a3:
I dont like the part where theres total darkness and he has to find a way out....it made me hate the game bcos that was stupid.

Mueed M. gave it a 7:
I haven't played any other version of this game, but I kinda liked it. I got annoyed because I couldn't skip cinematics and once you die, you re load the game. A "7" is a pretty generous rating.

PIRANHA G. gave it a 7:
It´s a shame that this game is so short otherwise it would be perfect.

Ziggy Stardust gave it a 6:
A very weak port. This is the worst version of Max Payne you could get.

Bog Man gave it a 9:
I haven't played any other version but i don't care, i'm still playing 6 months on. There is nothing else quite like it on ps2. It's similar to Deus Ex in the fact that it may not be the best conversion but the gameplay will suck you in.

Fairly Oddparents gave it a 7:
He looks constipated!

Read more user comments...

Discuss this game in our forums

Return to top of page
Home | FILM | DVD/VIDEO | MUSIC | GAMES | TV | Forums | About Metacritic metacritic.com

Popular on CBS sites: MLB | Spore | iPhone 3G | Paris Hilton | Antivirus Software | GPS | Recipes | Shwayze | NFL

About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2008 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use