Max Payne

"Bullet Time + Average Shooter = ?"

Overall, Max Payne is a decent game. In many respects, it is your ordinary shooter: lots of guns and lots of baddies that spew blood when shot (don't buy this for the kids!). On the other hand, it brings to the table a few groundbreaking features that make it stand out from the crowd. It showcases a graphic novel-type story with good voice acting, and the story itself isn't too bad. The NUMBER ONE thing that Max Payne delivers is the Matrix-esque ''Bullet Time''- at first, you're amazed by it, but then you must use it to survive. So, on to:

Control (9/10): Max Payne was the first shooter I have played on PS2. I have played shooters on the PC. It was tough to get used to the control scheme. The left analog stick moves Max, and left and right make Max strafe. The right stick moves his ''view'', and there's a small white dot that shows his current aim. R1 fires, R2 jumps (press it with left, right, or down, and Max does an evasive roll), and the control pad switches weapons. There lies the problem for me. When you run out of ammo, you have to take your thumb off of the stick that controls movement to switch weapons, and by then the baddies will probably shoot you. The only other problem I had with the controls was the absence of a reload function. To reload, you have to switch to another weapon, then switch back- a process that takes roughly 5-10 seconds. I would have taken off more for the problems, but the games includes a tutorial that actually helps you to learn the controls. Definitely use that!

Gameplay (10/10): This is where BULLET TIME will come in. While trouncing baddies through NY's dingy subways, slums, and streets, you'll often come to a corner only to hear your next victims discussing mob politics, sports, or any other thing... but the point is that you are alerted to them. Get out your weapons, boys and girls, and press L1. Max jumps out sideways while time slows (if you haven't seen The Matrix, now is a good time), and you get the chance to have free range on the heavily-armed henchmen. This, my friends, is Bullet Time.

You may be thinking, ''Bullet Time sounds cool, but couldn't you just come out with guns blazing and kill them in the first place?''. The answer, for the most part, is no. If you walk straight toward enemies, they quickly draw their weapons and shoot. You die quickly. Bullet Time is not only a cool addition, but a necessary one. You can also enter Bullet Time by pressing R2, but you won't do the cool jumpout. Bullet Time depletes, and is added to by killing enemies.

The gameplay elements that don't include Bullet Time are basically average. Level design isn't groundbreaking, but it is varied and never redundant. You can raise your health by finding and crunching some painkillers. This brings up another positive element: interactivability. You can open up many drawers, closets, dressers, etc. to find ammo and painkillers.

Story (7/10): I've read many reviews at GameFAQs, and I must say that most tout the story as excellent. I'd say it's not bad, but not good. It is told with a combination of cutscenes and graphic novel segments. Max's voice is nice- deep, raspy, and well-played. The narrations, though, are filled with dry similes and metaphors. For instance, Max gets off a subway car looking for his informant and says, ''Alex was a dark ghost, nowhere to be seen.'' This dramatic metaphor continues on and on. Maybe it's dramatic, but I find it annoying. One more problem I had was that you'd see the cutscenes or graphic novel, but the game would drop you right into a open room to fight 6 baddies. It would be better if they put you outside the room, so you come in and establish cover or use Bullet Time.

The story in a nutshell: good cop comes home to find wife and baby dead by the hands of drug-induced junkies. He comitts to revenging them, but is framed in the death of a cop. The load times are horrendous for story elements, and most you can't exit.

Graphics/Sound (8/10): Characters are blocky, but you never really see your opponents up close. There is slowdown when you are fighting with about 5 or more enemies. However, the backgrounds are awesome. You may be in a subway, where you see graffiti, tacked-up posters, or payphones; the floors and walls also show wear and dirtiness.

As far as sound, it definitely brings the score of this category up. Like I said before, Max's voice is nice, along with the other various voiced parts. The mafia guys sound real Italian-American, and the Russian guys sound Russian. Ambient noise is also good, for example dripping water in tunnels and blaring TVs in vacant rooms. Background music comes and goes- the kind you don't know is playing but you would know if it wasn't...

RENT/BUY??? I rented it, but I wouldn't think you could finish it on a one-night rental. It is a solid 10 hour game, depending on how many cutscenes you watch. I wouldn't advise buying it. There's no multiplayer, and the only replay value is really in the different difficulties. Bottom line: RENT

Overall Score (8/10): Without Bullet Time, this game would probably hold its own, but never be anything special. Rent it for an entertaining experience and the amazing Bullet Time, which I hope many more games showcase in the future.

*NOTE* I haven't played the XBOX or PC versions of Max Payne, so I can't compare it to them...

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/15/02, Updated 04/15/02