Max Payne

"Max-imum Gameplay..."

The Xbox has been the underdog of the 128-bit gaming world for some time now. And for a few good reason. First of all, it was designed by the company run by Darth Vader (in inconspicuous disguise as Bill Gates). Then, there was the fact that it weighed approximately 8 pounds, prompting people to argue whether to play it or use it to tone their muscles. Also, when the Xbox was first released, sales were rather disappointing.

However, as ol' Bill's proved to us, a plethora of good games upon release can turn the tables around quickly. One of these many games is an Xbox version of Max Payne.

GRAPHICS 10/10
The Xbox takes full advantage of all of its 128-bits. The lighting effects are great, explosions are rendered beautifully, and bullets are designed with incredible accuracy.

STORY (9/10)
The story is great, with more twists than a mutant pretzel. You play Max Payne, an undercover NYC cop. Three years ago, your wife and baby were murdered by a couple of junkies high on an experimental drug known as Valkyr, or ''V''. You have now dedicated yourself to cracking the Valkyr case. However, when you come close, your partner in the DEA is killed, and it's set up to look like you did it. Now, as a fugitive from the law, you have to go after the designers alone.
The story has many interesting turns (and characters) in it: a mob boss gone crazy, believing the End Times are upon the Earth and worshipping Satan; a hooker who secretly videotapes her... um, ''clients''; and a hired gun who's a dead ringer for the Don's wife. The best part is how the story is told in graphic novel form: there are few FMVs, and all the rest of the action is displayed through a comic book style.

GAMEPLAY (10/10)
Oh, this is the good part. We've got a good camera angle (there are many a 3rd-person-shooter who take ''3rd person'' to mean ''omniscient'', making it much harder to aim), great controls, and easy movement.
But then, of course, there's Bullet-time. If you're one of the few people on Earth who currently does not live in a 3rd-world country who hasn't seen ''The Matrix'', this is slowing down time, making it easier for one to see and, therefore, dodge bullets. However, you have only a limited amount of Bullet-time (don't worry; you can regain it by killing guys). This ingenious concept makes it debut in ''Max Payne''.

SOUND (9/10)
The sound in the game is rather good. Fires realistically crackle, making you want to pull out a marshmallow or two. Snow crunches realistically under your feet. One of the things that makes a chill run down your spine, however, are the ''V'' junkies that are scattered throughout the early stages of the games. Addled by the drug, they will often whisper apocaryphic things in reverent voices, like ''The flesh... the flesh...'', ''He is coming...'', and ''It's the end...''

In short, Max Payne is nothing short of amazing. And, I'll be one of the many people waiting for the movie (produced by Dimension Entertainment) to come out.

FOR PARENTS: SHOULD YOU BUY THIS FOR YOUR KIDS?
Violence: The violence in the game is (well, by other shooting game standards) rather tame. There is, of course, blood from gunshot wounds. Also, the main character gets roughed up with a baseball bat, and one character talks about strangling two people with ''video game controller cables''.
Sex: More than you'd expect. There's vivid descriptions of sex. Bikini posters are scattered throughtout the first chapter. In one part, you actually interrupt a mob boss and a hooker during a sexual act.
Language: The ''s''-word, the ''f''-word, and everything below them.
Drugs/Alcohol: ''Valkyr''. 'Nuff said.
Other factors: As previously mentioned, you do run into a mob boss whom worships the occult and believes that Satan is coming soon. Also, there are dream sequence levels that look like something out of ''Silent Hill''.
RECOMMENDED AGE RANGE: 15 and older.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/31/02, Updated 01/31/02