Max Payne

 PC
User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 2065 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,882 out of 2065
  2. Mixed: 152 out of 2065
  3. Negative: 31 out of 2065
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  1. Sean-M
    Jul 23, 2020
    8
    A great classic game. With a great story and gameplay. But I really prefer the second one.
  2. russiangamer
    Jul 20, 2020
    7
    У игры очень крепкая холодная атмосфера: горы холодных трупов, которые оставляет за собой Макс, кучки холодных, лишённых человечности наркоманов, наёмников, преступников и убийц, за которыми охотится тот же Макс; аномальная для Нью-йорка холодная погода; ссылки на скандинавскую мифологию, которые так же, как и всё перечисленное, укрепляют эту атмосферу холода...
    Сюжет можно описать в двух    У игры очень крепкая холодная атмосфера: горы холодных трупов, которые оставляет за собой Макс, кучки холодных, лишённых человечности наркоманов, наёмников, преступников и убийц, за которыми охотится тот же Макс; аномальная для Нью-йорка холодная погода; ссылки на скандинавскую мифологию, которые так же, как и всё перечисленное, укрепляют эту атмосферу холода...
    Сюжет можно описать в двух словах: Макс мстит убийцам своей семьи. Но вся соль именно в комикс-диалогах, которые написаны очень талантливо - они захватывают. Эти речевые обороты, эти персонажи, одержимые то наживой, то ещё каким пороком, говорящие с Максом - всё это крайне увлекательно.
    Чуть менее увлекателен геймплей, но даже спустя 20 лет играть в первого Пейна довольно интересно и немного даже сложновато (сохранялся, к слову, частенько...).
    Советую вам поиграть - игра определённо доставит вам удовольствие и даст возможность вжиться в роль ироничного и опустошённого героя, который потерял всё самое дорогое.
    7.5/10    … Expand
  3. 85558457
    Jul 20, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Великолепный шутер своего времени. Я досихпор в него иногда играю. Хороший геймплэй, мрачный сюжет, это все за что я полюбил эту игру . это легендарная игра и я советую каждому геймеру пройти её.… Expand
  4. Rickkard
    Jul 14, 2020
    9
    Великолепная игра, за исключением миссий с красной лентой и приходами.
  5. FilippoGugli
    Jul 5, 2020
    10
    Un gran clasico con mecánicas y gráficos adelantados a su tiempo.
    Excelente historia y jugabilidad
  6. Ctrl1138
    Jul 5, 2020
    10
    Incredible atmosphere, cool music, Incredible atmosphere, cool music, lots of weapons
    One of the best noir!!!
  7. DragonMonk
    Jul 3, 2020
    10
    Очень хорошая игра боевик с элементами "Матрицы". Комиксный сюжет редко где увидишь. 10 из 10
  8. ugurbugraergor
    Jun 29, 2020
    9
    Max Payne has an amazing story.It breaks 4th wall for many times,and this makes the game very interesting.Also the game has amazing controls for PC.Graphics are so good for a 2001 game.For today,it can be playable.Easter Eggs,many guns,good gun firing.But there is a little problem.The game has a dark atmosphere.I loved the atmosphere but there is some haters for Max Payne because ofMax Payne has an amazing story.It breaks 4th wall for many times,and this makes the game very interesting.Also the game has amazing controls for PC.Graphics are so good for a 2001 game.For today,it can be playable.Easter Eggs,many guns,good gun firing.But there is a little problem.The game has a dark atmosphere.I loved the atmosphere but there is some haters for Max Payne because of this.Very amazing game,most enjoyable game,I've ever played..… Expand
  9. Broyax
    May 15, 2020
    1
    Pour un jeu de 2001, je trouve que ce Max Payne a étonnamment bien vieilli, d'autant qu'il accepte le 1080 et que ses textures sont encore tout-à-fait correctes (tout à fond évidemment). Il fonctionne donc très bien sur... un OS 32 bits comme Windows XP ! car sur les 64 bits, il ne s'installe même pas...

    Autre sujet de surprise avec une bonne VF intégrale et des bruitages de qualité ;    Pour un jeu de 2001, je trouve que ce Max Payne a étonnamment bien vieilli, d'autant qu'il accepte le 1080 et que ses textures sont encore tout-à-fait correctes (tout à fond évidemment). Il fonctionne donc très bien sur... un OS 32 bits comme Windows XP ! car sur les 64 bits, il ne s'installe même pas...

    Autre sujet de surprise avec une bonne VF intégrale et des bruitages de qualité ; de toute façon, techniquement les jeux de chez Remedy ont toujours été des pointures : rien de surprenant à ce qu'ils vieillissent bien... même si leur "rétrocompatibilité" est sujette à caution !

    Mais quoi qu'il en soit, pour le reste, pour tout le reste, c'est la soupe à la grimace... l'espèce d'histoire est complètement bateau et une soupe aux clichés très indigeste ; la narration à coups de bande dessinée pue du bec -et la paresse ; le ralentissement du temps (et les ralentis donc) est globalement mal implémenté et peu exploitable, sans doute parce qu'il s'agit d'un TPS dont la maniabilité n'est d'ailleurs pas la qualité première... et aucun système de couverture n'est disponible.

    La présentation est perfectible avec notamment cette silhouette qui se vide ou se remplit (?) à l'envers (?!) : on ne sait jamais si on est à peine touché ou sur le point de crever... Le jeu ne reste qu'un couloir scripté, beaucoup trop scripté (heureusement qu'on peut sauvegarder quand on veut !) et n'est pas agréable à l'usage : ni amusant malgré ses ralentis à la John Woo !

    ça donne juste envie de se remater encore une (énième) fois A Toute Epreuve ! je lui mettrais bien 2 quand même finalement... mais 1 point, je crois que c'est assez comme ça : on s'emmerde beaucoup trop vite ici.    … Expand
  10. Crimert
    May 13, 2020
    9
    It was an amazing game! One of the best stories in video game history! 12hrs on record.
  11. PublicNuisance
    May 1, 2020
    9
    Max Payne is easily one of the best games ever made and even nearly 20 years later that fact still stands in my view. I have played many games since this came out but it still ranks up there for me. The story is a masterpiece that fits together wonderfully. The voice acting is fantastic, James McCaffrey was a perfect choice for Max. The soundtrack fit well and set the mood. The game playMax Payne is easily one of the best games ever made and even nearly 20 years later that fact still stands in my view. I have played many games since this came out but it still ranks up there for me. The story is a masterpiece that fits together wonderfully. The voice acting is fantastic, James McCaffrey was a perfect choice for Max. The soundtrack fit well and set the mood. The game play itself was a thing of beauty. No game allowed you to be in a John Woo movie before and until Stranglehold years later none who tried to emulate it did it well. For me one of the things I loved was the little details. When you walk in the snow you leave footprints. After a gunfight there are shell casings on the floor and your discarded magazines. There are bullet holes in the walls left by you and your enemies. All adds to the game and sadly are things many games still don’t do for whatever reason. The games comic book style way of telling the story was awesome and fit well with the FMV cut scenes. The news reports in the background and on the televisions was also an ingenious way to add to the story. The cast of characters are memorable. Even after all this time I still remembered them, all the way from Mona; Max; Bravura; Lupino; Gogniti; etc. There isn’t a wasted character or bad one in the bunch. The variety of weapons and ability to dual wield most of them made for a kid in a candy shop during gunfights. I did feel that the shotgun was a little under powered sometimes as even point blank it took 2-3 shots to put basic enemies down. It also didn’t make sense why Lupino needed so many bullets to go down despite not being superhuman, V or no V. These were minor things though that didn’t stop my enjoyment one bit.

    I played Max Payne on Linux using Steam’s Proton. It never crashed on em and I didn’t notice any bugs or glitches. There are 3 settings for AA; 3 settings for AF; and 13 other graphic settings. The game allows you to manually save whenever you want and gives 10 slots for that. There are auto saves for those who prefer. Alt-Tab worked. You can pause FMV cut scenes but not skip them. You can skip the comic book cut scenes. Performance was fantastic. The game certainly is no spring chicken visually but n it’s time it was top notch. A few times the FPS dropped from 144 but only dropped to 130 and 119 and only for a split second so it wasn’t an issue. I played version 1.05 of the game.

    Disk Usage: 792 MB
    VRAM Usage: 706-797 MB
    CPU Usage: 10-14 %
    RAM Usage: 2.4-3.3 GB
    Frame Rate: 119-144 FPS

    If by some chance you haven’t had the pleasure of playing Max Payne and enjoy shooters then rush out and get this now. I finished the first play through on the fugitive difficulty and it took me 7 hours and 10 minutes. I forget what I paid for my physical copy years back but for this Steam version I paid $2.55 and it is worth so much more. Even the full price of $10.99 doesn’t do it justice. One of the few games worth $50.

    My Score: 9/10

    My System:

    AMD Ryzen 5 2600X | 16GB DDR4-3000 CL15 | MSI RX 5700 XT 8GB Gaming X | Mesa 20.0.5 | Samsung 970 Evo Plus 500GB | Manjaro 19.0.2 | Mate 1.24 | Kernel 5.6.7-1-MANJARO | Proton 5.0.6    … Expand
  12. ChesterField
    May 1, 2020
    9
    Good story, good gameplay, excellent addition to bullet time, tons of fun. Nothing more to say. 100% recommended.
  13. Hitman_47
    Apr 13, 2020
    9
    Great game with good story, great graphics and bullet time. Highly Recommended.
  14. AbhinavDasiga
    Mar 31, 2020
    8
    From the graphic novel cut scenes to the neo noir rendition of the story, Max Payne has character in spades. Bullet time mechanics changed the landscape of gaming. For all its short comings such as enemy variety, Max Payne remains engaging from beginning to end.
  15. Relkad
    Mar 25, 2020
    9
    Story telling is unique,or it was.Still i have seen none that reaches it's quality.
    Kind of game that will get old but will always have a special place in your memory.
  16. PanMrkvicka
    Feb 12, 2020
    10
    One of the best gameplay in shooter game ever. The noir detective story is also very good and I love this game.
  17. sashok9026
    Nov 30, 2019
    9
    One of the best games I've played.
    I am not a fan of the shooter genre, but this game turned out to be very good. I was ready to play it for several hours without a break.
  18. kuzey
    Nov 30, 2019
    10
    gelmiş geçmiş en iyi 2. oyun en iyiside max payne 2 2 side harika mükemmel oyunlar 3 de iyidir ama bi max payne denmez 3 için
  19. Genek13
    Nov 19, 2019
    9
    Man, when this was released blows every gamer mind :)
    The slow motion mechanics was so good back then.
    Still playable to this date, and still best in the series.
  20. SilverOrlov
    Oct 7, 2019
    10
    Incredibly strong and enveloping atmosphere, interesting and intriguing story. Interesting mechanics of focus, and comic-storytelling style with noir music ...it was very-very cool.
  21. strangermoon
    Sep 27, 2019
    10
    stil remains one of best story and best revenge and matrix style slow motion game. comic book it self remain unuiqe. story telling and music here top. its better and deep than every cop movie even. tonly game forget to players half life on pc. visually remains decent.
  22. sebastianali
    Aug 30, 2019
    7
    El juego esta bastante bien. Curiosamente, los controles y el movimiento del personaje me recuerdan mucho al Grand Theft Auto Vice City. La historia y la música están bien, al igual que la jugabilidad. Sin embargo, a veces la IA es demasiado y su resistencia es muy irrealista. El juego te obliga si o si a jugar con el Bullet Time. Tampoco hay multijugador y a veces la historia es confusa.El juego esta bastante bien. Curiosamente, los controles y el movimiento del personaje me recuerdan mucho al Grand Theft Auto Vice City. La historia y la música están bien, al igual que la jugabilidad. Sin embargo, a veces la IA es demasiado y su resistencia es muy irrealista. El juego te obliga si o si a jugar con el Bullet Time. Tampoco hay multijugador y a veces la historia es confusa. Por ultimo, si bien el juego esta increíblemente optimizado, no envejeció muy bien a nivel gráfico. Un juego bueno para pasar el rato, pero creo que no vale la pena desbloquear el resto de dificultades una vez completado.… Expand
  23. Babutto
    Aug 26, 2019
    10
    One of the greatest creations in the gaming industry. There is nothing to say more.
    I beat the game this time without using bullet time. It was not hard but tricky.
    Anyways, replaying - repaying.
  24. Agez11
    Aug 2, 2019
    9
    Max Payne es genial e increíble con buena historia, gráficas decentes, personajes memorables, momentos intensos y buenos dibujos, además de correr en cualquier pc.
    Es simplemente un shooter inolvidable a pesar de ser muy infravalorado
  25. Bottlecaps
    Jul 21, 2019
    8
    Max payne 1 is a trend setter and a very important game for 3rd person and action games in general and is a triumph in story telling especialy for 2001. i had this game on the ps2 back in the day but never really gave it a real shot until i got it on steam and despite its age its a really fun game.

    Story: max payne's story was innovative and felt like a noir graphic novel and easily    Max payne 1 is a trend setter and a very important game for 3rd person and action games in general and is a triumph in story telling especialy for 2001. i had this game on the ps2 back in the day but never really gave it a real shot until i got it on steam and despite its age its a really fun game.

    Story: max payne's story was innovative and felt like a noir graphic novel and easily could have been that. hell this easily could have been a movie ( except apperently there was nothing easy about it cause the movie got most everything wrong). max is a man that the universe just seems to like kicking the **** out of , his family is murdered by junkies , he is then undercover in a drug ring only to have his cover blown and the one man who knew he was under cover got murdered. so he has to shoot his way out. max is a great character and evolves in believable ways over the course of the 3 games. the comic panels although a stylistic choice i think it was a good one for the technology at the time , this game wouldn't have the same level of depth with cut scenes or in game cut scenes. it also helps make it memorable. one thing about all of the max payne games is that the story dosent always go how i expected it to and that keeps it interesting. i play and watch alot of stuff so im use to cliches but despite its age the story still feels fresh.
    Story: 9/10

    World building: max's world is dark but also has room for a little bit of humor especially with the quips and the sarcastic dialogue , this game is a treasure trove of great quotes. also the in game tv shows , a comic series like captain baseball bat boy that characters will say they are fans of. it gives the world a lived in feel. also reoccurring locations but not in a repetitive way and of course the different factions in the world.
    Worldbuilding 8/10

    Graphics: for 2001 the graphics are good i can tell witch doors open , witch buttons are push able , its got a muted art style in game and that actually helps the comic book style of the cut scenes . even if technically the game looks kinda bland but because its a stylistic choice i can look past it. i wouldn't be opposed to better character models.
    Graphics 7/10

    Gameplay: here it is here is the big one , this game is FUN , not your regular shooter fun but this game is actually challenging iv died so many times and sometimes i would quit come back and tackle it again but almost all the time i just wanted to keep going because i wanted to know what happens next in the story. but the combat it self is just fun , it is clearly influenced by the matrix film, bullet time may be a staple of gaming but max Payne made it work being both a technical achievement and a stylistic one . my only gripe is the nightmare levels , i hated them and they were really glitchy too but there was 3 of them and they werent THAT bad so it feels like a nit pick at this point
    Gameplay 10/10

    Sound design: a great sound track over all but i think is out done by the later 2 games and the voice acting is strong through out ESPECIALLY max him self , James McCaffrey performance of max payne is great and in the next 2 games only gets better.
    Sound design: 8.5/10

    9+8+7+10+8.5=42.5
    42.5/5= 8.5/10

    Max payne is a great game and i think if you are an action fan in general then you owe it to your self to give this entire series a shot.    … Expand
  26. Alien2436
    May 9, 2019
    8
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
  27. CriticNamedZack
    Apr 27, 2019
    8
    Story: Max returns home in New Jersey to find that junkies have broken into his house while high on a new designer drug called Valkyr. Max rushed to aid his family, but was too late: his wife and their newborn daughter have been brutally murdered. After their funeral, Payne transferred to the DEA and the dark secrets behind his families death unfold...

    Pros: • The game is very dark,    Story: Max returns home in New Jersey to find that junkies have broken into his house while high on a new designer drug called Valkyr. Max rushed to aid his family, but was too late: his wife and their newborn daughter have been brutally murdered. After their funeral, Payne transferred to the DEA and the dark secrets behind his families death unfold...

    Pros:
    • The game is very dark, covering many dark themes and explores the ugly sides of New York and it's inhabitants.
    • The characters really leave a strong impression on you, especially Max Payne himself as you see and feel what he goes through to becomes a man with "Nothing to Lose".
    • The comic book/graphic novel style cutscenes are excellent, have aged well and tell the story more dramatically then the in-game rendered cutscenes.
    • A simple premise quickly becomes really deep and has you engaged on who was behind the downturn of Max's life and why
    •Dialogue is phenomenal to listen to.

    Cons:
    • You can't skip in-game cutscenes if your playing the game a second time. Very minor complaint though, but the in-game cutscenes themselves feel very underwhelming compared to the comic-style ones. However, it was 2001 and the technology of video game cutscenes had not been made great due to what was possible at the time.

    Gameplay:

    Pros:
    •Bullet time really makes Max Payne unique from other third person shooters and makes combat really, really fun. Without it it would probably be just average.
    •The mobility of your character really makes the gameplay feel quicker and more action-packed and bullet velocity from each of the guns is interestingly done.
    • Levels have many little details you can interact with and find, making them feel more alive.
    •Takes roughly 8-10 hours to beat for your first time playing the game.
    • Challenging gameplay that's rewarding and satisfying. it can be trail and error, but it's addictive at the same time.
    • Plays extremely well with keyboard and mouse. Avoid using a controller as it feels clunky in comparison (The console versions in general for that matter)

    Cons:
    • The game can be very difficult. I also like that it's hard, but sometimes Max Payne makes it hard with cheap areas (Not so common) and cheaply placed enemies that will take down your health very quickly (way more common). Adding that the games "difficulties" are really more like challenge modes with there own twist, so you will die over and over since Max Payne has a fixed difficulty.
    • Some weapons like the shotguns are inconsistent as f**k, ranging from sniper rifle-like to nerf guns close range.

    Sound/Music:

    Pros:
    • The voice acting is spot on and really grabs the feel of the character being voiced position in the game world and background.

    Cons:
    • Max Payne doesn't offer that much in terms of music at all. You will mainly hear the main theme for most of the game in the cutscenes, Outside of that you won't hear much else and it's not that iconic compared to the main theme.
    • Had to install a patch to get the audio working normally. I played the Steam version and it seems to happen on Windows 10, it's fixable, but it's just a pain.
    • Sometimes couldn't hear the dialogue of Max due to the sound effects. For some reason, speech and sound effects are tied in with each other. This is a major problem since I found it hard to hear some of the dialogue as I was playing as Max and no cutscene was present.

    Performances/Visuals:

    Pros:
    • For an 2001 game, graphics look excellent and the game itself runs very smoothly indeed.
    • The depiction of New York and the many different areas of the city you travel through is brilliantly portrayed by Remedy. Even if some areas feel a little empty for a city like New York.

    Cons:
    •Now the graphics look great, but the character models... not so much... and the faces... just comedic to look at now. The faces never change as well, except when Max dies (which you will see a lot).

    Verdict:
    Story: 9/10
    Gameplay: 8.5/10
    Sound/Music: 7/10
    Performance/Visuals: 8/10
    Overall: 8.5/10    … Expand
  28. Elkay_Gaming
    Mar 19, 2019
    10
    This game is industry defining.

    The game play, the story and the delivery of said story are all amazing. I recently completed it on steam and still enjoyed every second of it despite the dated visuals. It is a must play for anyone that calls themselves a gamer. Living history lesson in how to develop an amazing game.
  29. Zeratex
    Feb 11, 2019
    8
    One of the best story telling detective games ever made.
    I enjoyed the dark theme the story had.
    From a technical point the game introduced a neat mechanics for the combat which is slowing time while dodging and shooting, i still remember that epic feeling when you pop out from behind a wall and start shooting the gangsters. Graphics and Animation were very good. Story is pretty well    One of the best story telling detective games ever made.
    I enjoyed the dark theme the story had.

    From a technical point the game introduced a neat mechanics for the combat which is slowing time while dodging and shooting, i still remember that epic feeling when you pop out from behind a wall and start shooting the gangsters.
    Graphics and Animation were very good.
    Story is pretty well made, you feel thrilled while uncovering the murder mystery of your family. However story suffers from pacing issues as its a bit rushed towards the end.
    Music is haunting, sad and dark.

    A great experience.

    8/10    … Expand
  30. trarantino
    Dec 29, 2018
    9
    Игра шидевр! Просто лучшая игра всех времён и народов. Какая графика, какой графон!
  31. the-gamer
    Dec 23, 2018
    10
    Man this game is awesome it has a grate story grate game-play especially bullet time
  32. nieXas
    Dec 21, 2018
    10
    This is the game I will probably remember as one of the best from my youth days. It was way ahead of time in that era. Masterpiece.
  33. Flaur4ick
    Nov 22, 2018
    10
    Отличная игра для того времени, но она очень быстрая. Я прошел игру за 2 дня. Мне игра понравилась.
  34. aralath
    Aug 7, 2018
    10
    One of the best games in history. Mechanics, graphics and story are beyond its time.
  35. kevinbrown
    Jul 15, 2018
    8
    It's never too late!

    Good lord I'm so glad to have played that game today. How come I didn't bother playing for all those years?! Max Payne was a huge revelation for me, even 15 years later. One thing that surely doesn't age is the artistic quality of the title. Sure gunfights are still awesome, but it's not up par to the late Max Payne 3 or the more recent games, whereas its    It's never too late!

    Good lord I'm so glad to have played that game today. How come I didn't bother playing for all those years?!

    Max Payne was a huge revelation for me, even 15 years later. One thing that surely doesn't age is the artistic quality of the title.

    Sure gunfights are still awesome, but it's not up par to the late Max Payne 3 or the more recent games, whereas its story arc and oppressive atmosphere is still unequaled to this day.

    The only, but huge, downside is the game's partial incompatibility with recent hardware, such as my GTX970 gpu. The game is almost completely unplayable.

    Unless you don't download the patch to fix the major issues (available in the discussions), there is no point of playing this game.

    But you really should.    … Expand
  36. Panica3643D
    Jun 17, 2018
    10
    4 раза проходил эту игру, и каждый раз она доставляла уйму положительных эмоций. Получилась интересная история, которую необычно и атмосферно преподнесли.
  37. LoletinAlexis
    Jun 3, 2018
    9
    A simple story but with an incredible narration, a very colorful comic style and a protagonist who will go down in history.
  38. mr-NachoMen
    May 13, 2018
    9
    Max Payne
    Is an action game developed by Remedy Entertainment, an one of the most unique video games ever created.
    With a dark noir tone that became the soul of the game. What can i said about Max Payne? well... it's a damn hard game... it really is, but intriguing and damn good. GAMEPLAY: It's a third person shooter, the game consist in get into an area kill a couple of bad guys here    Max Payne
    Is an action game developed by Remedy Entertainment, an one of the most unique video games ever created.
    With a dark noir tone that became the soul of the game.
    What can i said about Max Payne? well... it's a damn hard game... it really is, but intriguing and damn good.
    GAMEPLAY: It's a third person shooter, the game consist in get into an area kill a couple of bad guys here an there and get involving in the plot, the player will have a huge arsenal to get the job done, from pistols, barrett, desert eagles, snipers, etc. Enemies well... they totally hate you and they will prove it to you in brutal gun fire where you'll get kill A LOT... no kidding, so basically you'll have to plan your moves before starting fire. Enemies will react to your moves like taking cover and regroup with their allies to make even hard, an special feature to this is that if you get killed a lot during gameplay the game automatically will down the difficulty so you can handle the situation faster. The game use a mechanic that was very unique at the time that no other had done, SLOW MOTION moves before Monolith's F.E.A.R. series use them as the signature for the game. this moves can be activated wile throwing yourself to the air in combat, this move slowdown enemies to make them easy to kill and create an special way to play it.
    STORY: It's a simple story, a NYCPD officer who's wife has ben murdered by a corporation with sinister plans an it's up to you to stop them an avenge you're wife's death. It has pretty low in game cinematics, like 4 or something like that, the game's story is told like a comic book, with panels and dialogs that still have voice acting, this makes the game feel unique whit it's own style and does not feel boring by any means.
    LEVEL DESIGN: it has a mix to open to small areas, most of them are inside buildings, which are basically corridors, pretty average design, but, they don't feel lazy, they have their own style and make them interesting.
    So... Max Payne is a great game, very innovating at the time with it's mechanics and style to tell the story without the in-game cinematics that are essential nowadays. If you love action games with plenty of gun fire and hard to the bone, well, this game is for you, just try to not break your keyboard on frustration.    … Expand
  39. IONOSGAMES
    Jan 23, 2018
    8
    Un juego con una historia oscura y adulta, un personaje carismatico, gameplay divertido y graficos buenos. Tiene un trasfondo melancolico que recuerda a las peliculas de policias. Muy recomendable, sobre todo la version para pc. Una obra de arte
  40. CenkAlp
    Jan 3, 2018
    8
    Hikaye = 9
    Oynanış = 9
    Grafikler = 7
    Sesler = 8
    Keyif = 8
    Atmosfer = 8
    Süre = 8
  41. iddqd4
    Dec 23, 2017
    10
    Спустя много лет, все еще лучшее slo-mo под ураганом зависших в воздухе пуль. Игра в которой, комиксы и музыка не устареют и через сотню веков.
  42. Mobile
    Dec 20, 2017
    9
    ENG
    The game is notable for almost everything. For its time, is a masterpiece game that brought a lot of chips for a new generation of games that use still. Some scenes and moments from the game was a bewilderment and admiration as in the distant 2001, the developers were able to use the potential of the engine at full.
    RU Игра примечательна практически во всем. Для своего времени это    ENG
    The game is notable for almost everything. For its time, is a masterpiece game that brought a lot of chips for a new generation of games that use still. Some scenes and moments from the game was a bewilderment and admiration as in the distant 2001, the developers were able to use the potential of the engine at full.
    RU
    Игра примечательна практически во всем. Для своего времени это шедевральная игра, которая привнесла много фишек для нового поколения игр, которые используют до сих пор. Некоторые сцены и моменты из игры, вызывали недоумение и восхищение как в том далеком 2001, разработчики смогли использовать потенциал движка на полную.    … Expand
  43. RagingPoet
    Nov 2, 2017
    10
    One of the best video games ever made, perfect blend of the third person shooter, action movie and noir. Max Payne was absolutely revolutionary for its time, it took a lot of risks and every one of them payed off (bad pun intended).
  44. Termin8ter
    Sep 27, 2017
    8
    The game that put Remedy Entertainment on the map. This game had a great idea, and executed it very well in this first game. The whole concept of slow-mo gunfights was later expanded in Quantum Break 15 years later, but it's still a blast in this too. The graphics aren't the best, in fact they are pretty pathetic, but they are serviceable. And the story is also very good. They topped thisThe game that put Remedy Entertainment on the map. This game had a great idea, and executed it very well in this first game. The whole concept of slow-mo gunfights was later expanded in Quantum Break 15 years later, but it's still a blast in this too. The graphics aren't the best, in fact they are pretty pathetic, but they are serviceable. And the story is also very good. They topped this game very well in the sequel.… Expand
  45. KayVen17
    Sep 3, 2017
    6
    Deutsche Review - Kritik

    Der folgende Test ist in 5 Kategorien zusammengefasst. Diese 5 Kartegorien ergeben die Gesamtpunktzahl von 0 - 100 Punkten. Um einen passenden Userscore zu geben wird auf oder abgerundet. Bei 84 Punkten ergibt das einen User Score von 8. Bei 86 einen von Userscore von 9. Falls eine 85 kommt entscheide ich ob ich es eher positiv oder negativ nehme. Regeln    Deutsche Review - Kritik

    Der folgende Test ist in 5 Kategorien zusammengefasst. Diese 5 Kartegorien ergeben die Gesamtpunktzahl von 0 - 100 Punkten. Um einen passenden Userscore zu geben wird auf oder abgerundet. Bei 84 Punkten ergibt das einen User Score von 8. Bei 86 einen von Userscore von 9. Falls eine 85 kommt entscheide ich ob ich es eher positiv oder negativ nehme. Regeln verstanden?
    Dann sind hier meine Punkte.

    Mein persönlicher Score = 57/100
    Mein User Score = 6/10    … Expand
  46. Aeryx
    Aug 23, 2017
    9
    Dark, wicked and very well written. I will say without hesitation that this is one of the very best 3rd-person shooter games I have ever played. The revenge-driven comic-style detective noir combined with a very-well executed bullet time, outstandingly-voiced characters and compelling story, make Max Payne an unforgettable experience.
  47. overlordofgeek
    Jul 16, 2017
    9
    Story, fiction, voiceover, really good. Storytelling is great. Especially in the style of comic books. Especially the bullettime mechanics are great. There is a very good action definitely a classic.
  48. wolf23
    Jul 11, 2017
    10
    Even though this game has great sentimental value for me, there's nothing I can say against it. Obviously the graphics are not going to be great because the game is 16 years old, but other aspects make up for it. The bullet time is a great addition to the game, it makes it stand out, and you can carry a lot of weapons, making sure you don't run out off bullets (that's something you may orEven though this game has great sentimental value for me, there's nothing I can say against it. Obviously the graphics are not going to be great because the game is 16 years old, but other aspects make up for it. The bullet time is a great addition to the game, it makes it stand out, and you can carry a lot of weapons, making sure you don't run out off bullets (that's something you may or may not like). But the greatest thing about this game is the story, I'm not going to spoil anything, I'm just going to say that it's really interesting, detailed and long. They show the story through comic-like cutscenes which are well made. And another great thing is the voice acting. Max still has, for me, the single greatest voice in all of gaming.
    But hey, that's just me. The game is very cheap now, it doesn't cost you much to try it. But trust me, you won't regret it.    … Expand
  49. The_Berzerker
    Jun 5, 2017
    10
    Breakthrough game with phenomenal shootings, slowing down time and dramatic plot. You just need to understand the main character and go his way to the end.
  50. SolidCenturio
    Jan 27, 2017
    9
    Max Payne is one of those classic games that's really hard to forget because of the unique experience that it delivers. The cinematic gameplay, the gritty story, the noir-inspired aestethics - the game has a timeless quality to it that you rarely find in old titles. There's something about playing as a rogue cop who guns his way through crazy mobsters and corrupt government agents that IMax Payne is one of those classic games that's really hard to forget because of the unique experience that it delivers. The cinematic gameplay, the gritty story, the noir-inspired aestethics - the game has a timeless quality to it that you rarely find in old titles. There's something about playing as a rogue cop who guns his way through crazy mobsters and corrupt government agents that I can't quite put my finger on which makes it so memorable. Maybe its Max's inner monologues about his sense of right and wrong. Perhaps it's the difficult gameplay and the "shoot first or get shot" attitude of the combat which really brings out the rush in the player. Whatever it is, there's no denying that Max Payne is still fun to play, years after its release and still holds up pretty well on all aspects.

    You play as the titular Max Payne, an appropriately named cop turned undercover DEA agent who lost his wife and daughter to drug-crazed addicts. The events of the game starts three years after his family died, at a time when Max is deep inside the Punchinello crime family, one of New York's biggest mafia organizations and a major distributor in the drug trade. On a snowy night, he recieves a call from one of his partners telling him to meet up at a train station and from there starts the ball rolling into the world of crime and corruption.

    Now, why in the world would you want to spend both your $$$ and time on this really old game? First of all, it's literally a John Woo action flick in video game form. The game features Bullet Time, slow-mo mechanics, and chaotic gunplay that Remedy, the developers, have admitted to having been inspired by the acclaimed director's movies. If you want to play a difficult action game without the constant hand-holding and the hassles of modern game mechanics, then this game is for you. Second, it has a mature noir story that's full of twists and turns. The game shows Max as an anti-hero, a man with nothing to lose who will go to great lengths to bring the people who killed his family to justice. He spends a night in New York getting tangled with the city's most ruthless individuals who plays each other for their own ends.

    An interesting detail with the game is how involved the world around Max Payne is. TV and radio shows report about the people of New York's overwhelming support for Max's vendetta against the mafia. The police are constantly on his tail as they try to stop him from causing further damage. As Max moves up the food chain, so does word of his presence. Small details here and there but it improves the immersion of the player in the story in a huge way. To top it all off, story segments and cutscenes are presented like a graphic novel starring the people who made the game. A tight budget forced Remedy to be as creative as possible and made the game stand out as a result. Sam Lake, head writer for Remedy Entertainment acts as the face and body of Max Payne with James McCaffrey serving as the memorable monotome voice.

    How about downsides? Well, as stated above, there are issues with the sound on modern operating systems which can easily be fixed. Other than that, I haven't experienced any performance issue or game-breaking bugs. There's also the fact that this is an old game, meaning that your tolerance will be tested if you're accustomed to modern titles. No health regen, no cover, an easy mode that kills Max in 2 hits - It's going to take a very patient player to finish the game.

    And there you have it.    … Expand
  51. Dereck_Lunar
    Jan 10, 2017
    4
    A little update about the PC version still available on Steam (for the most popular). Do not buy this game on pc version even if it's better to play on this platform. Steam and/or Rockstar didn't fixed anything about compatibility/corrupted files problems since Win8 came out. AND THEY'RE STILL SELLING IT! This is unbelievable that a version meant to be safe to run on any version of any OSA little update about the PC version still available on Steam (for the most popular). Do not buy this game on pc version even if it's better to play on this platform. Steam and/or Rockstar didn't fixed anything about compatibility/corrupted files problems since Win8 came out. AND THEY'RE STILL SELLING IT! This is unbelievable that a version meant to be safe to run on any version of any OS does not fulfill this purpose.… Expand
  52. jsizzle
    Dec 10, 2016
    10
    Max Payne, to me is a timeless classic. A bold tale of a bold cop in a do or die situation.

    Max Payne takes place in none other than New York's Hell's Kitchen where a cime syndicate has invaded your home and killed both your wife and young daughter leaving Max on a very bloody and dangerous game of intel collecting, he needs to figure out why his family was murdered in cold blood. This    Max Payne, to me is a timeless classic. A bold tale of a bold cop in a do or die situation.

    Max Payne takes place in none other than New York's Hell's Kitchen where a cime syndicate has invaded your home and killed both your wife and young daughter leaving Max on a very bloody and dangerous game of intel collecting, he needs to figure out why his family was murdered in cold blood. This game will take Max on a very painful journey to the truth through hotels, restaurants, snowstorms and building tops..
    The gameplay style is one of lots of dodging and shooting, while it may get repetitive I did not have any complaints as the game is not terribly long. In the levels there are many hilarious things to see and hear such as TV shows, conversations or even comic strips.
    Some PCs will have trouble with this old gem but everything is fixable so please do not give up and just look for a solution, there are many!

    "The pain has only just begun."    … Expand
  53. Frenetik
    Oct 10, 2016
    10
    This was definitely revolutionary when it came out, having invented the whole bullet time mechanics that was later used in dozens of games. Its the best game in the series and unfortunately the best game Remedy ever did.
  54. robertofantasy
    Jul 29, 2016
    10
    till now every time i play max payne i findout this is a timeless game that i findout something new in it ............................................
  55. Intention__Play
    Jul 27, 2016
    7
    Игра, которая совершенно не нуждается в представлений и пояснений, однако это игра и в самом деле потрясала умы людей на то время, когда она вышла, каждый желал поиграть в неё, потому, что там по истине была отличная атмосфера, которая пугала своим бесстрашием, ведь, персонаж Макса Пейна не из робкого десятка, он может показать кузькину мать, и этот главный герой по истине своей неИгра, которая совершенно не нуждается в представлений и пояснений, однако это игра и в самом деле потрясала умы людей на то время, когда она вышла, каждый желал поиграть в неё, потому, что там по истине была отличная атмосфера, которая пугала своим бесстрашием, ведь, персонаж Макса Пейна не из робкого десятка, он может показать кузькину мать, и этот главный герой по истине своей не уступает другим героям из различных видео-игр, этот персонаж был не просто куклой, мы вживались в него и это ощущение безнадеги не покидало до конца игры, сюжет был необычен на то время, ведь, все игры пытались ударить в сторону геймплея, нежели сюжета, и благодаря этому, чувство страха не умертвляло, а воскрешало из мертвых, да, конечно в данный момент новое поколение скажет, что графика не та, вы куски говна, однако это и есть так, я подразумеваю, графику, который на данный момент на нова и в ней нет ничего по истине удивительного, но на тот момент, графика был чёткая и клёвая, физика, тоже устарела в некотором плане, но вот, на искусственный интеллект никто даже и говорить ничего не смеет, потому, что в игре Макса убивали часто, и даже, если вы задрот 100 уровня, то у вас особо ни получится пройти игру без смертей, я полагаю, что по истине игра клёвая, который не будет забыт, да в нём есть косяки, несомненно, игрушку хорошей тоже назвать нельзя, но все же игра удалась на славу поклонникам этой серий игрушек.… Expand
  56. BreakingAwesome
    May 14, 2016
    10
    Самая лучшая игра жанра нуар. Очень трагичная история обычного полицейского Макса Пейна разворачивается в данной игре! В плане графики игра очень хороша. Очень захватывающие перестрелки, неожиданные повороты в сюжете и фирменный Bullet Time от Макса вам обеспечен. Классика!Самая лучшая игра жанра нуар. Очень трагичная история обычного полицейского Макса Пейна разворачивается в данной игре! В плане графики игра очень хороша. Очень захватывающие перестрелки, неожиданные повороты в сюжете и фирменный Bullet Time от Макса вам обеспечен. Классика!
  57. Robbert1300
    Apr 4, 2016
    10
    one of the best games out there if you looking for a great third person shooter with a great story and don't care about grapichs that much then this is definitely a game you should atleast check out
  58. epistm87
    Nov 11, 2015
    10
    The action is intense all the way to the end. A true masterpiece. Atmospheric very memorable and well-executed game experience. .It is a game which make your heart beat ten times faster.
  59. Overvulture
    Nov 9, 2015
    9
    It doesn't look very good today, and we've seen the central mechanic copied a thousand times since, but this is a classic of action gaming that's proven very influential over the years, for better or worse. Even if it hasn't aged the best, the copious helping of noir style and dead-serious melodrama mixed with weird humour make this one still worthwhile, and I recommend running through itIt doesn't look very good today, and we've seen the central mechanic copied a thousand times since, but this is a classic of action gaming that's proven very influential over the years, for better or worse. Even if it hasn't aged the best, the copious helping of noir style and dead-serious melodrama mixed with weird humour make this one still worthwhile, and I recommend running through it as part of a full trilogy run.

    It comes from a simpler time where shooters could just be about shooting everyone, with no vehicle sections, no hacking minigames, no rpg elements, no sandbox elements, no moral choices, no collectibles, no quicktime events, no... well, you get the idea. It can seem like a relic today, but I appreciate the simplicity and devotion to doing one thing and doing it well. Coupled with one of my favourite video game protagonists, and this one remains a fond memory even when played today.    … Expand
  60. tigerskin84
    Nov 1, 2015
    10
    This game defined the genre of 3rd person shooters, is simply amazing from storytelling to gameplay...if you havent played yet you ll have a blast even with all the years behind his back holds up pretty well today
  61. mickpayne
    Jul 22, 2015
    10
    The most addictive, story driven, third person shooter I have ever played. I bought this for xbox, pc, and most recently iphone. I have given Rockstar money for this one game three times; It's just that good.
  62. Nuker
    Jul 8, 2015
    8
    - Good: Gameplay, Story, Atmosphere/Mood, Setting,
    - Mixed: Linear
    - Bad: ---

    Very solid game, but i enjoyed more Max Payne 2 story. Atmosphere is superb.
  63. Anthex
    Jun 5, 2015
    10
    "Fear That Gives Men Wings". Dark, touching and fantastic story. Gameplay was incredible for 2001. Still getting goose bumps. This game is immortal. At least in my memory =)
  64. tsakiym
    May 21, 2015
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I do not have to say anything. But i need to write one hundred and fifty characters. i think my score can describe it.................................… Expand
  65. marto
    Apr 19, 2015
    8
    Excellent atmosphere, story nicely told. Hard game. Ambushes are ridiculous even when you are expecting them. Grenades are sometimes nearly impossible to dodge. Cautious or not, you will die countless times on your first playthrough on the easiest difficulty. This subtracts 2 points from a score of 10. Some people say it is more realistinc than most shooters, that's why you can die from aExcellent atmosphere, story nicely told. Hard game. Ambushes are ridiculous even when you are expecting them. Grenades are sometimes nearly impossible to dodge. Cautious or not, you will die countless times on your first playthrough on the easiest difficulty. This subtracts 2 points from a score of 10. Some people say it is more realistinc than most shooters, that's why you can die from a single shot. It's true, but then - why would goons in the last chapter consistently survive 2-3 point-blank shots with a shotgun?
    8/10 because of the ridiculous ambushes and diffuculty.    … Expand
  66. grrrr
    Mar 5, 2015
    8
    Max Payne, game from 2001 but in 2015 it is still brilliant third person shooter. I quite like Max Payne 3 so I bought this and I was not disappointed.
  67. Larry223
    Jan 2, 2015
    7
    Max Payne según muchos es un clásico... Para su época seguro... Pero no es algo que pase bien la prueba del tiempo...

    Empecemos: La historia es el cliche de venganza. No muy original, pero al menos para su época no estaba tan usado, al menos eso creo, por lo que lo paso. Pero en lo que brilla es su jugabilidad. Puedes usar un buen arsenal de armas, junto con el "Modo Bala", la razón por    Max Payne según muchos es un clásico... Para su época seguro... Pero no es algo que pase bien la prueba del tiempo...

    Empecemos: La historia es el cliche de venganza. No muy original, pero al menos para su época no estaba tan usado, al menos eso creo, por lo que lo paso. Pero en lo que brilla es su jugabilidad. Puedes usar un buen arsenal de armas, junto con el "Modo Bala", la razón por la que este juego se volvió popular. Seguro lo sacaron de Matrix, y menos mal, por que a quien no le gusta saltar y disparar a la ves mientras acaba con los enemigos de un headshot? Si quieres eso, ve a Max Payne 3. Aquí los controles no están refinados. Es una de las primeras veces que veo algo así en un video-juego, y con la edad que tiene no me salen dudas de por que esta así. Es jugable, y divertido, pero no iguala a un shooter moderno ni de lejos. Aunque por los 5 dolares que vale en steam no esta mal. Pero el port es horrible. Usa esto si lo compras en steam: http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=848215 Arregla el sonido que esta roto en la versión de steam. También tengo que hablar de la música, casi no ahí. Es muy poco frecuente, tiene tonadas bajas y notas altas para momentos de acción. Pero la música de acción no dura. Solo sale en los ultimos niveles y solo dura hasta que matas a los enemigos, y solo manda 3 que matas en 4 segundos. Y los niveles no son muy buenos, son algo aburridos, no tienen muchos diseños únicos y al final es algo genérico. Es algo lineal, pero tiene acertijos. Son algo difíciles si no tomas al juego como "real", pero tampoco los veo injustos. Excepto por 1. Al final para su época debió ser innovador y demás, pero no dura mucho en la prueba del tiempo. Además que la historia termina bruscamente sin explicarnos nada, y los personajes no son muy interesantes. Si sacaran un juego así hoy en día no tendría notas altas, así que si lo vas a comprar mantente preparado para eso. Por su precio de 5 dolares le doy un 07/10, no ahí mucho que te de ganas de re-jugarlo por que no tiene logros y todo se repite, yo te digo que lo juegues si tienes curiosidad y cuando lo termines vayas de inmediato a Max Payne 2 si quieres seguir con el "Modo Bala". Le doy un 7 por que es viejo y un gamer de nueva generación no estará muy comodo. Ademas que los gráficos son malos, solo 2 años después sacaron la secuela que es mucho mejor visualmente.    … Expand
  68. Marick
    Dec 11, 2014
    9
    Max Payne is an action game developed by Remedy studio and published by GOD Games and 3D Realms. The story follows Max Payne, a cop in the great city of New York. The game tells the story in a way not seen in games too, the comic. The graphics is also good for that time and managed to not give you a headache after a few hours of play .. The sound is also very good game. Main characterMax Payne is an action game developed by Remedy studio and published by GOD Games and 3D Realms. The story follows Max Payne, a cop in the great city of New York. The game tells the story in a way not seen in games too, the comic. The graphics is also good for that time and managed to not give you a headache after a few hours of play .. The sound is also very good game. Main character voice acting is very good even caught my attention. The soundtrack of the game is as good, even fits into the world of Max Payne. Gameplay is awesomehonestly now I've seen what many people say "most games in these years are pretty easy." I think I died at least 100 times in the storyline. In conclusion the game worth trying, is very good.… Expand
  69. Superior84
    Nov 18, 2014
    10
    This was the best gaming experience of my life so far. I played thorugh it straight in one sit down, drinking coke and immersed in this great story was a blast. I sincerely hope I will feel this again in my life. amazing
  70. teenbat
    Oct 31, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. To play an older game, you need to separate yourself from modern times. Look at it like you were still living in 2001. Pretend you haven't played the second game, or any of the 3D GTAs (considering this predates even GTA 3). But that isn't really possible.

    So it's a good thing that this game was built on solid gameplay mechanics, and that the graphics are good enough so that, while they don't stand today, they aren't as bad as games from the PSX era, probably due to the fact that this is the first game to use textures pulled from real life (oh yeah, and it wasn't the PSX era anymore, duh). The constant grey corridors, grey snow, grey skyscraper interiors, grey comic cutscenes... do get tiresome after just a few hours of play, though. I think that there's an HD texture pack, though I didn't use it (unless it was included in an update).

    This is (obviously) a PC review. If possible, get it on PC, because the Xbox version just doesn't hold water, and the PS2, even less. Just for this review, I played this whole game again on what many would call a "Facebook and YouTube PC". And guess what? On the highest settings, it ran like butter, holding an average of 60, and never dropping below 50 FPS, except for some very strange visual freezing during the very last level, and only in the end two minutes. Plus, getting it on PC means that you don't have to get out of your PJs and head over to the pawn shop to pick up a physical copy.

    Gameplay. Good stuff. Again, try to forget Max Payne 2 and you will enjoy this immensely. You've heard it before, but I'll say it again; bullet time. This was the first game to use it, and many people remember this bullet time more than the Matrix rendition. Cool, right? Jump through the air in slow motion. Fire your (surprisingly inaccurate) Ingrams at a group of ten baddies. Kill 'em all with a pop to the noggin. Profit. The directional controls are mostly fine, but I did get stuck every once in a while on a box or corner when I shouldn't have. Since the keyboard only allows 8 directions, it would probably be better to play with a controller, though I didn't. And I don't even know if the DS4 is compatible.

    In later levels, the enemies get extremely bullet sponge-y, surviving multiple shots to the head, even if those shots are jack hammer (basically a machine-shotgun) BBs. I've heard some people say that it's nice that the bosses "are just regular people" and only take as many shots as one of his goons. Not true. They usually are two-to-three times as tough.

    Story. Good. Not the best. I've had better. It was pretty dark (for its time) and probably pretty controversial, what with a dead baby. But you can't forget modern day games, or even games that came out in the few years following this one. I personally grow tired of the comic-style cutscenes after two or so hours of play, which they have to rely on predominantly because they don't want to use in-game cutscenes because of the lack of the ability to animate peoples faces other than the occasional texture swaps. Oh yeah, no subtitles. Not good. I'm not hard of hearing, but I understand people better when, *gasp*, their mouths move. Lack of this, and lack of subtitles equals a lot of "what did he just say?"

    Characters. The only character that I cared for was Max. Which is understandable, I feel. There was nothing to make me care about his wife or baby, just for him, and understanding his payne. Er, pain. That guy with his pants down? No idea why I had to kill him. Those three guys in the mansion, not a clue. That woman... Yeah, I got it. She had his wife and baby killed. But that was it.

    I hate giving games scores, because that just makes it seem like a popular mobile game is as good as a AAA console game, which it isn't (that's OBJECTIVE, by the way, you don't have a brain until you realize the uselessness of Angry Birds), but for the sake of simple minded people who can't take five minutes to read someone's thoughts on a game, it gets an 8 out of 10.    … Expand
  71. flametail23
    Oct 24, 2014
    9
    Awesome game. It's now on steam which is where I got it from, play it now it's a great game. Sure the graphics look dated but the game play holds up very well.
    8/10
  72. DeusXCom
    Sep 21, 2014
    9
    Short, but very memorable and well-executed game experience. Neo-noir atmosphere, emotional story of revenge, dark mood, amazing music, fun gameplay and for it's time innovative bullet time slow motion mechanic. One of my favourite third person shooters. 9/10
  73. GowenGeter
    Sep 2, 2014
    10
    One of the best games of all time in terms of story progression and voice acting. Sadly, it hasn't aged well. Definitely a masterpiece. I recommend it if you haven't played it before.
  74. Lewis_
    Aug 14, 2014
    2
    Max Payne has aged horribly, and that's a bad thing.

    Real critics across films, games, and music will tell you that true masterpieces stand the test of time. Max Payne is not one of them, and certainly never was to begin with. The graphics are the worst offender of the aging process. Being a early PS2 title, this is obviously expected, but the art style of Max Payne does zero    Max Payne has aged horribly, and that's a bad thing.

    Real critics across films, games, and music will tell you that true masterpieces stand the test of time. Max Payne is not one of them, and certainly never was to begin with.

    The graphics are the worst offender of the aging process. Being a early PS2 title, this is obviously expected, but the art style of Max Payne does zero justice to make this game even remotely appealing to the eye. The "dark and gritty" color pallet combined with the washed out textures make everything look like mud.

    If you're not a fan of the art style, prepare to endure the same repeated textures throughout the entire game. The first hour of the game is walking through the same exact gray and bland apartment buildings with a rusty colored carpet to match. The problem with the graphics and art style also translate directly to the gameplay. The levels have no variety. As I said, the same boring apartment buildings over and over, with a little bit of outside gameplay. Did I mention it's always nighttime and snowing? And if that doesn't already sound unpleasant, toss in a few generic, mindless mafia goons to get in your way of boring environment to the next.

    The AI, predictably, is terrible. Of course, this game was made in 2001 and but it doesn't take much to look back and find plenty of games with vastly superior AI. Doom, 1993, had nine varieties of enemies. They threw fireballs at you, they flanked you, if they got close they would melee you. In Max Payne, there's absolutely ZERO enemy variety except for the standard goon and the buffed up "boss" goons which are the exact same aside from being bullet sponges.

    The story, nearly as generic as they come. Standard story about revenge that you can find in any form of media before Max Payne. It doesn't help the story is told through interactables you have to find throughout the level, if you don't, that's too bad. In one point during the game you're forced to play a "dream sequence" where your patience and frustration are tested. You must wander through a maze of hallways and then finally follow misleading blood trails floating over a death pit. These sections take around twenty minutes to complete and do nothing for the gameplay or story whatsoever.

    Music, did I mention there wasn't any? The voice acting is also as generic as they come. Stereotypical "mafia goon" voices for all the copy and pasted enemies and bosses. It's mediocre at best, nothing to write home about.

    But in the end, it comes down to gameplay. And if the gameplay doesn't stack up, it's not a good game. And in this case, it's one of the worst I've ever played. Bullet time is absolutely useless. You're still vulnerable while using it and it gives you about a 5% chance to dodge bullets. It slows down the action and is never a benefit for the player. It's a gimmick, really. The guns have somewhat variety. There's only really three distinct weapons and they are the UZI, the shotgun, and the sniper. The rest act the same as their counterparts. And to go back to my previous point, all of the action takes place in copy and pasted hallways, bland environments, completely uninteresting levels.

    Max Payne also lacks a checkpoint feature. You must quicksave before every room you open unless you want to be treated to a random, instantaneous death. The game is completely linear with little to no exploration, choices, or variety so replay value is severely low.

    Lastly, the game is a chore to play, and one of the most overrated games/franchises of all time.

    In other words, it's a Payne in the ass.

    2/10

    Lewis    … Expand
  75. carlosgtardon
    Jun 10, 2014
    9
    Bajo mi punto de vista cuando se habla de la narrativa en los videojuegos y cómo choca narrativa con jugabilidad siempre este me parece el mejor ejemplo de que se puede conseguir armonía. Sin duda una de las grandes historias del videojuego que además popularizó el tiempo bala. Tal vez ha envejecido mal, pero sigue siendo una de la joyas infravaloras de la historia.
  76. Sten-Bengt94
    Jun 4, 2014
    9
    Easily one of the best action shooters of it's time and offers a great story with great voice acting. It also presents the bullet-time feature which made this game a really enjoyable experience. It has everything a great game needs. Unfortunatley I cannot play this game on steam anymore because I have to a have a specific driver for my video card and that is annoying because it is fun toEasily one of the best action shooters of it's time and offers a great story with great voice acting. It also presents the bullet-time feature which made this game a really enjoyable experience. It has everything a great game needs. Unfortunatley I cannot play this game on steam anymore because I have to a have a specific driver for my video card and that is annoying because it is fun to replay this game on the hardest difficulty because it offers a great challenge. Unfortunatley I cannot start the game on steam anymore and I want to play this game today so do that I have to get a older video card driver to play it and that is not worth it. I hope they fix this somehow or my only option is to pirate a working Max Payne that has not issues with modern video card drivers, or if there are any games left avaiable to buy in a store cheap.… Expand
  77. FauxEden
    Mar 15, 2014
    10
    One of the greatest, most well written stories/dialogue/monologue in gaming history.
    It may not have aged very well, but at the time, this game was big, looked great and was innovative. The character of Max Payne, in this game is unparalleled by any other. The graphic novel bits are just genius.
  78. IcedCoffee
    Feb 22, 2014
    10
    One of my personal, all-time favorite games!
    Dark, gritty, violent, tragic and memorable.
    If the neo-noir, tragedy story following a shattered and broken, NYPD detective as he pursues a bloody vendetta that leads him through a dark, gritty representaton of New York's criminal underbelly to find answers behind the murder of his wife and new-born child isn't enough to entice you, the    One of my personal, all-time favorite games!
    Dark, gritty, violent, tragic and memorable.

    If the neo-noir, tragedy story following a shattered and broken, NYPD detective as he pursues a bloody vendetta that leads him through a dark, gritty representaton of New York's criminal underbelly to find answers behind the murder of his wife and new-born child isn't enough to entice you, the rewarding, high-caliber gunplay and fantastic use of the bullet-time mechanic certainly will.    … Expand
  79. Ibanez89
    Feb 18, 2014
    10
    This game is simply badass!
    No one can pull off the leather trench coat look and relentless combat skills like Max Payne
    Game play is flawless Graphic Novels have the perfect artistic style for the games mood Graphics for its time were unreal (still good for today) The combination of story telling/third person narrative is just incredible and is so immersing that it is as if you are    This game is simply badass!
    No one can pull off the leather trench coat look and relentless combat skills like Max Payne

    Game play is flawless
    Graphic Novels have the perfect artistic style for the games mood
    Graphics for its time were unreal (still good for today)
    The combination of story telling/third person narrative is just incredible and is so immersing that it is as if you are in the game itself.

    Even to this day I still leave this in my top 10.
    Its going to be hard finding a game like this again.    … Expand
  80. Gamer2014
    Feb 8, 2014
    10
    one of the best games i ever played its have a lot of weapon choices very smooth visuals simple controls and **** AWESOME story line when i finished the game i felt like the ****g king of the world the story got stuck in my brain for days and i liked that
  81. ritardedartkid
    Dec 27, 2013
    8
    For a game that's over 10 years old it still holds up really well. Sure some of the graphics will make you laugh, but the story is fantastic and bullet time is pretty much the best thing ever. The game has a self adjusting skill level so you shouldn't find it too easy or too hard. Granted some parts are still insanely tricky and at times the AI can be a little too good at predicting whereFor a game that's over 10 years old it still holds up really well. Sure some of the graphics will make you laugh, but the story is fantastic and bullet time is pretty much the best thing ever. The game has a self adjusting skill level so you shouldn't find it too easy or too hard. Granted some parts are still insanely tricky and at times the AI can be a little too good at predicting where you are. As someone who's never played this before I'm glad I did, even after all these years.… Expand
  82. sengork
    Nov 24, 2013
    10
    For me this is the most memorable game I've played for the reason of having a most memorable character and gameplay. One can relate to the protagonist throughout the game no matter which situation he finds himself in. Remedy have done an excellent job in their basement and creative use of comics/animations worked a treat. Having come from a demo scene background Remedy had particularlyFor me this is the most memorable game I've played for the reason of having a most memorable character and gameplay. One can relate to the protagonist throughout the game no matter which situation he finds himself in. Remedy have done an excellent job in their basement and creative use of comics/animations worked a treat. Having come from a demo scene background Remedy had particularly sharp eye to detail and know-how for working under limited hardware/funding conditions. Sam Lake managed to write a great script for the game and Max's character. His quotes are almost poetry like and the humour is both funny and clever.… Expand
  83. MadKlauss
    Nov 19, 2013
    10
    The first Max Payne is the best in my honest opinion. I just love the grim atmosphere, the story, everything.
    Graphics are overrated, it's all about the story and gameplay.
    Max Payne 1 is a prime example that companies with very limited budget make the best games.
  84. morfil
    Nov 1, 2013
    10
    To this day no game has gripped me like "Max Payne". I remember I got this one Friday afternoon and had it beat by Sunday morning. Yes I did spend most waking hours playing it, but that is a testament to the game's story. I rarely find myself addicted to a game's story. I rarely find myself wanting to know where the story goes. In games, plot does take a backseat to game play for me. ButTo this day no game has gripped me like "Max Payne". I remember I got this one Friday afternoon and had it beat by Sunday morning. Yes I did spend most waking hours playing it, but that is a testament to the game's story. I rarely find myself addicted to a game's story. I rarely find myself wanting to know where the story goes. In games, plot does take a backseat to game play for me. But "Max Payne" got it right. It's short enough not to lose focus from beginning to end, but long enough to become a deep and immersive experience. The game's pacing is flawless. The style by which the story is told graphic comic strip narrated by the hard-boiled Payne is also perfect and adds much to the game's style an atmosphere.

    The much-hyped slow motion aspect of the game is simply the icing on the cake. There is nothing like jumping into a room gun in each hand in slow motion and re-enacting your favourite John Woo action scene. Nothing. It is true that the A.I. isn't the small tool in the box, but what lack in brains they make up for in numbers. The vast selection of weapons is also impressive, though I have myself found myself going through the entire game using only handguns except when other guns are essential to the objective. But that's just the Woo fan in me.

    The graphics were jaw-dropping at the time and are still damn impressive today. There was times when I was simply amazed at the details: if you got the camera right behind Max's shoulder you could see the micro-fabrics of his jacket and the singular strands of his hair. Bullet hits were also impressive both visually and in their restraint. They remind me a lot of Exley's shotgun massacre in "L.A. Confidential". Debris flies over the place but not in an over-the-top Woo or "Matrix" way. This helps retain the gritty realism the makers were striving for.

    "Max Payne" is derivate of a lot of works and is quite clichéd, but it is executed with style, atmosphere and an immense level of game-making professionalism that makes it an experience unlike any other. Put film noir, John Woo and "The Matrix" into mixer and "Max Payne" is probably what you get. And it's one hell of a The game is thrilling, visceral and explosive. What more could you want in an action game?

    And... I will never those first scenes and the Metro first level... Whenever I take the subway, I think of Max Payne Wow Some scars left...    … Expand
  85. ILikeBosch
    Sep 3, 2013
    10
    A PC staple and perhaps the swan song of shooters. The story is engaging and strikes at the heart of all fans of noir style comics and film. The linear gameplay diminishes replay value, but that's only immediate. I come back to this game once every 6 months because I'll be home on a rainy day and the pitter patter of droplets on the window reminds me of Max Payne running through aA PC staple and perhaps the swan song of shooters. The story is engaging and strikes at the heart of all fans of noir style comics and film. The linear gameplay diminishes replay value, but that's only immediate. I come back to this game once every 6 months because I'll be home on a rainy day and the pitter patter of droplets on the window reminds me of Max Payne running through a vacant warehouse in bad weather. There's just nothing like it in my opinion. I had the chance of being 13 when this game came out. It was the perfect time to discover this game because it's stuck with me forever. What an impact on PC gaming.… Expand
  86. ERB
    Aug 26, 2013
    10
    This game is great.The game play is incredibly good and even the storyline is superbly great and interesting.And also this game is the game that introduce Bullet Time in gaming.So we should thank Remedy for introducing this cool effect in gaming and also for making this cool game.And not just that,MP1 is still better that MP2 and MP3.And I proclaim this game the best game I've ever playedThis game is great.The game play is incredibly good and even the storyline is superbly great and interesting.And also this game is the game that introduce Bullet Time in gaming.So we should thank Remedy for introducing this cool effect in gaming and also for making this cool game.And not just that,MP1 is still better that MP2 and MP3.And I proclaim this game the best game I've ever played and there are many reasons why I just said It.Best game forever!… Expand
  87. Longshanks1979
    Aug 24, 2013
    10
    It's 10 P.M. on Saturday 24 August 2013. Just finished Max Payne for the first time. UNBELIEVABLE. Cannot believe this one slipped past my radar. It cost less than £2 on Steam and I've been playing it every night for the last two weeks. This is possibly the best third person shooter of all time, and one of my new favourite games ever. Hard to believe one simple gameplay mechanic can makeIt's 10 P.M. on Saturday 24 August 2013. Just finished Max Payne for the first time. UNBELIEVABLE. Cannot believe this one slipped past my radar. It cost less than £2 on Steam and I've been playing it every night for the last two weeks. This is possibly the best third person shooter of all time, and one of my new favourite games ever. Hard to believe one simple gameplay mechanic can make such a difference to a game but flinging yourself around in bullet time is one of the most fun things you can do in a video game. This is the gold standard of action shooters.… Expand
  88. Basem101
    Aug 20, 2013
    9
    this game was the one that paved the way to third person shooter games outstanding story descent game play and amazing music that sets you in the atmosphere a true masterpiece
  89. FilliasFrog
    Jul 1, 2013
    10
    Max Payne has enormous "margin of safety" even nasty management can not spoil this excellent game. Russian is available on the iOS version with an all pereozvuchennymi dialogues and comics. It is worse than the original, but for the owners of smartphones do not speak English this is the ideal opportunity to see the classic games. Moreover, that in May, is a long-awaited blockbuster Max Payne 3.
  90. POSTAL_DUDE
    Jun 7, 2013
    8
    Ever wanted to be in a John Woo Move? Well Max Payne is for you. Long story short, your a DEA Agent framed for the murder of your partner, yeah, I'd be pissed off to, so what do you do? Just like a John Woo Movie, whip out your Akimbo pistols and blow the hell out of any bad guy in your path, but only in slow motion. Graphics wise this game hasn't aged well at all. Gameplay wise this guyEver wanted to be in a John Woo Move? Well Max Payne is for you. Long story short, your a DEA Agent framed for the murder of your partner, yeah, I'd be pissed off to, so what do you do? Just like a John Woo Movie, whip out your Akimbo pistols and blow the hell out of any bad guy in your path, but only in slow motion. Graphics wise this game hasn't aged well at all. Gameplay wise this guy has yet to become boring for me. Pretty satisfying to dive into a room of enemys with a pump action shotgun and blow away.… Expand
  91. AWG
    Jun 4, 2013
    9
    The first chapter of one of the most epic trilogies in the entire history of videogames and the one game that instilled the love for Third Person Shooters in me.
  92. Pranay6
    Jun 4, 2013
    9
    Max Payne is a great action game. It has Good story.The game play is also good. The only problem with the game is that is short. The best thing about the game BULLET TIME.
  93. pcfraternity
    Apr 28, 2013
    10
    Spent many a late night enjoying Max Payne. This game stepped it up where others failed. One of the standards most currents and futures are sure to take notes from.
  94. c3p
    Apr 27, 2013
    10
    The onlz game if played more than 3 times. It's amazing, showed me how great the Film Noir is and I will probably come back to this incredible good game every few years for the rest of my life!
  95. ReubenIsAGod
    Mar 19, 2013
    10
    ONE OF THE BEST GAMES OF ALL TIME, Story:10/10, Graphics:9/10(max looks retarded), Gameplay:10/10. BEST GAME IVE EVER PLAYED BUY IT GODAMN IT OR ILL COME YOUR HOUSE AND BEAT THE LIVING OUT OF YOUR PC, just kidding :D
  96. drakenseng
    Feb 12, 2013
    10
    story well the game is called 'max payne' so it centers around his life story, he is a detective in nyc. basically, he tries to find out who killed his wife and why.

    gameplay the controls are solid in the game like all 3rd person shooters. it first introduced the 'bullet time' which was inspired by the movie' hard boiled'. it did a great job with it. most everything is pretty fast    story well the game is called 'max payne' so it centers around his life story, he is a detective in nyc. basically, he tries to find out who killed his wife and why.

    gameplay the controls are solid in the game like all 3rd person shooters. it first introduced the 'bullet time' which was inspired by the movie' hard boiled'. it did a great job with it. most everything is pretty fast paced you use painkillers to heal on the go and lots of guns to use. video the graphics are great for its time. great animations and detail. audio the music sets the mood and gun effects are great.

    overall a great game one of the best released. and it introduced some new gameplay. it has lots to give for being an action 3rd person shooter. usually these types of games don't give good story but this one is different.    … Expand
  97. ratedrko
    Jan 11, 2013
    10
    Best game ever, graphics story its great quality and most important part of the game, i finished at least 13 times, best game i played by far far far, probably in my opinion in the Top 50 games of all time, masterpiece
  98. Annoymous1
    Jan 8, 2013
    9
    New York usually is a main setting for FPS shooters and stuff but Max Payne delivers the best. The Bullet Time strategy is as good as the Slide-shoot technique in Crysis and the graphics are gorgeous and make Grand Theft Auto IV look something like a pixelated background. Th difference between the Max Payne series and the Call of Duty series is that it delivers a better campaign and aNew York usually is a main setting for FPS shooters and stuff but Max Payne delivers the best. The Bullet Time strategy is as good as the Slide-shoot technique in Crysis and the graphics are gorgeous and make Grand Theft Auto IV look something like a pixelated background. Th difference between the Max Payne series and the Call of Duty series is that it delivers a better campaign and a better system in shooting.… Expand
  99. suneater
    Dec 13, 2012
    4
    The sequel is superior, don't even bother with this one. I played the second one first; even though it reuses some characters, the plot is a lot stronger than this one's and stands on it's own two feet. The original's plot is completely ridiculous, tedious, repetitive, and almost offensively bad. Just play the second one and skip this.
  100. Phuzer
    Dec 5, 2012
    8
    Great game, the graphics are good for the time period which it was released. The gameplay is fun epically if you like slow motion combat. It is a fairly difficult game unless you decide to use quick save often . ( this is recommended). The story is also pretty good although it really doesn't do anything new or original. Max is a great main character and this is a great action game and aGreat game, the graphics are good for the time period which it was released. The gameplay is fun epically if you like slow motion combat. It is a fairly difficult game unless you decide to use quick save often . ( this is recommended). The story is also pretty good although it really doesn't do anything new or original. Max is a great main character and this is a great action game and a series worth checking into for any action fans.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Best PC Game of 2001
1
#1 Most Discussed PC Game of 2001
1
#1 Most Shared PC Game of 2001

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 32
  3. Negative: 1 out of 32
  1. Hot Games
    90
    A great FPS. The most serious problem we have with the game is stability – we lost all of our save games at one point, and experienced random freezes fairly frequently.
    Read full review
  2. GamePen
    30
    In the style of PC Gamer's David Manningesque vocabulary, Max Payne is the most forgettable action game in history. (I exaggerate, of course. It's only the most forgettable action game of the year.)
    Read full review
  3. Yahoo!
    80
    Its predominant flaw is that it whets our appetite for something unimaginably amazing but only fulfills half of that unveiled promise.
    Read full review
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