Max Payne

 Xbox
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 89 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 71 out of 89
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 89
  3. Negative: 8 out of 89
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  1. ERB
    Nov 8, 2013
    10
    Max Payne 1 is a game that you will never forget for many years.This game has awesome actions,good voice acting,mind twisting story and it has also it's most high lighted part called the bullet time.Now the bullet times makes the whole world of Max Payne go slower so that he can easily dodge those bullets then he will kill them.You can also see those bullets that are fired o you when youMax Payne 1 is a game that you will never forget for many years.This game has awesome actions,good voice acting,mind twisting story and it has also it's most high lighted part called the bullet time.Now the bullet times makes the whole world of Max Payne go slower so that he can easily dodge those bullets then he will kill them.You can also see those bullets that are fired o you when you use bullet time.Now the adventure of Max Payne begins when one tragic night after he came from work then he went home to check on his wife and baby daughter.He heard screams from his wife and cry from his baby daughter.So he went up and saw a thug so he killed that thug.He opened the door and Max saw his baby daughter dead in her crib.He heard screams from his wife again so he ran to her room and saw another thug so he killed that thug as well.After killing that thug Max saw his wife dead in her bead.Max felt so depressed but he also swore revenge for the death of his wife and baby daughter.There the adventure of Max Payne will now begin.

    Now lets talk more about the game.This game has an awesome world and the environment feels realistic I mean when you shoot at those papers or maybe shoot at those televisions they are likely to be destroyed.I like that part.The game has an mind twisting story and you will feel like that you are in Max's world.This game is awesome and this game deserves a 10/10 score from reviewer ERB.This game is a legendary game so if you want to play an awesome game that is worth your time,try buying this game now or try downloading this game now.I am telling you guys this game is a legendary game.    … Expand
  2. TrentN.
    Oct 2, 2002
    5
    I would have given it a 10 rating, but, on the game it says system link, noone seems to know how the system link works so there for, it got a 5 rating.
  3. T.T.
    Feb 21, 2002
    0
    The story line was crappy.
  4. DrewC.
    Aug 8, 2002
    3
    Wow. I'm really glad I rented this at Blockbuster instead of purchasing it. Based on the reviews here I would've thought that this is an action-packed, edge-of-your-seat game. Not so. After you've tired of the "bullet time" feature this game quickly loses its luster. A one-trick pony. If you're looking for a shooter just keep playing Halo instead. (is there any way to Wow. I'm really glad I rented this at Blockbuster instead of purchasing it. Based on the reviews here I would've thought that this is an action-packed, edge-of-your-seat game. Not so. After you've tired of the "bullet time" feature this game quickly loses its luster. A one-trick pony. If you're looking for a shooter just keep playing Halo instead. (is there any way to shoot *myself* when I'm playing? anything to get that cheese-filled dialogue outta my head!)… Expand
  5. JasonR.
    Jul 12, 2003
    0
    Matt O is a jackass and this game sucks.
  6. MichaelC.
    Aug 20, 2003
    7
    Max Payne is a reasonably good third-person shooter. The gameplay is definitely there, and the graphics are pretty good. The game does get a little repetitive, but a variety of weapons to pummel enemies with helps ease that. My #1 complaint is the god-awful dialog/voice acting/story line. Hopefully this is something that they will remedy for the sequel.
  7. PhilipT.
    Apr 6, 2002
    9
    This game is great, other than the inverted controls.
  8. EduardoP
    Sep 3, 2002
    10
    I can't belive that somebody gave this game a three. Hahahahahaha. Anyway why would you want to shoot yourself while you are playing!?
  9. JakeL.
    Dec 30, 2001
    9
    Visually impressive. Just as good as the PC version. Also far better than the PS2 version. It's a must have game.
  10. FredD
    Aug 9, 2002
    8
    Really nice gameplay and excellent camera actions plus a believable and immersive environment ... however game is very linear and bad guys could be more inventive. Also talking inserts are too numerous.
  11. B.B.
    Feb 28, 2003
    10
    This game was awesome. The only thing I didnt like was the comic book style parts. But the action and plot was great!!!!
  12. MattO.
    May 16, 2003
    10
    A great game with brill graphics and easy controls. only one flaw the two levels when his drugged up and walking on a tightrope of blood. but the other levels more that make up for this.
  13. Uter
    Jan 2, 2004
    9
    I'd give it a 10 if there was a bit more replay value. The game is fairly long (about 10 hrs), and great all the way through. I really liked the dark story line and atmosphere.
  14. Paul
    Jul 21, 2006
    9
    Great concepts and a story line that keeps you playing. The cartoon style story telling is very well done.
  15. PerryR.
    Feb 19, 2002
    10
    The game is great, and I cant get enough of it.
  16. KidjoM.
    May 14, 2002
    9
    GOOD GAME!!! But not as good As Halo... I've played better, but not too many... Fun game.
  17. S.G.
    Dec 18, 2003
    10
    Heavy game.
  18. TobyR.
    Apr 5, 2003
    9
    His wife and child has been killed and he is not trilled. He feels pain, going insane it's time fore a bullettime action game his name is max payne. A game that rocks.
  19. [Anonymous]
    May 13, 2003
    9
    This game rox. The bullet time is awsome. And all those people who think it sucks....
  20. Lawyer
    Oct 25, 2005
    10
    People who give this 0 and 2 are morons. One of the best games of all time.
  21. RobertR.
    Jan 31, 2002
    10
    Best game on xbox.
  22. JeffK.
    Feb 26, 2002
    10
    This is my favorite Xbox game. I?m going through it a third time. I never replay games a second time, much less a third. Plugging bad guys is too much fun. The Dolby Digital sound effects are killer.
  23. AdamN.
    Jun 25, 2002
    10
    Carson Daly look alike with a gun. Did I mention he can dive in slow motion?
  24. JohnN.
    May 26, 2008
    10
    My favorite game of all time. I like the thematic elements, leading to Ragnarok, and its darker view of things. Very fun, and it is in homage to a John Woo movies, with bullets everywhere.
  25. aspentitan
    Nov 18, 2020
    6
    I suppose back in the day I may have scored this higher but it's 2020 and so my review is based off of today whether this game holds up. I say no although it does have a charm which warrants some merit. First off I should start with the bad. I do play a lot of retro games on ps2/Xbox original so I do feel I'm being quite fair. First off, the game is very clunky, and probably my majorI suppose back in the day I may have scored this higher but it's 2020 and so my review is based off of today whether this game holds up. I say no although it does have a charm which warrants some merit. First off I should start with the bad. I do play a lot of retro games on ps2/Xbox original so I do feel I'm being quite fair. First off, the game is very clunky, and probably my major gripe. The problem I'm having may be of various routes. It may be that I'm playing this on a 360 instead of original console. It may be the game starts you off on easy setting and it may also be that I need to adjust settings sensitivities. I have played around with these but don't appear to be able to tweak the game to my likings. I am an experienced gamer so I was looking for a game without a lot of auto assist but I had to move on accepting it as I was wasting too much time trying to optimize the gameplay, unsuccessfully . I fear that the game is just clunky and "bullet time" was the solution to this problem. I suppose at a later date I may replay this game but kinda feel it's not worth my effort trying to make the game work to my tastes. Other games of the era like Dead to Rights just went straight to auto assist but their game seemed to work much better. I kinda feel this was the game developments work not mine and bullet time was a cheap quick fix to make the game much more exciting if you can buy into it, which I cannot given my feelings on how it's a fix not a true innovation. This game ends up being in neutral territory not being able to provide full assist nor leaving the player comfortably with their own aiming skills. You either have to run head on into an enemy or use bullet time which for me is almost a cheat, or just broken. The hit boxes on the enemies are ridiculously large and ruin the gameplay. Adjusting difficulty tightens the box but now you have to hit enemies a rediculous amount with a clunky aim system. Thankfully the design changes as the game goes on I presume the developers were fixing the game as they developed it. I didn't actually enjoy this game until chapter 16 or 17 of 22 when the design changed to more open areas where aiming wasn't such a technical issue. Up until then I thought this game was so bad I was gonna give it 5/10. Regardless I do admit this concept is up for debate and most players will think this game is awesome and not agree with me but that's how I feel, especially in 2020 I dont see the point of making such an effort on an old game. Now the good....I love games that have personality and this game excels there. Great story development and for immersion I love how many areas of the game have subtle interactions. You can destroy tvs, radios, npcs and use your environment to adjust your games tone. Don't like the noise from the tv? Shoot it out. Want to get game hints? Don't shoot it out. How about those rats chewing on a body on the ground? They can be killed. The choice is yours what you do in the environment and this really increases your own appeal to the game. It customizes your interests in the world quite well. I even watched some of the tv stuff just to see how long it went on and it was pretty decent. Even today most games the environments aren't given more than a 5 second soundclip at best. Here we have personality and I do praise that highly. With gameplay I'm stuck. I can see the charm in this game but my first playthrough was not ideal, I had to experiment with settings too much and this had a definite impact on my appeal. What I did really like was the game isn't totally linear with enemies. There is some randomness to how the enemies spawn and I was surprised in a pleasant way that I'd you died in an area the next encounter with the same group was not going to be exactly the same experience. Overall I'd just say this game did not age well. At its release I'm sure it was innovative and people thought the bullet time was super cool but going back in time I see it the other way, that this game wasn't all that good but was saved by a trick no one seen yet.… Expand
  26. Tubie
    Jan 19, 2011
    9
    Great game. The graphics and the bullet time were a breath of fresh air into action games and a very good reason to own the original xbox. This game is great.
  27. Lowpayne911
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    I remember first playing this game on Xbox about 7-8 years ago. It was my favorite game from the first time I played it, it is still my favorite game. Everything about Sam Lake's gritty, dark story hooked me instantly, and I remember buying the sequel as soon as it came out! There is almost no other 10 year old game I would rather play, the only reason I don't play it too often is to savorI remember first playing this game on Xbox about 7-8 years ago. It was my favorite game from the first time I played it, it is still my favorite game. Everything about Sam Lake's gritty, dark story hooked me instantly, and I remember buying the sequel as soon as it came out! There is almost no other 10 year old game I would rather play, the only reason I don't play it too often is to savor those precious memories of my younger days. I even wrote a poem about Max Payne!… Expand
  28. inglorios
    Jun 22, 2012
    8
    Dark and gritty, this game is perfect for fans of noire cinema. Featuring a protagonist whom is powerful in all ways but still deeply flawed. The slow motion action sequences defines this series and is unique to the large variety of shooters out there.
  29. frederik1478
    Nov 20, 2022
    10
    One part of my favourite game trilogy of all time.

    This is a Cheasy story, but it is performed honestly and that is what makes it amazing, I love the presentation because it feels ammeter is in the best possible way, it couldn be more honest The gameplay is that you don't really know if you're going to survive or die in the next room is sad of those games where you have to quick save    One part of my favourite game trilogy of all time.

    This is a Cheasy story, but it is performed honestly and that is what makes it amazing,

    I love the presentation because it feels ammeter is in the best possible way, it couldn be more honest

    The gameplay is that you don't really know if you're going to survive or die in the next room is sad of those games where you have to quick save constantly, but sometimes it can be fun to play 1 those kind of games.

    The guy that plays max has the perfect Voice for Noir. I love hearing ever syllables in his words.

    This game has a good length. So it makes you want to play it again and again when you're feeling nostalgic.    … Expand
  30. BSchwarz95
    Jul 9, 2018
    10
    This is easily the oldest game that I've played in recent memory. Aside from, say, GoldenEye 007, Super Smash Bros, or Combat Evolved, I haven't touched a game older than like 2008 in a very long time and because of that, I went into this game a little unsure of what to expect. My god, what a game. Even by today's standards, this game kicks a lot of ass. The main reason why I find it to beThis is easily the oldest game that I've played in recent memory. Aside from, say, GoldenEye 007, Super Smash Bros, or Combat Evolved, I haven't touched a game older than like 2008 in a very long time and because of that, I went into this game a little unsure of what to expect. My god, what a game. Even by today's standards, this game kicks a lot of ass. The main reason why I find it to be so impressive is that not many games have introduced the player to a better story than what this has to offer. No holds barred gritty and unapologetically mature, Max Payne offers an experience like no other shooters have offered and a lot of that is due to the poetic narrative and how it was presented to the player. The use of comic-book style cut scenes prevent the game from dating itself as these are (for all intents and purposes) timeless. The gameplay itself still plays very well and even if it's not as smooth as recent Rockstar releases, it still holds up to this day. Absolutely love this game and can't wait to continue on with this franchise. In fact, I think this game has opened my doors to playing more older games that I would have otherwise made excuses about and avoided playing. Don't make that mistake with this title.… Expand
  31. SWFan523
    Jun 21, 2020
    7
    Revolutionary at the time and would only be improved upon in future entries. Would give a 7.5 positive but that option isn't available.
  32. CloudStrife05
    Aug 20, 2021
    8
    Fun game with a likable protagonist that brought the slow down element to game play ala Matrix.
  33. neomoonsevin
    Sep 10, 2023
    8
    I laughed at heaps of things in this game but hey remedy is the master of there art we all know it for sure lots of shooting lots of matrix dodging and holy oh well the graphics match the time it was in the beginning of xbox can't go wrong with that good game
  34. goodgriff33
    Dec 25, 2022
    7
    Answer: 75 characters is between 10 words and 19 words with spaces included in the character count. If spaces are not included in the character count, then 75 characters is between 12 words and 25 words.
  35. quaero
    Apr 18, 2023
    9
    Great old school game with good story. Didn't like the hallucinations. Matrix effect is cool.

Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best Xbox Game of 2001
2
#2 Most Discussed Xbox Game of 2001
9
#9 Most Shared Xbox Game of 2001

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. Xbox Nation Magazine
    80
    In slow-motion, it’s possible to catch every white bullet trail and crimson blood spray; we’d daresay it’s violence made beautiful. [Feb 2002, p.98]
  2. GameSpot
    92
    The PC version's visual quality--on a suitably good PC--managed to completely live up to the very high expectations produced by the early press, and the good news is that the Xbox version essentially looks just as good.
    Read full review
  3. Total Video Games
    90
    One key improvement over the PS2 version is the lack of load times. Whereas levels had to be chopped up in that version the Xbox allows them to be loaded in the same way as the PC original, virtually eliminating any load times and keeping the sense of immersion high.
    Read full review
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