Blogs Games I Own: Max Payne

http://www.bit-tech.net/blog/2010/01/21/games-i-own-max-payne/

 

Well, I liked Max Payne a lot; I liked the cutscenes (comics) and the way that the story progressed. It was innovative for the 'photorealistic textures' too - the first game to have such - although they don't compare with modern stuff, obviously.

Max Payne 2 was a huge disappointment for me, though. Either it was really easy, or I was just particularly on a roll when playing it, but it took less than six hours from first loading it to seeing the final cutscene scroll.

 

I definitely agree. While I remember Max Payne as being a great-looking, highly visceral and cinematic game when it came out (and it certainly was), when I got around to actually playing it again due to the recent Steam sale, I was mostly underwhelmed. The story is still engaging (if predictable), but there are major problems the game has, specifically when it comes to its strict adherence to antiquated gaming customs. The old trial-and-error rears its head literally around every corner, with enemies so lethal and with such great reaction times that the only way to make it through the game is to memorise the exact position of every enemy... or just quicksave a million times. Then there's the grenades... oh god, you think they're annoying in Call of Duty 4 on Veteran, they're even worse here, with enemies throwing them at scripted moments, the arc pre-calculated to land directly in your face every time. When I got to the end of the game, I didn't feel like I'd accomplished anything. It was like going through a giant, murky gauntlet.

So yeah, I guess bullet time, slow motion and a substantial story were all pretty cool things for its time, but we've moved past them. The Matrix is more of a memory than it used to be, and even simple or crummy games have decent stories now. Max is still likable at what it tries to do, and for its historical value, but it's definitely not what I'd call a classic... more of a curious relic of the past which contains value for those who look. I definitely wouldn't recommend it as anywhere near a must-play.

Oh, and what's up with the ridiculous gameplay and story segregation? You'd think that a slow-paced film noir-tinged action game about an NYPD detective and his emotional demons would feature a slower-paced, more thoughtful play style... but no, it's a total killfest that only briefly slows down once or twice. I'd say if there's one thing Max Payne 2 improves upon the original, it's that the gameplay and story are much more unified in terms of their pacing and tone.

 

I stopped somewhere in the...middle?
Bullet time was cool, but tracing your steps in the silly dream-sequences...meh.

 

I have only one thing to say about Max Payne: "waaaaaaaa, waaaa, waaaaaaaa." Seriously, WTF was that about?

 

Pah, you fools, Max Payne was awesome. I think many people's fond memories of it come down to the way it presented a single, uniform and very striking image, which leaves a very defined Max Payne shape footprint in your memory: it's very easy to remember it with rose tinted glasses.

Ask most people about Max Payne, and they'll recall slow-mo akimbo pistols and film-noir melodrama, which in the tiny doses of a recollation are amazing. When I played it, I was mid-teens and the whole angsty nature of the game naturally appealed, and the memory of just thinking "that's so cool!" overides any actual gameplay.

Dodging bullets was awesome and all the John Woo references made me very happy. The script (whilst daft) was very memorable and instantly quotable - my younger brother will still occasionally shout "It's PAYNE!" when ever anyone enters a room. The whole thing came together to form a brilliant game, appealing for the same reasons Sin City or 300 is: simple, fun, memorable and just plain cool.

It's funny you shouldn't think much of it Joe when I know you love films like Versus and Hard Boiled, which take a very similar veign of over the top cinematic violence with no character development and a very simple plot.

 

Don't forget the awesome "I'm chewing a wasp" expression

 

I guess its just a bit marmite-y for you perhaps?

I for one, never really got what the big deal about Half Life 1 or 2 is.

You shoot stuff. Some story happens. Some of the scenes in Half Life 2 are more tech demo with story overlaid with an excuse.

You kill the end boss.

The series continues, or it doesn't, depending on how good the story was, or how much money the publisher has.

I've never played a single shooter - Max Payne 1 and 2 included - where this formula has been any different when you look at it frankly and honestly, except perhaps Deus Ex, but then, that's not really a shooter anyway. Bullet time was just another weapon in your arsenal to use to kill stuff in your way.

 

Max payne 1 was one of the best games of my youth, grimey and all round quality.

Did you guys see this yet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIhjtSY-nxg
Max payne Kung fu mod...now that was fun!

 

I used to get most of my enjoyment out of that. Even If i made it through a fight first time i'd always feel compelled to quick load and do it again. And again. And again. In order to get it as near perfect as possible.

 

loved it, loved the second. especially in the fun house "this isn't my face!"

 

I bought Max Payne 1 & 2 in the Steam holiday sale but I just can't be bothered to carry on playing them. My friends & colleagues described it as one of the best games they've ever played - but I just don't care. The story doesn't grab me as much as it probably would have if I'd have had a decent enough computer back in 2001.

Still, they were cheap & it'll give me something to do when I can be arsed I suppose.

 

Play it in small doses, but don't leave too much space in between. Being divided into short levels of about 20 minutes each, it's pretty easy to pick up and play, then put down again.

 

Yeah, I'm finding that - I also bought Ghostbusters and Killing Floor to which took most of my attention. Think I'll give Max another run tonight if I'm not blowing the heads of 'the Specimens'.

 

Max Payne was quite simply amazing. The film is well... not...

 

It was a great game, and any pc could handle it on max graphics or somewhere around that.

 

I completed it first time around but every time i try to play again i only get as far as the mob boss then stop

 

Max Payne is still in my Top 5 bestest games of ALL TIME list. Thanks for the youtube link.