Max Payne lives up to the hype

Max Payne has been in development for what seems like forever. But the final product was worth the wait. Max Payne sports amazing graphics, a unique third person camera angle that doesn't get in the way, and an engaging story. Although similar in some ways to other shooters, Max Payne has many benefits that make it stand out in the crowd.

Graphics

Because of the lengthy development process, I expected the graphics in Max Payne to not match up to today's standards. I was proven wrong. The graphics are sharp and the textures are realistic. Max Payne has easily the best visuals of any shooter game I've played to date. It does have a few minor problems though. Polygonal clipping is rare, but it does occur; and the faces on the bad guys are unanimated and repetitive. These are the only problems with the graphics I could find, and they are very minor and do not take away from the gameplay.

"Bullet Mode"

If you've read anything about Max Payne, you've probably heard about bullet mode. If you haven't: bullet mode is a slow motion effect in Max Payne that essentially makes Payne superhuman. By clicking the right mouse button, every thing will slow down besides your aim, making it easier to dodge bullets and knock off mobsters. This doesn't make the game unfair, though, because your bullet time is limited and the only way to get it back is to kill bad guys, making it more fair.

Sound

The sound in Max Payne is great; the people behind the voices are actually actors who know what they are doing. Each gun has its own distinct sound, and after a few hours of play, you will be able to tell what the enemy is firing based on the noise it makes. Also, you can judge the distance of something (people talking, radio, tv) using its volume. In other words , as you get closer to something it gets louder.

Gameplay and Story

Max Payne is one of the most fun games I have ever played. The game isn't too difficult, and I advanced through the levels at a moderate pace. The levels are diverse: a subway station, restaurant, sewer, hotel, and municipal building are among the levels you must fight through. Because of this I never got bored of the game. Also, the story is engaging and keeps you playing and wanting more. The story basically goes like this:

Payne discovers his wife and baby murdered at home, and learns that the murderers were high on the drug: Valkyr. Three years later, we find him working undercover in the mafia, searching for the source of this drug. He gets caught up in the subway system, where he has to kill some mobsters, and is framed for the murder of a cop. Now he is both on the run from the law and from the outlaws. Trust is scarce and Payne has to survive on his own in his search to find the Valkyr drug dealers. From here the plot thickens...

...but you'll just have to play the game to find out what happens.

Problems

Although Max Payne was an excellent game, everything has its problems. There is no multiplayer mode, which obviously severely cuts down the replay value. Once you beat the game, you unlock other modes, but these modes are just harder versions than the original. Also, because of its high quality, a powerful PC is needed to play the game. If you have a powerful computer, I strongly recommend this game because it is a groundbreaking and entertaining shooter that will captivate you for hours on end.