Fun action packed revenge is fueled by Payne.
Framed for murder a fellow detective, Payne remains undercover within a mob family to discover the truth. Among the bullet cases Max meets some interesting characters, such as twin assassin Mona Sax, the mysterious Alfred Wooden and various trigger happy mobsters from separate feuding mob families. The story itself, set amongst a typical revenge/vendetta genre, unfolds smoothly with dreams of past events appearing between acts, perfect for the John Woo or Tarantino film enthusiasts. Payne sums up events & various conversations through his dark narration, a true gem of the entire adventure. The uncommon comic storyboards replace modern cuts scenes set the perfect noir tone.
This third person shooter features good graphics although characters don't have any facial expressions, some have ragdoll mechanics while others appear stiff as a board; however both of these features hardly affect game play or enjoyment. Controls handle fine, a click of the control pad brings up the vast amount of weapons one can carry & trigger a strong characteristic: bullet time. A fun, serious advantage over the resourceful A.I. that allows you to take out multiple enemies, duck for cover or continue your current life, best part being it replenishes with every kill. Weapons all appear to be very closely patterned after their real life counter parts, sounding great as you run for cover and return fire.
Max Payne is a great rental. For those who love high difficulty challenges, it's a must have and will get their money's worth here. The look of a simple shooter, united with great narration, graphic novel cut scenes that play perfectly to the violent story, atmosphere, mythology overtone & film noir references that plaque the story, Payne is a standout title, one that is a joy to play. The hero's pain has only begun.
Last Words: B+, Payne like this is so enjoyable it's hard not to like it.