This successful adaptation of Max Payne shines in several aspects and exceeds on nearly all levels despite its length.
Visuals
As soon as you power up Max Payne, you’ll be greeted by some dramatic cut scenes detailing the story. Just as in the original, the cut scenes are a series of still images along with voice commentary from Max. It’s all very artistic and has a unique feel to it—somewhat like a comic book. Without a doubt, it’s the most cinematic game to hit the Game Boy Advance yet.
The game uses an isometric view to offer somewhat of an illusion of 3D. So, the detail of sprites isn’t as great when compared to other titles such as Splinter Cell, for example. That’s not to say that they aren’t good, though. The attempt to render fairly realistic human sprites on the low-resolution screen was fulfilled quite well. Did I mention there’s blood? Well, there is… lots of it. Blow your opponents' chests out and watch huge blood splatters on the surrounding walls and floor. There are also a slew of other eye-candy effects such as weather conditions, explosions, and even heat waves. Visually, everything is top notch. However, the only setback is that you will encounter a noticeable deal of slowdown if too many sprites are present on screen. Even if there are bodies slain across the floor dead and unmoving, slowdown will occur. It becomes quite irritating in later parts of the game where more enemies are present.
With the environments, you’ll find a mix of both good and bad. The minute amount of outdoor areas appear to be the most detailed. Unfortunately, the indoor areas—where you spend nearly eighty percent of the game—are dark, bland, and boring in comparison to the outside environments. It was an attempt to recreate the same gloomy feel of the console version, but it really doesn’t come across the same way.
Audio
The audio in the game is superb! The cut scenes, as mentioned before, feature complete voiceovers from Max himself. Coming through the speaker on the Game Boy Advance, it will sound rough and abrasive. You can alleviate this problem, luckily enough, by using headphones or the Game Boy Player! It will provide a much more smooth and crisp sound, which is definitely more pleasing to hear. I’m not a fan of the voice acting, however. Max speaks through the same dull monotone voice through the entire game, beginning to end. There is not a single uplifting moment in which his voice is in balance with the intensity of the situation. It will really start to eat at you after a while.
The music will also sound rough on the standard Game Boy Advance speaker. Once again, you’ll need to be using either headphones or the Game Boy Player, which is quite a shame, as it does offer a good listening. Sound effects are equally great. Explosions, bullets, screams… the whole works are presented flawlessly. Everything you find in Max Payne is definitely above par in relation to other games.
Gameplay
The isometric view might be frustrating for some people, as controls are considerably awkward upon the first time of play. It takes a good while to become acquainted with, but after you’re comfortable with everything, the game becomes a breeze. Game play could have probably been slightly better, but as it stands, everything is pretty solid. Controls are basic. By holding the left trigger, you can alternate between guns and weapons, and the right trigger initiates bullet-time. A is your ‘shoot’ button, and B is the standard action and jumping button. And finally, the select button will give you some health granted that you have painkillers in your inventory.
The only factor that differentiates Max Payne from other standard action titles is the bullet-time effect. Its use is mandatory during several parts of the game. It’s literally impossible to survive at certain points without using it. It would have added some extra challenge if you had a possible chance at beating the game without using it. You’d probably have more luck that way in reality, but apparently, diving forward and laying in distress on the ground for a period of time before regaining posture is safe. At any rate, though, the bullet-time effect is pulled off extremely well. During your perilous dive, you can aim in all eight directions and shoot surrounding baddies.
Now, once you begin to become familiar with the controls and get the feeling that you’re progressing well into the game, it strikingly ends. The story is abruptly short with only twelve missions. All of Max Payne could assuredly be completed within a few hours, sadly enough. After you complete the entire game, though, you will unlock unlimited ammunition, the entire arsenal of weapons, and the ‘Super Cop’ mode. It does little to expand its length and value, however.
The missions are pretty linear. They don't require much thinking or logic. You've just got to have quick reflexes, because enemies will swarm you at any random time. For all intents and purposes, the entire game is just killing. The action is high paced; you clear one room and then move on. There is a slight bit of adventuring (a variety of items such as letters, radios, television broadcasts, etc. are scattered across the different locales that will expand upon the story), but that's about it really. Sounds simple and boring, but the fun factor is just amazingly high.
Overall
All in all, Max Payne provides a good round of fun. Unfortunately, the drastically short length hinders the game’s overall value. Despite being one of the most technologically innovative titles on the Game Boy Advance with fascinating and engaging game play, the extremely short length just doesn’t merit a purchase at all. Unless you must have this game, it truly isn’t worth your money. Rockstar made a great effort with Max Payne, though. It’s a good, solid game that offers plenty of innovation. It will be exceptionally nice to see what Rockstar can pull off with Grand Theft Auto next year.
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