shooter

Max Payne sets itself apart from most of the other current XBox titles. While the storyline and gameplay aren't totally revolutionary, it does offer more than many of the "eye candy only" games.

In the game you play through a series of scenes intermixed with cut scenes that fill in the story and give context to the scenes you are playing. Gameplay is simply driving Max around and killing bad guys, possibly having to solve a puzzle or two along the way. Nothing mind bending, but pretty fun.

To enable you to take on more enemies than normal the game has a "bullet time" mode, which is just like the slow motion sequences from The Matrix. This sets the game apart and is actually useful in some battles.

The graphics are mediocre at best. Scenes are generally dark and the camera can get downright jerky at some points. Given that none of the scenes are particularly large and there are no large outdoor environments (like Halo), I would have expected better.

Overall, Max Payne is worth a rent. A few solid days of play time is all you need to get some enjoyment from it.

There have been many great action games in the past such as James Bond's Goldeneye and Duke Nukem. But this game puts all of them to shame.

Max Payne is one of the most violent action games I've played since Soldier of Fortune. You get a variety of weapons spanning from Sniper Rifles to Baseball Bats. The way you play is very interesting. You simply aim in a third-person view at the bad guys. One of the coolest features in this game is the slow-down meter. The slow-down meter lets you actually slow down the time and lets you shoot in a Matrix-style format. Very entertaining.

Also, Max Payne has one of the best stories in an action game ever. You start out by reliving when your wife and baby were killed by gangsters. All that was left is a V on the wall with a seringe. It's a very scary part of the story with all the screaming and graphic violence. After that, everything goes downhill as you shoot your way through mob bosses to discover a secret on a continuing research project to raise the moral in troops. And to top it off, your now a fugitive. You don't end up being a big hero in the end, but you will be satisfied. I also found the dream sequences to be rather fun to play. Making your way across a thin trail of blood while at the same time being haunted by the death of your wife and baby is a nice touch which adds to the terrifying atomasphere. The only part that may upset some game players is that Max Payne is way to short. There is a timed version you can play when you beat the game, but that isn't quite enough to satisfy players who want more out of the game.

Overall, Max Payne ends up to be one of the most involving and funnest games out there. Just keep telling yourself it's just a game. Highly recommended.

I believe the title spells it out people. This game is the worst game ever. I'm a 17 year old and playing this was like torture. I love killing things and blowing them up as much as the next guy, and prolly a little more. But come on now! EVERYTHING IN THIS GAME DIES!

I was a little annoyed after watching those junkies kill his wife and kid, and i said, ok maybe this is just the beginning. I played it until just after entering the bank through the subway, (for those of you who haven't experienced the misfortune, thats like the 2nd section of the 1st level) and by the time I got there I took it out of my XBOX, broke it, and through it away. I wouldn't even pawn this on another gamer because it was so bad! Crappy gameplay, script, graphics, story, everything. Bullet Time was OK, except he seems to dive everywhere, he can't just stand in one spot and shoot, but that coulda been just me.

If you are one of the few people who haven't played this game, be VERY happy! AVOID IT! I wish I could take back the few minutes I played on it, because they were completely wasted and I think i got dumber from playing it. (Not to mention disgusted as hell)