Max Payne - Macintosh

Aside from its inspired use of photorealistic graphics and unique graphic novel (comic book) panels to further the plot, the game also features something called Bullet Time: a slow-motion toggle, usable for a limited time, that re-creates the awe-inspiring diving maneuvers made popular by director John Woo and, of course, The Matrix. At the touch of a button, Max can go into slow motion and leap forwards or back, and side to side, while pumping generous amounts of lead into his enemy's bodies. This toggle isn't just eye candy, it's a strategic device that evens the sometimes staggering odds the game throws at you. The action is made even more visceral by the interactive environments (glass shatters, plaster puffs into dust, and wood splinters) and generous amounts of blood.

The game carries a Mature label, and this should be taken very seriously. The game doesn't pull a single punch, whether in flashbacks showing Max's reaction to his gunned-down spouse, or even, somewhat tastelessly, flashbacks that include his slain infant daughter. And he mows down a virtual army of hackneyed Joe Pesci-style Italian mobsters or ski-mask-wearing terrorists with extreme prejudice. The plot is predictable, the script is humorously bad (intentionally so?), but the action will definitely make a shooter fan drool. Max Payne is the übershooter, and as such, it should be kept out of the hands of kids. But mature action fans will love it. --Andrew S. Bub

Pros: Fantastic graphics and unparalleled action The slow-motion Bullet Time is The Matrix or Hard Boiled come to life Cons: It's a little on the short side The script is, at times, hilariously bad

Amazon.com Product Description
Remedy and 3D Realms present Max Payne, a story-driven 3rd person action game aimed for a mature audience. Realistic weapon setup includes over a dozen real-life guns, all fitting the crime-story setting like a bullet in the head. The action is surrounded with more than 80 hand-painted comic-screens that enhance the game's gritty atmosphere and attitude, introduce the game's murderous cast of characters, and carry the plot from one location to the next.

Everything ripped apart in a New York minute! Product Information Hit the streets of New York as Max Payne, a Man with Nothing to Lose. Meet Max Payne, undercover cop gone fugitive on the run from the NYPD and the mafia. It all started three years ago when Max found his family murdered in his home and found himself framed for a murder he didn't commit. Swearing to avenge his family's death and clear his name, Max takes us on an emotional roller coaster on the cold, brutal streets of New York, with no one to trust. Frustrated that with every gunshot, instead of closure, more questions leak out The hard-boiled plot ensures an emotional roller coaster ride bound to keep you glued to the screen as you hunt your enemies through the mean streets of the city. Add to this the innovative "Bullet Time" feature, allowing you to slow down time at strategic points to give you an edge in combat, and adaptive AI which adjusts the game difficulty to your playing style and skill level, providing you with just the right challenge. Product Features Max Payne is an original third-person 3D game based on the MAX-FX engine, and uses photo-digitized textures and radiosity lighting, resulting in one of the most realistic looking games ever seen on the MAC. Story is the bedrock of Max Payne. At every turn, a new and clever piece of noir storytelling will motivate you forward and illuminate the action. Game play never looked this real, nor frightening! Auto-adjusting game play. You want the action to be challenging and intense, but not unfair and frustrating, the game's self-adjusting difficulty keeps you in the sweet spot of game play bliss. Painstaking attention to detail, bullets are even modeled accurately resulting in realistic and cinematic game play unlike anything you've seen. Everything is destructible, and comes apart realistically. You've never played action sequences with this level of demolit