Max Payne Daily Review

PC Zone
[ Read Review Here ]

Rating: 9/10

Rather than gratuitous and messy, violence in Max Payne is handled in a stylish and - dare I say - artful way. Unlike Soldier Of Fortune, or indeed Kingpin, enemies never come apart, even if a grenade does land at their feet. In this respect, the game characters come across more as actors rather than computer-generated hand-cannon fodder...the screen is filled, not only with mists of blood from arcing bodies and flying lead, but wooden splinters from erupting crates, dust clouds from bullets impacting in plaster, shattered glass and even shreds of paper (another Woo trademark). In short, your eyes are drawn, not only to the spectacularly animated death scenes of your enemies, but an entire composition of framed devastation and chaos. Throughout its all-too-brief stay on your hard drive, Max Payne is, for the duration, an entertaining blast. It is proof at long last that a third-person action game can - and does - work, that they can be fun to play rather than frustrating.

Max Payne is innovative and highly polished, a game of wild ideas that has been properly focused to entertain - not to entertain forever, but certainly until the next big thing (probably 3D Realms' own Duke Nukem Forever) comes along.

Posted by Joe Siegler on October 25, 2001 at 5:15 PM | Permalink
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