While Max Payne was surpassed in many ways by its sequels, the core gameplay remains hugely enjoyable. The weapons and the way you use them remain immensly satisfying, and there is no challenging the presentation. This series is classic for a reason and the only other game I can think of which feels similar is Stranglehold. Even that is part of a beautiful circle, with Max Payne arguably owing its existence to Hard Boiled and Inspector Tequila's comeback taking its central mechanics from Max Payne.

There are places where the game is weak, all of which Remedy...um...remedied in Max Payne 2. The dream sections are legendarily terrible, as are the other jumping sections to varying degrees. It also has a propensity for cheap deaths, particularly involving the grenades and their absurd area of effect. The levels contain about a third the number of painkillers they really need. First time players will spend most of the game with only the fifth of their health meter that regenerates. Oh, and if you have played either of the later games you will soon come to miss the ability to continue firing from the ground.

On the PS2 these were seriously frustrating, but on the PC with quicksave available it is easy to focus on Max Payne's incredibly solid core. It never ceases to be satisying to jump through a door and get one kill per barrel of your shotgun before you hit the ground. Sometimes Max doesn't do quite as well as you might have hoped and winds up on the floor with an empty weapon and 4 gangsters standing around him, but even that is often amusing in some way and maintains the action movie vibe.

I don't need to tell you that Max Payne is good. If you are genuinely using this review as purchasing advice, then ask yourself this: "how much technology do I need in an action game in order to enjoy it?". The lower the answer you came back with, the more Max Payne you should have in your future. If you like games about shooting stuff, Max Payne is a great example of the genre. The game's semi-serious personality turns great into superb.

While Max Payne was surpassed in many ways by its sequels, the core gameplay remains hugely enjoyable. The weapons and the way you use them remain immensly satisfying, and there is no challenging the presentation. This series is classic for a reason and the only other game I can think of which feels similar is Stranglehold. Even that is part of a beautiful circle, with Max Payne arguably owing its existence to Hard Boiled and Inspector Tequila's comeback taking its central mechanics from Max Payne. There are places where the game is weak, all of which Remedy...um...remedied in Max Payne 2. The dream sections are legendarily terrible, as are the other jumping sections to varying degrees. It also has a propensity for cheap deaths, particularly involving the grenades and their absurd area of effect. The levels contain about a third the number of painkillers they really need. First time players will spend most of the game with only the fifth of their health meter that regenerates. Oh, and if you have played either of the later games you will soon come to miss the ability to continue firing from the ground. On the PS2 these were seriously frustrating, but on the PC with quicksave available it is easy to focus on Max Payne's incredibly solid core. It never ceases to be satisying to jump through a door and get one kill per barrel of your shotgun before you hit the ground. Sometimes Max doesn't do quite as well as you might have hoped and winds up on the floor with an empty weapon and 4 gangsters standing around him, but even that is often amusing in some way and maintains the action movie vibe. I don't need to tell you that Max Payne is good. If you are genuinely using this review as purchasing advice, then ask yourself this: "how much technology do I need in an action game in order to enjoy it?". The lower the answer you came back with, the more Max Payne you should have in your future. If you like games about shooting stuff, Max Payne is a great example of the genre. The game's semi-serious personality turns great into superb.