Interface and Sound

Clicketty-click

Max Payne isn't quite the typical 3rd person shooter. Motion, jumping, camera control - all that is standard WASD/mouse/spacebar stuff. Where Max gets more complicated is the execution of special moves such as rolls, shootdodges and Bullet time. Max can roll to the side, rear and diagonal rear with the use of the jump button and direction. A shootdodge is a dive - like stealing bases in baseball. Max can shoot from those but it takes him a while to get up. Additionally, shootdodging enters bullet time automatically, allowing the player to aim during the rapid movement. These shootdodges are the most common use of bullet time.

Bullet time itself is used when none of the motion keys are in use and you hit the bullet time key. Remember scenes from the Matrix where everything slowed down? That's bullet time. Max doesn't move any faster during it, but you, as the player, can. You can see bullets coming at you, take the time to aim, and squeeze shots off. While shootdodges are great for dispensing only one or two enemies, bullet time is the way to go if you find yourself entering a room full of hostiles that you are unable of defeating normally. Your bullet time indicator is a little hourglass that shows how much you have left - a full glass is about 5 seconds of bullet time. You regain time by killing enemies - though the value each enemy gives you seems to vary with the difficulty level. One thing that takes adjustment is the inability to enter bullet time, or even shoot when you are in a jump. The only way to fire while airborne is while you're in a shootdodge.

Phew, he's not after me

Max, thou hath earned the title, Sideways Flyer

Lead Exchange Inc.

Max has a wide selection of weapons, from lead pipes and baseball bats, through desert eagles, dual or single berettas, Ingrams (essentially Uzis), a Colt M5, grenades, a grenade launcher, Molotov cocktails, a sawed-off shotgun, a pump-action shotgun, the Jackhammer and the sniper rifle. The Jackhammer is the ultimate weapon in the game, being a fully automatic shotgun that stores 12 rounds which it can unleash in a matter of seconds.

The weapon selection menu is exactly like the one in Half-Life. Each button from 1 through 6 selects a menu of weapons. You cycle through each menu by repeatedly pressing the button, and select with your fire button.

Toasty!

Oh that looks so fine

Shells, bullet streaks, blood galore

The wind howled like a rabid timberwolf

Max Payne has absolutely stunning sound effects. Each sound is crisp and clear. Dual Ingrams sound like marble-filled blender at full speed, while a desert eagle is a hand cannon. The gun sounds don't deafen (though some undoubtedly should) but they are strong enough to be convincing. Ambient sound effects are rare but of high quality again, while speech is perfect. Voice-overs are truly professional and rival those of Blizzard or Interplay products.

Music is different and moody, but uses modern instruments instead of classical ones. It blends into the background and helps set the tempo, but can be repetitive and never actually manages to have a force of its own.

Minimeboss

The wall's getting torn to bits

Why does this remind me of Back to the Future?