Late to the Party Impressions: Max Payne

So when did this come out? *checks wikipedia* ah yes, 2001. I was an adorable 11 years old and I loved my GameCube, so gritty neo-nior on a console I had yet to obtain wasn't really on my radar. Now, 12 years and a console generation later, I stumble upon a used copy of Max Payne in an ugly yellow envelope in a GameStop close to my university. I wasn't even there to get anything, I was tagging along with friend who wanted to return a used copy of Sonic Unleashed that did not work (I don't know why he bought it in the first place) but with all the attention news outlets have been giving to the 3rd game in the series due out this summer in part with the $2.69 price tag I decided I had nothing to loose. So after telling the GameStop associate that I did not want to preorder anything multiple time I bought the classic PS2 game and left.

I'm on spring break now and I have a bit of free time so I decide to dust off my old slim PS2 I had bought sometime in 2005 and take the game for a spin. Apparently my brothers haven't been too good to my possessions in my absence and after trying 3 controllers I finally found one that worked consistently and I started the game.

First thing I see is the Remedy logo, I did not know they existed before Alan Wake, so that was neat to learn. Their logo looks really nice and has held up well with the times. 3D Realm's logo on the other hand made the game's age a bit more apparent. After a generic looking montage of explosions and gun fire I get to the menu and start the game.

I notice the tutorial was a separate option on the menu but I decided wanted to see if it made me play it when I start a new game anyway so I decided to skip it and select "New Game".

The first thing it ask me to do is choose from this list:
Fugitive
Hard Boiled
Dead on Arrival
New York Minute

?
I was a bit perplexed, I assumed it was asking me to choose a difficulty, but none of the options seemed to imply anything about levels of intensity or difficulty. However, I couldn't select anything but Fugitive anyway so I just shrugged it off and continued

After playing for a bit I realized it was not going to interrupt the story to teach me how to play so I exit to do the tutorial. I thought it was kind of a neat idea having the tutorial be separate from the main game. It teaches you the skills necessary to succeed in an controlled environment without interrupting the experience. After playing through I started the main plot. For real this time.

First thing is a bref cutscene made of comic tiles narrated by voice actors. I liked it, it kept things simple and the art was pretty even if the VA work was a bit sketchy at times. After this I find myself in Max's house. After stumbling around a bit because of the pretty loose controls I answer a ringing phone and find a gun and continue into the living room. People have broken in and things are all over the place, I continue to investigate. A few rooms later I meet my first bad guy, I tap R1 and he crumbles to the floor, easy enough. After I finish playing through the opening sequence and watching some more cutscenes, I think about how lucky it was I found that gun, all the game gave me was an exclamation point over Max's head when I was near the closet it was in. Good thing I didn't assume it was directing my attention to the disheveled picture on the wall and the graffiti over it. I'm no game designer but this struck me as odd.

So far it's pretty cool. I don't think I have discovered why it's so great but it holds my attention. Assuming I get over how I don't really need to actually aim at anyone to do damage. Just point in their genreal direction and push R1. Also I forgot not all game last generation looked as good as Jak and Daxter or Ratchet and Clank, most of the character models appear to have a bout 5 points of articulation and it's kind of funny to me.

One more thing before I go. His wife is murdered by druggies and he' an undercover DEA Cop. Why are the health items pain killers!?!?! Drugs literally give Max life. He pops them like they're candy and it makes things easier, better even. I hope this gets explained at some point later in the geme or series, otherwise it just seems like a glaring contradiction between the narrative and the game play that I might not be able to get over.