Did it meet your expectations?

[Mongorian]

simple question. did max payne meet your expectations? ive wondered for a while now if it met 3drealms or remedy's expectations. i mean, i know it sold well, but did it leave the lastiing impression they wanted? what do you think? what should they have done differently? what did they do right? your opinions, please. images/icons/smile.gif

[Maddieman]

I've only had the game for about two or three months now...so expect my response to be somewhat biased. However, I do have a 12 years experience with videogames...so sometimes I make sense. images/icons/wink.gif

I initially bought it for two main reasons - bullet-time gameplay, and the modding possibilities.

In my opinion, there are four fundimental elements that set the game apart. Forget graphics, sound, story, etc. My top priority is gameplay, controls, level design, and lifespan. I think, to an extent, Max Payne fulfills all of these except the last two.

Thankfully the controls are spot on; I get the feeling that Remedy spent a lot of time perfecting the Bullettime, and they've done a brilliant job. The levels may be shortlived, but the game is just so fun to play, you won't care.

However, I really didn't like some of the levels, especially the industrial ones. I'm not sure why, I think because of the attempts to vary the gameplay (platforms and such). Also, being a pure single player game, it was inevitably a bit short (I finished it within 3 days of purchasing it)

That said, the descision to make short levels was a good one. In replay terms, it meant that you could get to your favourite bits quickly(anyone for Turok 2's 3 hour levels?).

The modding aspect is my favourite, especially coming from a programing background. The MaxEd editor is really easy to use, and produces extremely satisfying results. Even if the level is crap - it still looks good. Also, creating custom animations, and ultising bullettime with virtual cameras is quite fun too.

I'm not saying anything that hasn't been said before, but put simply: Max Payne is brilliant fun; but shortlived.

However, this is justified if you get into the modding side; or even if you download other people's mods.

Yes it did meet my expectations. It could have been just a bog-standard third person shooter which used the cool elements from the Matrix to sell it. Thankfully, it's something much better, which will hopefully be remebered as one of the best games ever.

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[ 08-27-2002, 07:57 PM: Message edited by: Maddieman ]

[The Baskinator]

Max Payne was perfect. I wouldn't want them to change anything about it. images/icons/grin.gif

[Bruce Hamilton]

Originally posted by The Baskinator:
I wouldn't want them to change anything about it.<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I agree with maddieman, it was too short. Another two parts with seven or eight chapters each would've made Max Payne much more satisfying.

[The Baskinator]

*laughs* If it were too long, you'd all be complaining that you got bored and gave up after a while. images/icons/tongue.gif

[Karthik]

They madi it short so that you will buy the sequels!

[Maddieman]

An add-on pack would have been welcome. You know, an extra episode or something.

Mods are great, but...well...nevermind... images/icons/wink.gif

...steps into a minefield...

[Maddieman]

If it were too long, you'd all be complaining that you got bored and gave up after a while <font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">That's why I dislike Turok and JKII so much. The levels were too long, not varied enough, and got boring quickly.

Max's levels were short and sharp, and much more interesting.

However, I want more levels! MP 2 isn't going to be out for ages! Come on!

[Wild Falkon]

It was worth every single cent out of my $50. I expected fun gameplay, good graphics, and a good story, and all 3 were above my expectations, so I am definetly a happy customer.

But the game left too much to be desired...so when MP2 comes out, I know I'll fork out another $50-$60 for it.

The ending of the game (plot-wise), IMO, will be one of the biggest reasons that people will buy MP2. EVERYONE wants to know what will happen next.

[ 08-31-2002, 12:02 AM: Message edited by: Wild Falcon ]

[Kev_Hectic]

You know, I wasn't following Max Paynes development so I never really had any expectations of the game at all. The first time I've ever seen or played Max Payne was in a demo disk from PC Gamer. I thought the demo was truly wicked so I went and bought the game about a week later. I do agree that some of the industrial levels could have been better, but so many things in the game made up for that. Like the Parking Garage, Frankie "the baseball bat", fighting the three guys you in that house (Err, I forget their names) and Max ED, the first level editor I could ever get a grasp on using. It was worth the $59.99 I paid for and I would have no problems paying full price for the sequel.

[ 08-31-2002, 01:23 AM: Message edited by: Kev_Hectic ]

[Maddieman]

(Err, I forget their names) <font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Pilate Providence
Vince Mugnaio
Joe Salem

images/icons/tongue.gif

the Parking Garage, Frankie "the baseball bat", fighting the three guys you in that house <font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Those levels were great, but the cold steel and deep six levels didn't appeal to me much though. Also, I thought the levels set on the docks were a bit dull; until you got onto the ship, that is. images/icons/smile.gif

[ 08-31-2002, 07:17 AM: Message edited by: Maddieman ]

[Darkreaver]

Max Payne is perfect in every way,gameplay,graphics,sound,contol,story.The length of the game is not eveything.Take Soul Reaver 2,an even shorter game than the first one and yet the depth of the story made the size insignificant,same goes for Max Payne,the story has so much depth and so many movie elements that if it was any longer you'd think you were watching a 5 hour long movie and you would get bored of it,you'd play it once and uninstall it.

[Fog]

even more then that!

[Claws]

I played half-way through the game and got really really bored of the gameplay. And then there was Kung Fu. images/icons/smile.gif

[biXen]

Originally posted by Claws:
I played half-way through the game and got really really bored of the gameplay. And then there was Kung Fu. images/icons/smile.gif <font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">If I got bored halfway through Max Payne I think I'd spit on Half-Life and loathe JKII and other boring games which remind me more of total conversions of Doom or Quake. You gotta be pretty demanding (or just *cough* stupid) images/icons/tongue.gif