Max Payne turns 20

[Snowy]

Browsing around the gaming pages today and saw a couple of articles about Max Payne now being 20 years old. I remember that one coming out like it was yesterday, I absolutely devoured it. I think I had completed it on the same day.

Re-installed 1 and 2 (sorry, I can't stomach another playthrough of 3, the endless unskippable cutscenes were too shitty) for another playthrough. I bet they stand up well to the test of time.

They were all dead. The final gunshot was an exclamation mark to everything that had led to this point. I released my finger from the trigger, and then it was over. To make any kind of sense of it, I need to go back three years.

Back to the night the pain started. I was still in the force back then. NYPD, Manhattan, Midtown North Precinct, Hell's kitchen.

[Animalmother]

I remember the day I bought the first one, couldn't get home soon enough to play it. 20 years ago...

2 is still the highpoint of the series for me. I did really like 3 but the emersion killing mechanics did make it a chore to play. I hope we get another game at some point.

[Alan]

I never played 3. “Not my Max!” etc.. Loved 1 and 2 so much though. I don’t think any game has captured that akimbo nutter feel better to this day. Not even John Woos Strangledoves.

[DjchunKfunK]

Three was less a Max Payne game and more a cover shooter.

[Mantis]

It was good though. The engine they ported over from GTA 4 really worked well with the bullet time and ragdoll physics. It was enjoyable, but it wasn't really Max Payne.

[Rossell]

Max Payne. One of the best sets of games I ever played. I know where people are coming from with 3 but for what it was still enjoyed it. Oh and..

"You'll walk... WITH A LIMP!"

[Wrathbone]

Re-installed 1 and 2 (sorry, I can't stomach another playthrough of 3, the endless unskippable cutscenes were too shitty) for another playthrough. I bet they stand up well to the test of time.

Any issues with modern machines? I'm tempted to get the Steam versions (no disc drive in my current PC to install from my original copies).

[ManBearSquid]

I replayed 1+2 about 5 years ago on my laptop mostly without issue; if memory serves me right Max Payne has/had an audio glitch that required a quick fix with a mod.

I love Max Payne 3. The gameplay, the music, the pacing, the further downfall of his character - loved it. If I was to aim some criticism towards it, I'd say that it could've done with a bit more levity at times to lessen the departure of its tone from the prior two games. I thoroughly enjoyed the mixture of Brazil and the New York flashbacks. Cutscenes don't bother me as when I play a game like that I don't ever skip them anyway, I want the full experience.

For me, the weakest game in the trilogy is 2; it's by no means a bad game, it's just a bit less impactful for me overall. Max Payne 1 and 3 are definitely the two that I've played the most throughout the years.

[Wrathbone]

I replayed 1+2 about 5 years ago on my laptop mostly without issue; if memory serves me right Max Payne has/had an audio glitch that required a quick fix with a mod.

Cheers, will give them a go then.

[Animalmother]

There must be tons of graphical and update mods for both games by now.

[Can't think of one]

I think we can all agree that the movie was a big pile of shit ¬_¬

[Achtung Englander]

Max Payne on Steam will not work on Win10 out of the box - it needs a lot of 3rd party patches. I tried a couple of days ago it just crashed after 5 min and that was after I patched the sound from a 3rd party program

I will wait until GOG supports it. Hopefully soon.

[ManBearSquid]

Ah, that's a shame. Now that I think about it, my laptop was on windows 8, I've never tried it on my pc which is windows 10.

[Snowy]

Re-installed 1 and 2 (sorry, I can't stomach another playthrough of 3, the endless unskippable cutscenes were too shitty) for another playthrough. I bet they stand up well to the test of time.

Any issues with modern machines? I'm tempted to get the Steam versions (no disc drive in my current PC to install from my original copies).

I have 1 and 2 on Steam, I installed both but have not played either yet (a mate came out of the woodwork yesterday and we ended up on a L4D marathon). Will let you know!

Edit: Just read AE's comment - will try and get it working and then tell you what hoops I had to jump through.

[Snowy]

Re-installed 1 and 2 (sorry, I can't stomach another playthrough of 3, the endless unskippable cutscenes were too shitty) for another playthrough. I bet they stand up well to the test of time.

Any issues with modern machines? I'm tempted to get the Steam versions (no disc drive in my current PC to install from my original copies).

I have 1 and 2 on Steam, I installed both but have not played either yet (a mate came out of the woodwork yesterday and we ended up on a L4D marathon). Will let you know!

Edit: Just read AE's comment - will try and get it working and then tell you what hoops I had to jump through.

Edit 2: Got it working OK but the controls were a bit iffy and I was missing quite a lot of sound. Decided to skip 1 and go straight to 2.