Play Max Payne Online

I picked up Max Payne on the Game Boy Advance back in 2003, a portable version of the console hit developed by Rockstar Vienna. It was a strange and ambitious thing to see on that little cartridge, a gritty, noir revenge story trying to fit onto a system better known for platformers and RPGs. The hardware limitations were obvious from the start, but it was still Max Payne, and that was enough to get my attention.

You control Max, a cop framed for murder, moving him through a series of isometric levels to uncover the conspiracy that destroyed his life. The core of the game is its shootouts; you enter a room, trigger bullet time to slow everything down, and dive sideways while aiming at thugs with a shotgun or pistol. The levels are linear, screen-by-screen progressions through offices, docks, and warehouses, filled with enemies to clear. It's a difficult, often clunky game, with the camera angles and controls sometimes working against you, but pulling off a perfect slow-motion dive and clearing a room of mobsters delivers a genuine thrill. It feels like a condensed, janky, but surprisingly faithful interpretation of a much bigger game.