Rockstar Games, creator of the controversial Grand Theft Auto series, has brought another gem into the world by the name of Max Payne. The stories goes that a police officer of the same name, came home one day to find a couple of maniacs on a drug-induced rampage, along with his wife and daughter dead. He later goes undercover, but once he finds a lead relating to the creators of the designer drug, Valkyr, on which the thugs killed his family, he goes on a crusade pummeling Mafia stooges and other mobsters on his quest for vengeance.

The story is told through multiple use of different media platforms, such as comic book scenes, narration, and cutscenes to unveil a plot filled with twists and turn - on which a movie is going to be based on later. The most innovative video game experience is found in this game, by the name of Bullet Time.

In Bullet Time, you can go into slow-motion to dive, roll, and leap all while blowing the hell out of Mafia thugs and random gangsters. Although Bullet Time is not unlimited, you can refill your Bullet Time meter when you kill goons, so there's usually not a lack of it. The graphics are pretty good - although the Xbox and PC versions are substantially better.

There are few blemishes on this game's perfect record, such as two hallucination/nightmare sequences during which you must walk a tightrope on trails of blood throughout a demented world, which is frustrating and long.

Also, the game is pretty short, I personally bought it, beat it, and sold it within 2 days. Because of the short game time, and lack of real replay value, I'd save the cash and just get this game as a rental. The above-average gamer can beat this during that time.

Overall Score: 7.5