Max Payne - A unique, frightful, and cruel world

Max Payne is a man with nothing to lose. A fugitive, undercover cop framed for murder, he is now hunted by cops—and the mob. With his back against the wall, Max is fighting a battle he cannot hope to win. Prepare for a new breed of deep-action game. Prepare for Payne

Developed by Remedy Entertainment and Neo for the Xbox, and produced by 3D Realms, Max Payne is a relentless, story-driven game about a man on the edge. Help him fight for justice, while uncovering plot-twists and twisted thugs in the gritty bowels of New York during the century's worst blizzard.

• Story-driven gameplay: Lead Max through plot twists, twisted bad guys, and stunning revelations.
• Painstaking attention to detail: Even the bullets are modeled accurately.
• Self adjusting difficulty: Keeps you in the sweet spot of gameplay bliss.
• Bullet Time: Lets the player use slow motion gameplay to bring down the enemies.

Introduction

The world of Max Payne is unique, frightful, and cruel. From the very first scenes of the game, you instantly experience loss and sorrow. A group of drugged out junkies takes Max's family from him, leaving him emptied, hollow, and bitter. You can see in the artwork the transition of his facial features, from the happy, carefree Max to the long, drawn lines of a man who's been robbed of everything. You feel his sorrow and the loss perfectly sets the tone for the ensuing game.

Max Payne takes ideas that have been used in popular films, specifically The Matrix, and translates them in meaningful ways to solid gameplay techniques. Using Bullet Time, Max can slow time to jump and blast his enemies with the advantage of having a faster bullet-shooting rate than his enemies. The simple yet complex timing scheme is just one aspect of the game's many great qualities, but it is the one everyone will remember most, and it is the first to do this kind of technique well.

The story of Max Payne is a dramatic one, and the gameplay is filled with action and violence. It is not recommend for kids. It is an adult game with adult themes.

What Max Payne really does better than most games is to provide a phenomenal amount of action at a constant clip through the game while telling a unique story.

Controls

The game's controls are relatively simple, but it is Bullet Time that makes Max Payne so damn fun. Bullet Time slows down time, and it affects your movements, your enemies' movements, and their rate of fire. The big advantage of Bullet Time is that it does not affect your rate of fire, thus enabling you to pump enemies with 10 rounds in the time they rip off only one.

Use Bullet Time, it is your friend. Learn to move around while in it. Experiment with it. You can use it to jump across big chasms, across the floor, right into or away from the enemy. The character animations are surprisingly well done, so even if Max Bull Time jumps into a wall, he curls up against it. Bullet Time is especially useful in the later levels of the game, but it can be incredibly fun during the easier parts. Just keep an eye on your meter to know how much you have remaining.

Weapons

Melee Weapons

Baseball Bat

Probably an 18 weight professional league Louisville Slugger, the baseball bat can be used for close combat and as a default weapon when ammo is low. it is quick and useful. it is also handy for bashing in locks and cleaning out shelves as you search for ammo, items, and miscellaneous stuff.

Lead Pipe

Like a weaker version of the bat. You only have it for the first act.

Handguns

Beretta

Your default weapon, you almost never run out of ammo for this. Your best friend in Fugitive mode, as you can take out most enemies with 3-4 shots. Nice rate of fire, but nothing compared to the dual Berettas. Much like a Glock, the Beretta holds 18 rounds, so you most likely do not run out in the middle of a fight.

Dual Berettas

Two Berettas. Consumes twice the ammo, shoots twice as fast. The second fastest weapons in the game, they definitely have a lot more ammo than the Ingrams. Once you get two, never go back to one.

Desert Eagle

A powerful magnum. Ammo is not very common, but your main problem is you can only hold 60 rounds at a time. If you do find a whole bunch of ammo, you cannot carry much. It deals twice the damage of the Beretta, but fires much more slowly. It is a good weapon, but there are better ones.

Shotguns

Pump-Action Shotgun

The staple of the game. You use this one throughout Act One and Act Two. It carries only 7 shots, but at close range, each one can pack the punch of 5 Beretta bullets. This is a great weapon to use with Bullet Time, as you can dodge diagonally forward and counterattack at close range with a nice blast. It is the only weapon where you do not die if you are shot while reloading. Ammo is found in pretty much every part of the game.

Sawed-Off Shotgun

The little brother of the pump-action, the sawed-off only holds two rounds, seriously reducing its usefulness. However, it has a very high rate of fire (ROF), and deals even more damage than the pump-action, so it still has some worth.

Jackhammer

Quite simply, the best weapon in the game. If only there was more ammo for it! ;_; This bad boy holds 12 rounds, and can fire three shots in two seconds. Sure, it deals less damage per shot than the other shotguns, but hey, since it only fires out four mini-slugs (as opposed to pellets like the other two), it is deadly at long range too. This is probably the best weapon to use in Bullet Time, hands down.

Automatic Weapons

Ingram

A German-made submachine gun, this little guy is essentially a German Uzi. Much befitting the German engineering process, it is smaller, holds a bigger clip, and is more efficient than the Uzi as well. Nice. The only problem is, you can only hold 6 clips (not counting the one in the gun) at a time. that is 300 bullets total; this may seem like a lot, but the Ingram chews up ammo like no other.

Dual Ingrams

Twice the fun! Stare in wonder at the insane ROF! Behold as your enemies are reduced to puppy chow! Weep uncontrollably as you run out of ammo in 5 seconds and get plugged while spending an eternity reloading the *%$&#@^ things! Other than that, these things are the most deadly weapons in the game. Just do not use them for anything but bosses.

Colt Commando

Not a magnum, but rather an extremely cool assault rifle. It may not have a very fast ROF (About the speed of the Dual Berettas, actually), but it does deal a whole bunch of damage with each hit. Add in the almost perfect accuracy and the abundant ammo in Act Three, and you have got yourself the second best weapon in the game.

Explosives

Molotov Cocktails

Little brown bottles with a name!! What more could you want? Not the best weapon in the game, but certainly one of the most fun. Also, Max seems to have an impeccable throwing arm (in bullet time), so take advantage of that and Bullet Time with these guys for a bit of fun.

Grenades

A better weapon than the Molotovs, as these can be bounced around corners and into cover, but make sure you are out of the radius of the shrapnel. They pack quite a punch, but still, do not be surprised if one does not kill a room full of guys. If you want that kind of destruction, then grab the.

M79

This here is a Rocket Propelled Grenade. This guy does not bounce, but that does not really matter; cause it can take out a whole squad of guys in one shot. Unfortunately, ammo is super-rare for this one, so save it for when you need it. Also, it is good for knocking down communication towers, and for bringing people to a stop, even if there is no stoppin' him.

The Sniper Rifle (6)

Sniper Rifle

Not crucial to the game and does not help you in your close encounters, but it is great for pegging irritating thugs and guys who you do not want to get close to. It also should provide the upper hand against a certain cadre of M79-happy security guards.

Characters

Max Payne

The main character of the story, he was NYPD before his wife was done in by a drug cult. Now it is kind of a personal thing for him to get back at them all. He goes after the mob and anyone involved with the drug. He hase a Bruce Willis thing going with his voice, he has a problem with authority figures, and the women in his life seem to have a bad habit of getting themselves shot.

Michelle Payne

The wife of Max Payne, she was murdered by the drug boys, three years ago, along with their son. Apparently she was the love of Max's life, he has still not gotten over it. He has flashbacks of then she was killed quite often.

Alex

The agent who was supposed to rendezvous with Max in Roscoe Street Station and got himself killed by an assassin. He is one of the reasons that Max kind of goes off the deep end and starts this little war. Alex was onto a big drug operation (Valkyr) which is probably why he's six feet under.

Mona Saz

The sister of Lisa Punchinello, "Da Bosses" wife. Mona originally goes away from Max on bad terms (after she drugged him) but later makes up for it, she dies, and Max lives.

Alfred Woden

A man known to use only by his voice, he calls Max at what seems to be all the right times, tipping him off and giving him crucial information that often gets him out of a sticky situation. How he gets all this information does not really matter does it? As long as he keeps getting it.

Vladimer Len

The old time mafia man, likes honor and sticking to his word. Lucks on the side of Max though, because he likes you, and you can help him, so after you kill Boris he lets you help yourself to some new toys. If your ever in a tough spot he says, just call him.

Rico Muerte

The drug dealer, who Max gets a hold of pretty early in the game. A mean character, but looks pretty goofy. Even his girlfriend tries to help him fight, but Max Payne takes care of them Dirty Harry style. Muerte was running the Valkyr.

Jack Lupino

Not really sure how to describe him, psychotic cult leader probably fits in there pretty good. Max kills him early in the game, and he is also the reason me meet up with Mona. Lupino is a real nut job, he even started going against Punchinello.

Don Punchinello

What can we say about a man who slaughters his wife? He sure is one man old man. He runs the big time New York mob scene, and when max decides it was time to go straight to the top of the Valkyr problem, guess whose name popped onto the list.

Nicole Norne

Aside from being super mean, someone has apparently beaten her with an ugly stick. She will be the final foe for max to deal with, and just because she is a little older than the rest, remember what I said about all the women in Max's life dying.

The Trio

The toughest and most well known hitmen the Punchinello's have got. It comes down to them or Max, and they just have to make things difficult not mention that any ONE of then is a match for Max, and there is three the more the merrier I guess.

Vinnie Gognitti

Number two man for the boss, one of the wiseguys. Max catches up with him a little later in the game and puts a bullet in his gut. Cognitti tries to run and act tough, but Max makes him say everything, Vinnie really spills the beans.

Parts

• Part 1 The American Dream
  • 1. Prologue
  • 2. Roscoe Street Station
  • 3. Live From The Crime Scene
  • 4. Playing It Bogart
  • 5. The Blood Veins of New York
  • 6. Let the Gun Do the Talking
  • 7. Fear That Gives Men Wings
  • 8. Police Brutality
  • 9. Ragna Rock
  • 10. An Empire of Evil
• Part 2: A Cold Day in Hell
  • 1. Prologue
  • 2. The Baseball Bat
  • 3. An Offer You cannot Refuse
  • 4. With Rats and Oily Water
  • 5. Put Out My Fires With Gasoline
  • 6. Angel of Death
• Part 3: A Bit Closer to Heaven
  • 1. Prologue
  • 2. Take Me To Cold Steel
  • 3. Hidden Truths
  • 4. The Deep Six
  • 5. Backstabbing Bastard
  • 6. In the Land of the Blind
  • 7. Byzantine Power Game
  • 8. Nothing To Lose
  • 9. Pain and Suffering

Hints & Tips

In Max Payne, you'll find that the developers infused the game with a sense of artistic style and quite a bit of humor. For instance, you'll hear enemies who do not know you are there talking about the strangest things, like Bullet Time or naming their guns strange names, or you can listen to hilariously mundane TV shows that mimic Star Trek, or you may find strange rooms with whips, leather, and projectors. it is a mad world, it is. The point is, if you pause and listen every so often to inspect the environment, you'll be surprised to see how many treats are packed inside this game.

• When you enter a room unnoticed and thugs are talking, listen to what they have to say. Sometimes it is just funny, or informative, and better yet sometimes they actually kill themselves.
• When you enter into a room with more than one or two enemies, use Bullet Time. Ambushing enemies is always a great idea.
• Use Bullet Time, it is your friend. It does not always seem that necessary, but it is extremely fun, and increasing your skill in it comes in very handy near the end.
• Always look around the rooms you enter. When you see an Exclamation Point on the screen, that is an indication the item you have encountered provides necessary story information. Always read these.
• Once inside a room that is free of living enemies, check all the boxes, crates, shelves, drawers, and cabinets. they are almost always jam-packed of ammo, weapons, or meds. Use the Bat to destroy most things, which also saves you ammo. Otherwise, use the smallest of guns.
• Finding Painkillers. Always look inside every room, especially bathrooms, kitchens, and smaller ones. They are the ones most like to contain Painkillers. Dead enemies also hold meds.
• When encountering a Valkyr Junkie, switch to your the bat or lead pipe and knock them out. If you mistakenly fire and hit them, they are likely to join the opposition. Sometimes they carry guns.
• Smash your baseball bat at paintings, occasionally there are luscious ammo powerups behind them. Sometimes behind them are buttons that reveal secret rooms.
• Save as often as possible. The Xbox and PC versions provide a QuickSave function, while the PS2 version saves automatically at specific junctions. Save after every boss fight, and always after encountering large groups of enemies.

Enemies

Normal Enemies

Subway Thugs: The lowest enemy in the Mafia Hierarchy. they are stupid, bad shots, and wear casual clothes. The only time these guys pose a threat is when they outnumber you 3 to 1 or if they have a terrain advantage. These guys are a waste of Bullet Time in all but two cases.

Lesser Mafioso: You fight these guys from Chapter Three to Chapter Eight. They'll actually use the environment against you, but that still does not make up for the fact that they cannot aim. Bullet time if they hide from you or you are low on health.

Police: If you stick around for too long in Chapter Five, these guys will show up and blast you. If you see them, do not fight, RUN AWAY. You won't be followed. They have Kevlar vests and pump-actions.

Lupino's Guard: A bunch of black leather, trenchcoat-clad cultists who serve Lupino. they are accurate and can absorb a bit of damage due to their coats, but are also rock stupid. Maybe it has to due with the fact that they are all high on Valkyr. Bullet time if you get outnumbered.

Greater Mafioso: Like the lesser Mafioso, except these guys are good shots. They also might carry grenades or Molotovs along with their primary weapon. They populate all of Part Two and Chapter Four of Part Three. Bullet time these guys the instant the odds go 3 to 1; better safe than sorry.

Mercenaries: Heavily armored rifle-loving dirtbags, these guys are in Chapters 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 of Part Three. They use the terrain, are very good shots with the Colt (Although they seem to be lacking in skill with the other weapons?), and take some high damage to put down. They might also have grenades as secondary weapons. With other weapons: Bullet time only if you are low on health or are taking a beating. With Colt: Bullet time frequently, ALWAYS Bullet time if they outnumber you, even 2 to 1.

Security Personnel, AKA ?Barnies': Barnies are dumb and possess only mediocre accuracy; but they wear Kevlar vests and sometimes have helmets. This means that the only way to kill them in one hit is with a Sniper shot, an RPG, or a point-blank sawed-off blast. Barnies are irritating, but you shouldn't need to Bullet time them. They appear in the last two chapters.

G-Men/MIB: The only difference between the two is the bulletproof vests the MIB wear under their suits. Incredibly accurate, very intelligent, and frequently armed with secondary weapons, these Kings-among-Goons are as nasty as some early bosses. Luckily, the largest number that you fight at once is four, and that is only one time. You face three G-Men at the end of Part Two, as well as during Chapters 5, 6, & 7 in Part Three. You only face the MIB in Chapter Eight of Part Three, and that is a good thing. Needless to say, Bullet Time is essential to fighting them. Bullet time as much as possible with the G-Men, and Bullet Time every single time you fight an MIB.

Rats: Yes, rats. They are not intelligent, and can be killed with one hit from anything, but they are surprisingly accurate for rodents. They wield Desert Eagles, and only appear in Chapter Two of Part One, provided you are okay with cheating.

Bosses & Sub-Bosses

The Finito Brothers: The first bosses in the game. You fight them first part of Chapter Three. Both are a piece of cake. they are wielding a Desert Eagle and a sawed-off.

Rico Muerte: You'll fight him in Chapter Four. He's a fat guy with a dress shirt and boxer shorts (Huh?). He takes a bunch of damage, but is not too difficult. He carries an Ingram.

Vini Cognitti: A whiny little turd with mirrored shades and a bad hairdo. He leads you on a big chase, but is a piece of cake when you finally catch him. He's got a Desert Eagle and a pump-action.

Jack Lupino: Not very difficult, but his thugs are everywhere. He's the end boss of Part One. He has a sawed-off and some Molotovs.

Frankie Niagara: This guy loves the comic strip "Captain Baseball Bat Boy". Okay? You fight him in Chapter One of Part Two. He has dual Ingrams.

Boris Dime: A long-haired Russian guy. He does not want you to take back his boat from Chapter 3. He has a pump-action, a grenade, and 2 Molotovs.

The Trio; Vince Mugnaio, Pilate Providence AKA "The Big Brother," and Joe "Deadpan" Salem: These guys are rather easy, but it still takes strategy to beat them. Refer to the Part Two, Chapter Five section of the walkthrough for how to beat them.

Don Punchinello: This guy's a joke. He whimpers at you, then gets shot by a gaggle of G-Men. Kinda anticlimactic, huh?

B.B.: The Backstabbing Bastard that killed Alex. He's tough, but if you grab a Jackhammer from one of his thugs, he's a pushover. He's got a Jackhammer and a Molotov.

Nicole Horne: Ms. Valkyr, Mystery Witch, the big baddy of the game. You never fight her directly, but you still get to dispose of her in a satisfying fashion.

Secrets

Cheat Mode
Hold down the Right and Left Triggers and press the Right and Left Analog sticks in, then press WHITE, BLACK, BLACK, WHITE, WHITE, BLACK. This will allow you to access the Cheat menu at the main screen. This mode unlocks the Refill and All Weapons mode.

To activate these cheats, press the BACK button during gameplay, then enter the cheats menu and activate whichever secrets you want.

Tough Gamers Required for a Very Tough Assignment

As Max, you play an undercover cop working the blood-drenched streets of New York... and while the streets are mean, you are meaner. Your family was murdered by junkies and you are working undercover to take down the drug lord responsible. You'll have to fight your way through an entire city full of hostile gunmen, but even they cannot stop your bloody revenge because you have got a quick draw, a steady eye, and an additional edge that nobody else has.

Remember “bullet time” from The Matrix? Rockstar Games has provided Max Payne with the same kind of visual time distortion.  In bullet time, everything slows down except you: do not hesitate to burst into a room full of armed thugs, because one click of a button sends them all into slow motion while you move and fire in real time. "Outnumbered and outgunned" does not mean much to a guy who can shoot down his opponents before their first round clears the barrel. As Max you also have some pretty fancy moves that allow you to move in one direction while firing in another, and a healthy assortment of leaps, rolls, and dodges that keep you out of harm's way while remaining right in the middle of the carnage.

Though bullet time slows down your enemies, nothing can slow Max Payne's relentless gameplay. The deeper you descend into Max's nightmarish quest, the more action you'll find. Rockstar Games has created a brutally gripping experience that takes you by the throat and never lets go, from the heart-breaking introduction to the blood-soaked, cordite-scented showdown.

Gritty Graphic Goodness

Bright colors. Flashing numbers indicating points earned or rewards found. Some happy little creature or person makes you smile and think how happy you are to be playing this game … These are not things you are going to find in this game. If you are looking for an warm and fuzzy romp through videogame land, this is not the place to look. As a matter of fact, this is about as far away from that idea as one can get. Max Payne is a dark, foreboding, gritty, mean, nasty, and downright cruel game that tends to leave you wanting to take a shower.

That isn’t to say it isn’t an amazing game, though, because it certainly is. It just so happens that the story and world ofMax Payne is a very dark and disturbing one, and the team over at Godgames has done a supreme job of creating a game world that conveys all of the nastiness that you could imagine. From the run-down, rat-infested tenements to the feelings of distrust and nervousness every time you round a corner, Max Paynebrings to life a world and reality that leaves you wanting to disinfect your controller. The level of detail and immersion that Godgames has achieved is almost unheard of in video games. From the amazing artwork and textures to the killer frame rates and animations, I can’t possibly say enough good things about Max Payne. The world is dark and gritty, cracked and broken, but it most certainly is not dull and drab. Even the most dead and hopeless areas seem alive and tactile. It can get rather disturbing at times, looking at bloodstained walls and bullet holes that you almost feel are real. Spooky.

I mentioned the animations a bit earlier, but I think we really should go back and talk about them again. To put it bluntly, I think they are just plain cool. The weapons actually work like they are supposed to. When you fire one of the pistols, the slide jumps back and ejects the spent shell casing, which arcs gracefully away, to bounce and clatter across the floor. And then it does it again … and again … and again … and again. As fast as you fire, the animations manage to keep up. Each bullet goes someplace, too. It’s not like you fire, and the game only tracks some of the bullets. Nope. Max Payne keeps track of all of them, so if you miss that guy you were aiming at, the bullet is still going to hit something. A car, a wall, a desk, or any number of other things may be the recipient of your lead, instead of your intended target. Backtracking through some of the rooms, where you were involved in large shootouts, can be an awe-inspiring event. Bullet holes everywhere, blood stains and splatters, and of course, empty shell casings all over the place. It really is way too cool to see that much thought and detail in a game

I think everyone who has looked at or reviewed Max Payne has had to mention the Bullet Time feature. I was going to try and avoid talking about it just to be a bit different, but, well, umm, it’s entirely too cool not to mention. Adrenaline is a marvelous thing. At times, it can make it seem like time is slowing down, as your brain and body go into overdrive. Reaction times speed up, and people have been known to do some rather amazing things. That is Bullet Time in a nutshell. Hit a button, and Max’s world slows down to a crawl, but he can still aim and fire like normal. You can see the individual bullets whizzing by on their way to bury themselves in something (hopefully not Max). Initially, I didn’t use it much, but there came a point where Max was low on health, and I didn’t have any painkillers for him. Every bullet had to count, and I couldn’t afford to be hit by any more. Every fight was life or death (literally). You can bet I quickly made up for neglecting my Bullet Time use right then and there.

There really is a ton of good things to say about Max Payne, but I’ll leave it at this: Godgames has managed to put together a game with so many good features and ideas that I don’t think there is any point in even bothering to look for flaws. If you find any, I expect you’ll be too busy with all of the other goodies to notice. With amazing graphics, engrossing gameplay, and a great story line (so cool that it deserves its own article), what more could you ask for?

Review: Harsh Realities

Many times, I’ve heard it said that snow makes everything beautiful. It is a soft white blanket over the dirt and grit of the world, a surreal covering for all of the dark and ugly things in the world. What about you, Max? What do you see out there in the swirling flurries of white? Does it truly hide all of the ugly things that haunt you? For some reason, I highly doubt that.

I’ve seen you spend night after night chasing the dreams and demons in your mind. Thoughts and memories, like snakes, twist in on themselves and disappear in a writhing mass, only to reemerge with the same sinister intent in another unexpected place. I guess there is no snowy blanket that can cover the darkness, dirt, and grit that exists in your mind. Out here in the endless drifts of white, as the city is locked in this frozen white embrace, I can see you are thinking about it again … brooding.

It wasn’t snowing that night, those many months ago. As fate would have it, you had just turned them down on their offer to join the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Amazing how the timing works on things like that. You declined to help protect people from that evil, so that you could keep your family safe, only to have the same evil visited on you. Do you believe in karma, Max, or should we just call it fate? I’m sure that question burns in your mind at times, but don’t let it eat you up inside. Even if you had taken the offer those maniacs would still have entered your home. Your wife … your child … Their lives would still have ended that night. The servants of Odin made their entrance onto the stage of your world, regardless of your choices.

So, you abandon the fragments of your shattered life, and let the task of justice consume you. All the work you have done, all of the dreams you had, are gone like so much chaff in the wind. You seek solace in the arms of the one group that will help you find those responsible for loosing Valkyr upon the world. Welcome to the DEA, Max. Max Payne, the loving father and husband, is gone. Through the convoluted world of undercover operations emerges a new Max Payne. Cold, calculating, dangerous, and utterly without pity for those that chose to travel the road of crime. It takes time, but you can be a patient man when necessary. You won’t forget, will you, Max?

Each day brings you another step closer to those responsible. Now the storm comes, at last; its teeth of ice sink into the city, as its voice shrieks an icy howl down the frozen white streets and alleys. The city grinds to a halt under the ferocious onslaught, but that won’t deter you, Max. There’s still work to be done, down in the depths of the subways. An old friend, the last connection to the old Max Payne, needs you there. Beneath the frozen streets of the city, that last thread snaps, as your haven is destroyed in an instant. The snakes that you have been hunting have realized your intent. Their venom has poisoned another against you, and now you must hide from your enemy as well as your allies. Your friend lies dead, and you can protest your innocence as loud as you want, Max … but no one is listening.

Welcome to the world of Max Payne, a police officer whose family was brutally murdered, leaving his life turned from idyllic to nightmarish in the blink of an eye. Now, he must seek out those responsible, using any means necessary. But, now, they know he is coming, and will do anything to stop him. In the howling madness of New York City, during the worst storm in history, the story unfolds before Max, drawing him into a dark and gritty world filed with twists and turns of every sort. Max’s world has just been turned upside down. Care to join him?

Cheat Mode

Start a game. Press Back during game play to display the main menu. Then, hold L + R + click Left Analog-stick + click Right Analog-stick, and quickly press White, Black(2), White(2), Blackat the main menu. A cheat option will appear. The cheat menu will have "All Weapons" and "Refill" (restores ammunition, painkillers, and bullet time) options. To use these cheats, press Back during game play and select the desired options at the cheat menu. Then, press Back to resume game play. Note: Other cheats in the cheat menu must be unlocked during game play

Alternately, hold L+ R and quickly press White, Black(2), White(2) Black at the main menu. You will have full health, unlimited painkillers, all weapons, and unlimited ammunition. The other cheats must be earned by completing the game.

Successfully complete the game and unlock the rest of the difficulty levels to unlock the "All Weapons" cheat.

Level skip

Press Start during game play. Then, hold L and press Black(4), X(6), Y(3), Back. When you are at the main menu, go back and a sound confirms that the current chapter has been completed.

Unlimited painkillers

Press Start during game play, then press White(2), Black, A, B, X, Y(3), R. 100+ appears next to your health bar to confirm correct code entry.

Additional difficulty settings

Successfully complete the game under the "Fugitive" difficulty setting to unlock the "Dead On Arrival" and the "New York Minute" settings.

Bonus level

Successfully complete the game in "New York Minute" mode to unlock a new bonus level where you have to kill a lot of enemies, all in bullet time.

Last Challenge bonus level

Successfully complete the game under the "Dead On Arrival" difficulty setting to unlock the Last Challenge bonus level.

Secret programmer room

Successfully complete the Last Challenge level. The doors in the back of the room will open up to the Remedy Room.

Hint: Part 1: Prologue

When you reach the part that where hear "The Flesh Of Fallen Angels", go into the room where you have to fight all of the henchman, but do not go into the circle. Run around the edges behind the curtain and pick up all the ammunition and painkillers. You can go to the parts that are not covered by the curtains but do not go anywhere near the circle in the middle of the room until you are ready to fight.

At the part of the "The Flesh of Fallen Angels" when you have to defeat all the henchmen, use your sawed off shotgun. Run around the wooden stairs on the side, and hide there. The henchmen will go there, and you can pop out and shoot two of them without reloading. When you have defeated all of the ground henchmen, run around to the other side of the stairs but take the long way around because the henchmen on top have one moltov cocktail. Let them throw it at you. If you are running, your chances of getting hit by it are very slim. Be careful, as each one of the top henchmen have one moltov cocktail. If you just stand there you will die—move around to avoid this.

Hint: Part 1: Chapter 1: Secret ammunition room

When you get past the first part of the chapter with the men shooting the transit cop, go down the steps to the left. Kill the man with the shotgun. Then, go down the steps to the left and kill all those men. When you are finished there, look under the benches with the lockers on them. You will see some gas tanks. Shoot the top off them. They will explode and reveal a secret room down the hallway.

When you reach the inspection car, there is a door near it. Go inside the door and you will find cupboards. Inside the cupboards are shotgun and Beretta ammunition.

Hint: Part 1: Chapter 1: Kill man with shotgun

When you go downstairs, there will be three men waiting; two with pistols and one with a shotgun. In order to kill them, you must kill the main with the shotgun first. He will take your health down quickly. Jump and dive down the stairs then kill him.

Hint: Part 1: Chapter 1: Gas tankers

Go to the area where the inspection car is located,where three men (one with a shotgun and two with Berretas) appear.There are two gas tankers below the lockers. If you shoot them,all the tankers in that area will explode.

Hint: Part 1: Chapter 2: Secrets

Play Chapter 2 (Live From The Crime Scene) to find a secret lies in the center of the bank where you answer the phone. The alarm will be going off. Look up to see the alarm on the ceiling. Shoot it and Max Payne will say "Thank you."

When you are running down one of the hallways, to your right you can see some "wanted missing person" posters The people on those posters are the game's designers.

Hint: Part 1: Chapter 2: Rats with guns

When you start Live From The Crime Scene, throw a grenade in the hole directly in front of you. Then, keep going until you hear a bomb go off. Go up the stairs and wait, but watch the rats. If you wait long enough they will pull guns out of their fur.

After getting the rats with guns, wait until they start shooting at you then throw a Molotov Cocktail at them for a surprise.

Hint: Part 1: Chapter 2: Ignored by enemies

On the Live From The Crime Scene level, when you get the detonators, go to the door that you put them on but do not kill the men. After you put the detonators on the door, stand back and watch it fly. Kill the men, then walk in. Go up the stairs were the men are supposed to surprise you. They cannot see you, allowing you to shoot them. Note: Be careful about dying in the explosion on the door.

Hint: Part 1: Chapter 2: Witness a murder

Get up two floor levels after the water place. You will hear two men talking. If you wait, one of the men will shoot the other one then walk away. Note: Do not show yourself or the men will shoot you and stop talking.

Hint: Part 1: Chapter 3: Hidden ammunition

After you find Muerte's room, keep going to the where the bathrooms are located, at the end of the hall. There are two windows covered with dry wall. One of them will crumble if you shoot it. After you destroy the dry wall, you can walk outside of the hotel on a small balcony to another "dry wall window". Destroy that, then jump into the room. You will find a plethora of Molotov Cocktails, grenades, and ammunition.

Hint: Part 1: Chapter 3: Soap opera fan

Once the level starts, kill the man in the first room you see then go down the hallway until you must take a left turn. Once you get to that turn, go slightly down the hallway until you can hear the television that is in the little room off the hallway. Listen to the ridiculous soap opera, and after it is done you will hear the man who was watching ut say something that you will hear almost every soap fan say at least once.

Hint: Part 1 Chapter 5: Secret

After the shootout in the laundry, get into the elevator and you will hear music playing. Look up and shoot the speaker. The music will stop and Max will say "Thank you."

Hint: Part 1 Chapter 5: Avoid damage

When you go on the street and go past the newspapers, you will see a van in the road. Shoot it so that the alarm goes off, then hurry near the stairs that go down to enter the building. Stay above the stairs, and off to the side. Three men will run out. Pick them off as they come up. This can help you avoid damage.

Hint: Part 1: Chapter 6: Secrets

There are two secrets when you get to the basketball court. Look up in the basket. There is a Beretta stuck in the net. Then, go to the chain link fence next to the street. Wait briefly and an SUV will pass by. Shoot it, the car will screech to a halt, and a man with a shotgun will get out and shoot at you.

Hint: Part 1: Chapter 6: Soldier Of Fortune II room

After the room where the thug is in the washroom with a lead pipe, jump out the window onto the roof of a building. Walk around on the roof for a bit, shooting at windows. When one of the windows (in the top left corner) you shoot breaks, jump in. There are posters labeled "Soldier of Fortune II" and about three shotguns in this room.

Hint: Part 1: Chapter 6: Secret room

At the very beginning where the man is whistling while he goes to the bathroom, go outside of the window and immediately turn left. The last window on the side where you came out of has a room with a some shotguns and ammunition.

Hint: Part 1: Chapter 6: Bathroom message

When the level starts, go through it as usual. After you get on to the elevator and go to the next floor, get out and go through the door. Once the door opens, there will be a door directly in front of you. This is a bathroom. If you walk into the door and try to open it, the man inside will give you a message. Back up slightly and shoot at the door. He will give you another message.

Hint: Part 1: Chapter 6: Jumping to train

When chasing Vinnie, eventually he will jump on a train. Max will say that he has to do the same thing. Go to where the hill starts and with the correct timing, do the Matrix-style jump. If done correctly, you should land on the train.

Hint: Part 1: Chapter 7: Secret room

When you are chasing the man, go behind the satellite dish then jump onto the ledge. Go onto the fire escape. Make sure you do not fall. Try to jump on the fence or the side of it without losing a life, then jump down. You will see a door. Enter to find molotov cocktails, grenades, and ammunition. Then, get out of the other door and you will end up under the staircase where the men who were shooting at you on the roof are located. You can kill them quickly.

Hint: Part 1: Chapter 8: Ammunition on the balcony

When you get past the room with the three men, there should be two more as you enter the room to your right and one man across the room to your left. This is the room with the music. Go upstairs to where you can look down on the music room (you should be able to launch fireworks). Go to the right side, toward the speakers. You may want to save the game here. Jump onto the ledge and then toward the speaker while moving left. There is Ingram ammunition and more over there.

Hint: Part 1: Chapter 8: Play the drums

Go through the level until you reach the drum set. The drum set will be near a sign that says "Choosers of the Slain". Go behind the drums and pull out either a bat or lead pipe and Max will play the drums.

Hint: Part 1: Chapter 8: Karaoke comment

When you get in the room with the drum set and microphones, go to the microphones and press A. Max will say "Karaoke was never my strong point".

Hint: Part 2: Chapter1: American flag boxers

After you enter the lounge with the green neon light you will encounter three men. After you kill them, go to the bathroom. There will be a man with his pants down, wearing American flag boxers.

Hint: Part 2: Chapter 2: Pass gate

When you get to the part by the shed, read the sign by the gate. It reads "Caution. Use blocks when parking". Look over to the other side of the gate. There will be a trailer there. Take the sniper rifle and shoot the block from under the trailer. It will start to roll and knock over the bridge. You can now pass this area.

Hint: Part 2: Chapter 4: Secret intermission

You will reach a kitchen area where it is safe from the fire. It is possible to trigger a secret intermission sequence by throwing a grenade into the open service hatch in the wall.

Hint: Part 2: Chapter 4: Easy completion

To see the doors among the flames and darkness in the restaurant easily, increase the brightness to the maximum value until you are past the flames and explosions.

Hint: Part 2: Chapter 5: Hidden area

There is a crane about halfway through this level that you have to turn on to get past the big crate. You can get to a secret room by first jumping up to the cab of the crane, then jumping onto the door, then the roof. Jump on the arm of the crane, then run to the end and jump to the crates to your left. There are some grenades and ammunition located here.

Hint: Part 2: Chapter 5: Play the theme song

Find the room with the grand piano. Stand next to the keys and press Action. If you did not hit the piano in the gun fight, Max will play the theme song from the game.

Hint: Part 3: Chapter 1: Laser grid

There is a laser grid at the very beginning of this area. To get past this, simply shoot what the laser comes out of, but stand back because the explosion is big.

Hint: Part 3: Chapter 1: Secret ammunition room

There is a door which appears to go nowhere. The room has the big container pouring hot liquid metal in the middle, on the first floor in the corner is a sliding door, and some liquid metal in a pit. Use the cooled metal to jump across the pit and reach ammunition and pain killers on the other side.

Hint: Part 3: Chapter 3: Killing all the enemies

In the start of the section, you will hear a group of soldiers planning to escape. You can take them all out by using the gas tank sutting on the shelf above. Shoot the valve off the end of the tank to send it off like a rocket.

Hint: Part 3: Chapter 3

At the end of the section is a tower that you must shoot off a building. Take out the wires on the pole, then just shoot a grenade at it.

Hint: Part 3: Chapter 4: Secret room

A secret room can be found on parking level 6. When you are starting to go down to parking level 5 you will see four gray barrels, jump on top of them. Next, jump onto the air vent, then jump to the roof. You should see a sort of a hut up there to your right. Shoot the light colored part of the hut and it should fall down. Go inside and you will fall through a vent in the floor. You can get ammunition and other items.

Hint: Part 3: Chapter 4: Programmer message

At the very start of the section are some green-blue barrels stacked up along the wall. Use them to get on the roof. Shoot at the metal shed up there and the wall will fall off, allowing you to jump down into a room. Turn on the radio to hear a secret message.

Hint: Part 3: Chapter 5: Hidden staircase

In Woden's office, their is a room after the one that has the blueprints. In here is a small picture behind the desk. Shoot the picture down to reveal a button. Press the button and the couch in the corner will lift up, revealing a staircase. Go down the stairs open the door. You will be able to watch Star Trek on the television. Also look in a cabinet to find other items.

Hint: Part 3: Chapter 7: Easy elevator ride

To get up the laser-bomb elevator shaft easily, get in the elevator but do not push the button. Use the sniper rifle to aim up the shaft and take out all the bombs before going up.

Hint: Part 3: Chapter 8: Easy completion

After chasing the woman up the stairs and she gets in the helicopter, turn to your left and go up to the wire that connects to the red-lighted structure. Shoot it at the bottom and some enemies will attack. Shoot and kill them. The farthest enemy will have sniper ammunition. Return to the wire that you shot before, get the sniper gun out, crouch, aim, and shoot at the bottom of the wire on the other side. Then, shoot the red-lighted structure a few times and it will fall over.

Hint: Defeating the first Boss in the bar

Enter the bar, and after the graphical comic, the coward will run to the back room and leave the fighting for the woman and the other goons. Forget about the woman for now, as her aim is terrible. You should have a Molotov cocktail. There will be about three henchman on the left side of the room. Throw the cocktail at them for three quick kills. Then, charge at the woman with either the dual Berettas or the Desert Eagle. Once she is dead, kill the coward using the dual Berettas. Do not use the shotgun, since you can only fire once per bullet time dive. As soon as you open the door, do a bullet time dive and fire at him rapidly. As soon as Max completes his dive, do it again. Repeat this until he is dead.

Hint: Secret tutorial room

Play the tutorial until you reach the end, where you can practice shooting enemies. Jump up on the big van located there, then over to the ventilation fan on the wall next to the van. From the fan, jump to the stairs and climb them to the top. Break through the window. You will find an Ingram in the room.

Hint: First nightmare

In the first nightmare that you enter from the girl that poisons you, you must weave through your house. Eventually you will end up in a black room with red lines all over that you must walk on. When you are in the hall that leads to the red walkable lines, run all the way down the hall. Keep running when you reach the red lines. The line will turn right; do not follow it. Instead, when you reach that corner jump off at a 45 degree angle to the left. You should be floating through the black, but will see a red line that turns like the one you previously jumped from. Try to land on the corner where the line turns. If done correctly, you can take the turn to your left and follow it to the end of the black room, and back into a hall that looks like the one you just left. Keep going and you should be able to finish the nightmare without having to find your way through the dark room with the red lines.

Hint: Baby maze

You will have to go through a maze where you have to find a baby. To get through this maze easily, just stick to right wall. You will end up in your house. After this, you will come to another maze that is not as difficult, but us easy to fall off of.

When you get to the blood trail in the dark, you can jump across to the end of the maze. Run to the end of the straight trail, and at the first turn, jump across. You can now see the second door. Jump across again and you will be there.

Hint: Second bloody maze

To get to the end of the second bloody maze easily, follow the trail until you see the first trail off the to the right far below. Jump down there and follow it right and you will see the candle platform in the distance to the right.

When you get into the maze that is made of a trail of blood, walk until the path turns to the right, then stop. Turn to your left and you should see another part of the trail in the distance. If you jump correctly, you should land on this part of the trail with no problem. Turn around so that you can see what was directly behind you. It should be another trail. Jump to it and you should be at the other door.

Hint: Painkillers

When you see a small box in some of the chapters, shoot it. Sometimes painkillers will be inside.

When you get a painkiller(s), do not use them immediately. Wait until someone starts shooting you. This will help save health.

Hint: Opening boxes

When you find boxes that are not very big or steel, swing your baseball bat or lead pipe at it. This will open those boxes easily without wasting bullets.

Hint: Disabling traps

When you enter a room with a tripwire trap, toss a grenade then exit the room. If you see a tripwire trap and do not have a door behind you, take out your sniper rifle and shoot it. Note: You can use any gun, but the sniper rifle/berreta is recommended as you do not normally use them very much.

Hint: Reducing jump damage

If you jump from a medium height building with full or half energy with Bullet Time, you will lose some energy, but will not die.

Hint: Destroy elevator music

When you are in an elevator that is playing music,aim up and shoot the speaker above you to destroy it.

Hint: "Shut up" comment

Shoot two junkies (that sit down with their legs crossed in the white T-shirts) at the same time with dual Ingrams or dual Berettas. You will hear Max shout "Shut up!".

Hint: Followed by rats

On any level with rats, after you kill some enemies the rats will automatically follow everywhere you go.

Hint: Flamingo television program

In part 1, you enter an apartment where a guy is "doing his business". Jump out the window and you will see a television across from where you are standing. Get as close as you can and you will hear someone talking about an evil talking pink flamingo.

Hint: Avoid getting shot in hotel

In the hotel, there is a room with a shotgun on a chair. When you open the door, you will have about three seconds to move or else you will get shot.

Hint: Slow motion dive

Press A to shoot, then press L to do a slow motion dive.

Hint: Avoiding death by grenades

When someone throws a grenade, do a slow motion dive directly over it. If timed correctly, you will not die but still will take a lot of damage. This also works for the M-79 grenade launcher. Do not try this with a Molotov cocktail, as you will be set on fire.

Glitch: Ghost policeman

In Part 1, Chapter 1, go down the stairs, kill the three men and grab the dual Berettas. Walk to the door where you save the policeman, but do not walk in yet. First, burst in and shoot the last enemy like mad. While it shows slow motion, do not stop shooting. In slow motion, kill the policeman. It will show him dying in slow motion, but wait about a minute. Max will start talking to the policeman even though he is dead.

Glitch: Whistling dead man

When you get to the part where the two men are talking about the detonators, before the man with the shotgun kills the other person, kill them both. If done correctly, one of the men will whistle.

Glitch: Walk on air

In Part 1, Chapter 5, get to the part where you are going through the building while explosives are going off inside. You will reach a part where you are on a balcony that runs around an interior open area. You will have just come up several flights of stairs where a man will have thrown a grenade at you. On this balcony, you will have to jump over a portion that has been blown off. Quicksave the game here. You will then approach a large doorway. Passing through this doorway activates a trigger that causes the balcony behind you to be blown up so that you cannot return. Back through this doorway at the exact moment that the balcony explodes. You will do a bullet time dive forward into the explosion will land in the air at the open area. You can walk freely on this. However, if you jump or dive on this, you will fall, the screen will go black, and you will start at the last save point. If you walk to the large crater in the wall made by the explosion, just before you reach the doorway you will fall. However, the screen does not turn black and you can walk around in a completely sealed off area with no way to return. It will most likely require many tries before you succeed at this. You must time your jump precisely at the exact moment the explosion goes off. Do not rely on reaction time; know where the explosion trigger is and go by that.

Gameplay Cheats

Max Payne All weapons, ammo, and pain-killers

After you beat the game, go to the main menu and hold down both triggers and both joysticks. With all four of these things held, press WHITE, BLACK, BLACK, WHITE, WHITE, BLACK.

If done correctly, there should be a cheats option on the main menu. Use the "refills" option during gameplay to restock your stuff.

Max Payne Level Select Cheat

While playing, press START to pause, then hold L and press BLACK, BLACK, BLACK, BLACK, X, X, X, X, X, X, Y, Y, Y, BACK. A sound confirms correct code entry.

Max Payne Final Gun Fight

Beating the game on the hardest difficulty will boot Max to this last gunfight pitting you against a horde of shotgun toting bad guys. This stage has no ending if you survive, but is reserved to be played by the best players only.

Max Payne Secret Stash in Tutorial

Stand on top of the white van that has the sniper rifle. While on the van's roof, look toward the wall and climb the fire escape stairs to an open window. Inside are some goodies that will help you deal with the sniper rifle exercise in a different manner.

Unlock-ables

Complete the required task to unlock the cheat

• Unlimited Ammo Beat the game once
• Infinite Spirit Beat the game + Find at least 12 secrets
• Unlimited Ring use Beat the game using the ring no more than 3 times
• Unlimited Health Beat the game + defeat at least 400 enemies