Max Payne sets a bar for all third-preson shooters.
Gameplay:
+lots of guns
+extremely well paced
+action is incredible
+story is good
+great voice acting
+lots of small details like ability to shoot paintings off walls
+bullet time is extremely well implemented and works flawlessly
+atmosphere is way better than Max Payne 2
+awesome snowy New York setting with noir locales
+simplistic yet incredibly in depth
-a tad short
+but there are mods
-a shame that there are no amazing physics like MP2 (oh well, i guess it's what makes it a classic)
Graphics:
+sharp and detailed textures
+while the polygon count may be low, the use of textures, lighting, and atmosphere create great looking, and believable environments
+enemies look detailed and realistic (sorta)
-the sky textures are unimpressive
-the animation is very mechanical
Sound:
+guns sound just as they should
+the bad guys sometimes are quite funny
-they do get repetitive though
+voice acting jumps from humorous to serious without getting out of track
+great music
Value:
-short
+replayable
+tons of mods
+only like what, ten bucks?
All in all, Max Payne is a true classic that after five years, is still very fun to play. Every time I play this game, I learn something new about it or find new ways of defeating enemies in certain situations. I would recommend Max Payne 2 newer and more complex gunfights. Pick up both this and the sequel.