Is Max Payne worth playing in 2025?

Max Payne is over two decades old at this point, and many people in the gaming community consider it a classic. The narrative here feels heavy, dealing with the themes of healing and vengeance after our protagonist finds his wife and child murdered by some goons.

The story, even after all these years, leaves a long-lasting impression, but can the same thing be said about the gameplay? It is possible for all kinds of media to feel ancient after a while, but does Max Payne fall into that category as well

Unfortunately, yes. The game does not hold up, and this article will take a closer look at the title to understand why it's not worth playing in 2025.

Note: Some aspects of this article reflect the subjective and personal opinions of the writer.

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The narrative of Max Payne still hits hard

The narrative is shown through comic book panels (Image via Rockstar Games)

The story of the game follows Max, a detective whose wife and child are killed by some goons under the influence of a drug called Valkyr. This traumatic event changes him as a person, leading him to search for the people responsible for his family's death. During his investigation, he discovers a massive conspiracy involving a pharmaceutical company and the government.

As Max is going against the people trying to stop him from discovering the truth, he is also trying to cope with the loss of his family. The narrative here is dark and gritty, which dives deep into the themes of guilt and revenge in a more grounded fashion.

Max Payne handles these topics well throughout the story by diving deeper into his character with each cut scene, which is why it still holds up.

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The gameplay is outdated

The enemy AI is not smart (Image via Rockstar Games)

Max Payne is a third-person shooter where players get to experience one of the most talked about gaming mechanics called "Bullet Time." This allows Max to dive in slow motion in any direction, during which he can aim and shoot at enemies to kill them. While this was a revolutionary mechanic in the early days, it certainly feels outdated because of the clunky controls.

Since this is a two-decade-old game, controlling Max can be infuriating because of the awkward camera and character movements. The gameplay is also very easy at times because of the not-so-smart enemy AI, making enemy encounters feel out of touch compared to today's third-person shooters. For modern players, it can be quite difficult to get accustomed to the control scheme of the game.

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The graphics and performance

The graphics and performance do not hold up well (Image via Rockstar Games)

Since Max Payne is a two-decade-old game, it struggles to match the visual fidelity of modern games. The textures and resolution feel outdated, as they are quite low when compared to more recent releases. The same can also be said for the character models, which look stiff and unrealistic in comparison to today's games. Even on the performance front, it struggles a bit on the latest consoles.

The title can be played on the PlayStation 4 and 5, but the frame drop issues from the PS2 are carried over here. The Xbox Series X/S version of Max Payne, on the other hand, delivers a more enjoyable experience with a stable frame rate.

The best way to play the game, however, is on the PC, as it not only gives players increased FPS but a higher resolution as well.

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Is it worth playing in 2025?

Max Payne is not worth playing in 2025 (Image via Rockstar Games)

Unfortunately, no. Although Max Payne is considered a classic by many in the gaming community, the only category it stands tall in is the narrative department, with a story that follows the journey of a protagonist coping with the death of his family while bringing a conspiracy to light. It is unfortunate how a narrative as mature and gritty as this is locked behind outdated gameplay and graphics.

The biggest issue here is the control scheme, which feels clunky, making it difficult to move Max and the camera around. The visuals and performance also feel outdated because of low-resolution textures and an unstable frame rate. If players still want to experience the game after getting comfortable with the tank controls, they should go for the PC version for more stable visuals and performance.