Mafia
R: M for Mature, for blood and violence

A truly action packed game! The games allows to work your "way up" in the 1930's world of the mob. Your "boss" is Don Saliene. Once you've become a Made Man you get to enjoy all the fruits of your labors in grand style. You have over 20 missions to choose from but just make sure to remember the 2 most important rules of the "family" -- Don't screw up and always keep your mouth shut. Welcome to the family!


Manhunt
Rated: M for Mature, 17+ only for extreme and cruel violence, language, and themes
Reviewed by Walter Chaw

An exhilaratingly disgusting title structured around cinematics of disturbing murder, Manhunt represents something of a new low in terms of violence and the wrong message. It offers the opportunity to sneak around your potential victims rather than kill them, but there's no reward for completing the game this way and, in fact, it seems to defeat the only real reason anyone would play the game. That being said, Manhunt does represent an interesting starting off point for a discussion of how popular entertainment begins to degrade the wider impression of our cultural standard. It's not that it's violent - I'm a fan of violent games after all - it's that there doesn't seem to be any other reason for this game than to show sadistic violence in as imaginative a way as possible. Ultimately, our reaction to the deaths become numbed in a disquieting way. No question that Manhunt is an extremely well-made title - but some question as to the wisdom of a title so invested in the sordid.

GAMEPLAY - A
GRAPHICS - A
SOUND - A
OVERALL - A


Max Payne (XBox)
Rated: M for Mature for blood and violence
Reviewed by Walter Chaw

Working from a flat brilliant script by Sam Lake, a cross between Raymond Chandler and Frank Miller, Rockstar Games' Max Payne is an incredibly involving film noir tale of a crooked cop with a tragic past, trying to track down the head of a drug syndicate who may have been involved in the murder of his wife and baby girl. Its cut sequences presented as the panels of a painted graphic novel (done in the style of Jon J. Muth), and performed by a cast of accomplished voice actors, the action proper takes on the dimensions of a third-person shooter modeled heavily after the "heroic bloodshed" genre of Hong Kong films popularized in the mid-eighties/early-nineties by director John Woo. References in text of "going John Woo" and "take them out Chow Yun Fat-style" acknowledge the lineage during what remains one of the most involving, fascinating action gaming experiences ever created.

With a large inventory of weapons, everything from melee types (baseball bat, iron bar) to sub-machine guns and sniper rifles, and a wonderful agility and programmability to the control logic, what really distinguishes the title is a "bullet time" option that allows Max to slow time down while dodging attacks, returning fire two-fisted as he floats through the air. A beautiful function and one used to different effect in the beautiful UbiSoft game Prince of Persia, there's a level of cinematic delight in the game that gives players a feeling of being involved in an action film in a way that few games have before.

Available now as a "Platinum Classic" for the Xbox system at greatly reduced prices (major retailers regularly price Max Payne at around $17.99), for the mature gamer, there's really no excuse not to go for a dark ride with Max if you haven't been there already.

Max Payne earns its rating with a surplus of blood and violence, most of it coming during its player-controlled action sequences, some of it coming in its story cut-scenes as Max relives, over and over, the sadistic murder of his family. It's not for the delicate, to be sure, with several scenarios involving Max happening upon a crime scene: or authoring one. Language is rough and there's a high sexuality factor - this is an adult game for mature players. It's not prurient, it's just not for the kids.

Technical:
The controls are extremely fluid, making good use of the Xbox controller with a standard right-nozzle look/left-nozzle move configuration. The menus are easy to access in-game, and a variety of controller presets, along with the option to personalize a configuration, aid in the transition to this from other games. A quick-save option saves time with fiddling for slots, and four separate difficulty levels (one of them "Hard Boiled" in honor of one of John Woo's HK masterpieces) keep replay level relatively high. Graphics are great if a little repetitive, interactivity is high (try out the water coolers and vending machines, it's a gas), and sound, with a wonderfully evocative soundtrack, is booming.

GAMEPLAY/ADDICTIVENESS: ***1/2/ (****)
GRAPHICS: *** (****)
AUDIO: **** (****)


Max Payne II
Rated: M for Mature for blood and violence

The return of Max Payne is great. It has all the makings of another standout shoot-em up game. Max is having a love affair but this does not change his focus on getting rid of the scummy drug lords in the inner city. This game has new moves, great animation, and thrilling action. If you liked Max Payne then you will definitely love Max Payne II.


Mission Impossible: Operations Surma
R: T for Teen for blood and violence

Once again, Ethan Hunt and his IMS agents must achieve the impossible. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to infiltrate the Surma Corporation and stop their diabolical ambitions. You get to use your espionage training, have state of the art gadgets and weapons to pull off geat missions in international locations such as Rome, Middle East and Eastern Europe. Mission impossible focuses on intense-time-risk resources challenges that will give you many different outcomes and storylines.