Max Payne Mobile App Poster Image

Max Payne Mobile

age 18+
(i)

 

Flawed port of classic shooter still for adults only.
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What parents need to know

Educational value

Max Payne Mobile wasn't created with educational intent, and we don't recommend it for learning.

Ease of play

The control scheme can be rearranged to place action buttons wherever you'd like on screen, but the game still does not translate well to a touchscreen. 

Violence

Nonstop. Max dodges bullets in ballet-like slow motion segments and takes on an entire army of bad guys with an arsenal of weapons, ranging from pistols to shotguns to grenade launchers. Blood is copious, and the violence includes the killing of a newborn baby. 

Sex

Prostitution is featured prominently in the game, and X-rated movies are discussed. 

Language

Short of "f--k," just about every obscenity you can imagine is heard in the game -- from "damn" and "hell" to "bulls--t"

Consumerism

The app's release comes before the release of a new Max Payne console game for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and could stir up interest in the franchise.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking

Max smokes, drinks, and gobbles painkillers to recover health when he's shot. The game revolves around a fictitious designer drug called Valkyr (or V) that is widely used. Max is given an overdose of it at one point. 

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Max Payne Mobile is a violent shooter that is not appropriate for kids; iTunes requires users to confirm they are at least 17 before purchase. The app is a direct port of the M-rated video game and features copious violence -- including the killing of a newborn baby -- drug use, prostitution, and plenty of profanity. While the graphics are dated, the slow-motion, close-up assassinations are still gritty stuff.

What's it about?

Players explore the noir story by shooting their way through an organized crime family in search of the person responsible for killing the family of Max Payne. The game's signature element is \"bullet time,\" which slows time down, allowing you to dodge bullets and precisely aim shots at enemies as you dive through the air. To recover from shots you take, you'll have to gobble down painkillers.

Is it any good?

QUALITY

Max Payne is one of the most beloved shooters to come out in the past 15 years -- and this frame-for-frame port is likely to be welcomed by fans. The game, though, doesn't translate well to the touchscreen device, and control problems tend to mar the experience. Additionally, if you've got an older iDevice (like an original iPad or iPhone 4), the game slows down noticeably. 

The story is as overwrought as ever, and the graphics are dated, but if you can get past the control issues, it's a nostalgic trip through gaming history. But even though the game is 11 years old, it's still much too graphic for kids to play.

App details

Devices:iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Price:$2.99
Release date:April 12, 2012
Category:Action Games
Size:1136.64 MB
Publisher:Rockstar Games
Version:1.0
Minimum software requirements:iOS 4.2 or later

This review of Max Payne Mobile was written by

Chris Morris
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are conducted by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
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Parent Written bymack_blazin April 30, 2012
age 8+

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follow me on twitter @mack_blazin lets help each other get more followers ill follow back! (:
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Parent of a 5 year old Written bymadsmooney1214 April 29, 2012
age 15+

okay

The story is as overwrought as ever, and the graphics are dated, but if you can get past the control issues, it's a nostalgic trip through gaming history. But even though the game is 11 years old, it's still much too graphic for kids to play.
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Teen, 17 years old Written bySalsander December 22, 2015
age 13+

Not any more violent than an average shooter

Max Payne is a pretty old shooter, therefore it won't seem as visually graphic today. Enemies are shot with a variety of guns, resulting in a noticeable amount of blood (looks like strawberry jam) but no gore. The death of a family (including a mother and baby) are implied but not explicitly seen. Language is very PG-13 (Hell, Damn, Sh-t). Also, sex is nearly nonexistent. An X-Rated film is mentioned, but no graphic details of it are discussed. In one level, there are some pinups of women, but no nudity. The plot includes drug trafficking by the antagonists, but it's not glamorized roused by the protagonist. Overall Max Payne is a pretty average shooter with some blood.
What other families should know
Too much violence
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