10 Video Games That Are Far Creepier Than They Look
3. Max Payne - These Nightmares Really Are Nightmares
Max Payne, to the untrained eye, is a visceral and innovative action series. It’s a pioneer of the classic The Matrix-esque bullet time sequences that have appeared in infinite numbers of action titles since.
The series is all these things, it’s true, but there’s another element of Max Payne that’s often underappreciated: the psychological creepiness that sneaks in (as psychological creepiness tends to do).
In Max Payne and its sequel, our tormented anti-hero experiences frightful sequences known as nightmares. In these, he is haunted by the horrors from his past, such as the deaths of his family, as he walks through a grisly maze of blood and other awful things.
The scenes are few and far between but very jarring (intentionally, of course). They’re like the Silent Hill-flavored topping on the series’ gun-slinging pizza.