10 Video Games We All Played WAY Too Young

2. Max Payne

Max Payne
Remedy

Max Payne upon a first glance is just classic video game fair. It’s third-person shooter neo-noir action with a gritty, grisled protagonist with an even grittier and grisled past.

While a lot of this one was relatively innocent shooting shenanigans and action antics, the nightmare sections switched things up.

During these creepy delusions you need to guide Max down trails of blood while listening to the constant wails of a baby crying. All of this, of course, relates to the deaths of Max’s wife and child which happens at the beginning of the game. Not so child friendly. Max Payne might not be the goriest or creepiest game on this list but when it does get to be way too much you’re expecting it a lot less than you would be with some of the other titles on this list. As with everything else here, enjoy the cheeky nostalgic memories of getting away with an adult game or the memories of nightmares depending on how old you were when you first played it.

Advertisement
Contributor
Contributor

Jess has been a journalist and content creator in the games industry for over 15 years and has been WhatCulture's resident Australian import and sorry cop since 2020, upping the quotient of swearing and apologising in WhatCulture Gaming's annual blooper videos considerably. She previously worked at GameSpot for 10 years, most notably hosting GameSpot News in addition to E3 live shows, and PAX panels. She regularly livestreams a variety of games on her 'jessmcdonell' YouTube and Twitch channels and hosts the 'Do It On The Day' podcast. She has won awards for her news and feature work in gaming as well as an accolade for her comedic writing (likely an admin error). She can be found on X at @jessmcdonell and Instagram at @jessicamcdonell sharing her current videogame fixations, industry insights, and videos of her cat, Karma.