8 Intense Games That Kept You On The EDGE OF YOUR SEAT

Though the original Max Payne was sold on the strength of its undeniably amazing bullet time gimmick, it's far from the breezy, balletic shoot 'em up many probably assumed when they picked it up.

For starters, the original game is actually a pretty tricky affair, especially compared to its more accessible sequels, forcing players to approach each gunfight as its own separate puzzle.

Knowing when to deploy Max's limited ability to slow down time and where to aim your guns is paramount for success, ensuring a high degree of trial-and-error as players enter each new room packed with meat-shield goons.

The slowed time does little to blunt Max Payne's intensity, and that's without even getting into the stress of managing your health-replenishing supply of painkillers.

And of course, it'd be remiss not to single out the game's infamous nightmare sequences, whose janky platforming mechanics are ultimately far more likely to spike your blood pressure than even the trickiest action engagement.