u/ArtyToshi

Just as the title asks. Specifically the first Max Payne, since I still have yet to play the sequels and am avoiding spoilers for them (I own them, but clearing out some of my other backlog games, first). Also, for that matter, SPOILERS FOR THOSE THAT HAVEN'T PLAYED IT YET!!!

Anyway, with that being said, aside from...*that part* (iykyk), there's the creepy cult section of the game (I don't typically scare easily, but the leader reciting his speech and all the chanting actually did unsettle me a little, lol), the uncanny design, and even the uneasy vibe of the environments. So, I ask you, is the first Max Payne a horror game with action and platforming? Or, is it an action and platforming game with some strong horror elements?

How does this community feel about the OTHER parts of this franchise? We always see discussions on this board about strictly the modern games, but this franchise is so much more. As somebody who's been in here ever since '03/'04 (whenever the demo for the '04 game dropped in Official Xbox Magazine's demo discs), I've had a rather fascinating time going even further back, all the way to the series' roots, and witnessing how just about every single pre-NG'04 game has done its part to remain important in some way.

True, the only games that are both canon *and* predate NG'04 would be the NES Trilogy, Ninja Gaiden Shadow, and Dead or Alive 1-3, but even almost all of the non-canon entries have introduced very beloved elements of the franchise that returned in the 3D games (classic moves such as the Guillotine Throw, an evil masked samurai who leads an attack on Hayabusa's village to steal a sacred item, a plot to steal a sword that's in possession of the Hayabusa clan in order to cause a cataclysmic event). I just wanted to know, what are this community's thoughts on all of the pre-NG'04 games, be they canon or not, Classic NG, or DOA? So, now that I've asked the question, feel free to discuss! I look forward to reading everyone's posts! ^_^