User Reviews

Amazing. Never a dull moment.

Vinsent — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 01:58:00 GMT

I loved this game! First off, the game offers many very challenging difficulties that, at times, pushed me to do my best. The combat was very smooth and realistic. For example, activating slow-mo with a dive to the side will result in max landing hard on his side, even depleting a small amount of health. Many games with slow-mo show the character do a ninja forward roll and are up on the their feet instantly after a dive like that. This felt a lot like playing a character who was a real person.
The gunplay was very entertaining. Max Payne 3 offers a nice variety in each level and at the same time emphasizes the conservation of your ammo. Textures and surfaces in the environment break and receive damage that looks well done.
The voice acting was very fine as well. Not just for Max Payne, our obvious main character, but for the other characters in the game as well. Max's dialogue was unpredictable and charming, in a very dark way as his horrible inner demons were clearly present.
The story itself was loads of fun. I enjoyed it every step of the way. Max is having a constant battle with himself and his alcohol/pill addiction. Experiencing this story made me feel like this is a real guy with real problems. Our main character felt human, and in turn relatable. I don't have a dead wife and daughter, but his situation as a whole was very understandable.
The replay value, for me, is very high. I played it on hard, then old school, then on a new york minute, and then one more time just for fun. Each time I had a blast and was also challenged. I give this a 10/10. Not many games can hold that type of rank, but this one more than deserves it.

Max Is Back

Nex Gen Reviews — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 21:31:00 GMT

Max Payne 3

"Max Is Back"

Platforms:

PS3, Xbox 360, PC

Creator/Producer:

Rockstar Games

ESRB Raiting:

Mature

Genre:

Third Person Shooter

Action

Its been awhile since the last Max Payne, and it took Rockstar long enough to get Max Payne 3 on the market. After an excruciating long wait, Max Payne 3 is finally here. And while it may not resemble their previous entries much, it does so in the best ways that lets it. Was the long wait worth it? Does this game live up to the name of Max Payne? Lets find out...

Concept:

Right from the intro, the first seven minutes or so, you know this is Rockstar and you know this is going to be a triple-a experience. As soon as I heard the first words spoken from that of Max Payne, a smile came across my face. Max Payne, former detective, finds himself a no body is this latest entry of the series. Nothing more then a drunk and an addict to pain killers, he finds an opportunity that he thinks can revive who he use to be. Upon meeting a Hispanic guy name Paso's, he does not know what he is going to enter. After the family he was sworn to protect is kidnapped in Brazil, Max slips on his tropical shirt, gets a few pain killers, and a gun with a mag, and he is ready to go on an adventure all across Brazil. While it is a new direction and it does offer something fresh, the new bright, vibrant Brazilian atmosphere didn't really impact me as much as the darker, crime riddled streets of New York did for me in the previous Max Payne games. But luckily there are a few well made flash back chapters that take you in a more darker atmosphere, and each of those were very welcoming.

Now, the true reason that makes Max Payne is not Max Payne himself, but his special ability we all know as "Bullet Time." This game right here does slow motion gameplay better then any other game out there. This is the most fun I had with slow motion gameplay, especially the shoot dodge mechanic, which can create many bad ass (And may I say "hilarious" sometimes) moments in the heat of combat. Bullet time is essential to this game, you simply cannot play with out it, not because its so addicting, but because the game is so damn hard.

Max Payne 3 can sometimes feel beautiful, sometimes it can feel epic, sometimes it can feel dark and gritty, and MANY times it will be one of the most frustrating experiences you will ever have in gaming. Allow me to talk about that later.

Score- 9

Controls:

The controls feel as beautiful as the game looks. Some of the greatest gameplay I ever played in a third person perspective. It just feels so natural, so responsive, its flawless, even the reticle feels right and not all (clunky ?) like in a lot of third person shooters. Implementing Bullet Time feels as natural as it can get. Switching weapons though can be a pain, like when sometimes I want to switch to my primary two handed weapon, but for some reason the stupid weapon wheel selects duel welding and drops my rifle, and I have to jump back out in the middle of the hundred people I was trying to get away from in the first place, attempt to frantically grab my gun, hoping not to miss the button before getting shot up to swiss cheese. This happened to more then it needed to in the game.

Another thing was how when things got over the top after about chapter six (The night chapter when you get the silenced pistol). I mean, at this point, every enemy has body army and the highest powerful weapons, there is like a hundred of them every where, and the game is border-line impossible after this point (I played on hard difficulty the whole way through). I mean, I had to empty like two clips in a few of these guys and they still wouldn't go down! The hell. I warn you right now, you will DIE alot in this game. Think of it as Dark Souls with guns. One thing that really pissed me of, was how every enemy had 99.9 percent pin-point accuracy. I mean, we have drug addict street thugs that are as skilled as SWAT officers. As soon as you lift your head up from cover for more then two seconds, a hundred bullets from every direction come swarming at you from 3 miles away and end you that easily. Of course I'm over exaggerating this, but its pretty unrealistic. No body is this damn good with a gun, like, its gotta be at least half a foot ball fields' distance these enemies are capable of shooting you at, 9/10 times.

In my game, I had this minor glitch, nothing big, just a minor one that ended up the biggest pain in the ass I ever experienced in my gaming life. The glitch is when an enemy fall down from either you shooting them or just plain physics, they don't die. When I first played this game, I literally spent hours replying and running around in the first action sequence, trying to figure out how the hell to advance to the next location. It was then, I saw my reticle turn red over one of the body and then I shot the body and FINALLY I got to continue. This became a growing and constant pain for me over the entire course of the game, always having to look for body's and shooting them. This later made this game an inch under impossible near the end, during the level where you have to bomb the construction site. The map would shake from the bombs going off, and I literally had two seconds to shoot every enemy on the rooftops before they would tip over and I couldn't get my reticle to hover over them where I could shoot them, forcing me to reply this sequence over and over before quitting, yep. This part pissed me off so bad I abandoned the game for like two months before jumping back in and reliving the terror again, but yes, I made it through, and when I did, I took a nap and didn't look at the game for another week.

Yes, I have heard of a challenge in gaming, and I do like a challenge, but non-stop through out the course of a 12+ hour game with some things that don't play out right (That glitch and the unrealistically amazing accuracy of the enemies) it can prove a nightmare. I didn't quite enjoy this game as much as I wanted to due to these things I mention. But im not done yet, this rant shall continue in the content discussion.

Score- 9.75

Content:

Before I start talking about the actual "content" of the game, I want to talk about the level lay out first, which is a huge factor in the shooting segments in the game (Which is 95 percent of the game). What Rockstar does, is they basically hand you a gun, pits you in a location full of enemies, and won't let you out until you kill everyone. That is what you will be doing through out 95 percent of the game. That is this game's biggest greatest problem, repetitiveness. Apart from the fifteen minute non-skipable cut scene's (Which are visually stunning and helped my mind relax after all the frustration) and the occasional on rail's segments (The first one in chapter two on the helicopter was cool) you will literally be doing nothing but shooting your way through countless waves of border-line invincible enemies through out the whole game. This is what this game practically is, one long ass never ending shooting gallery. You can go look for golden gun pieces, but for what? Just so your gun can look gold? I couldn't really give a damn if you paid me to. There are a few times where you an watch this dumb cartoon, which isn't even amusing in the slightest bit. One game that is similar to this one and reminds me of this game is Alan Wake, who I believe the company (Remedy) made or helped with the previous two Max Payne's. Its gameplay is largely similar to the gameplay found in this game. But I enjoyed Alan Wake alot more because it had more interesting collectibles (The manuscript pages) and you even got to relax and watch a few episodes of this scary tv show, which I loved. Also, Alan Wake had the few cool morning and driving segments where you wasn't shooting stuff.

My question is, why didn't Rockstar choose to do something similar with Max Payne 3, I mean, they are Rockstar, the makers of Grand Theft Auto, one of the most activity filled game series ever made. So why didn't they give you some (FUN, not a side chore of collecting golden gun parts) segments or side activities to let give you a break after shooting things non-stop. A good example of this is the Mass Effect trilogy. In those games, when you weren't shooting things, you was exploring a beautiful galaxy, venturing within hub worlds on other planets and customizing your cabin on you ship with fish and space hamsters. Or take a game like Skyrim, where a huge percentage of it DOESN'T have you fighting things, instead building up your character, crafting weapons and armor, decorating your house, looking for a spouse, and even more. I know Max Payne isn't a open world rpg, but still, Rockstar, one of the kings of giving you many things to do, there could have had more things in this game to do besides shoot things.

Now, the actual shooting gallery's aren't even well set up either. You can only shoot and take cover, while sometimes you may have an opportunity of shooting some kind of explosive propane tank or something letting you do some environmental damage, but there is no way to go besides forward. All you do in these shooting chunks is walking forward and shooting. I wish Rockstar would have opened the playing field some more, I wish they could have let you do stealth. They should have let you go in more directions, take multiple paths and use different tactics besides shooting your way forward. Some stealth would have been great, I mean damn, I would have killed for some stealth features. Why not have some better close quarters combat, a hand to hand melee system like in Uncharted. I mean if the game had more features like this, the experience would have been less frustrating and more enjoyable. You can't even breath in this game, its just sitting behind cover, and shooting forward, NON STOP for 12 HOURS!!!!!

All right, enough of that. Now lets talk about the extras, oh wait, do you know what you get as "replay value" after finishing the game once? You get to do it play through the repetitive torture twice again but with a point or time system. Yea right, Ima pass. But, one great part of Max Payne, is the multiplayer. Max Payne 3 includes a damn great multiplayer component, perhaps one of the best I played in a third person game and certainly the best Rockstar has ever created in any of their games (With Red Dead Redemption as a close second). Rockstar gives you so many reasons to invest your self with the multiplayer, its crazy. Starting off, you get to create your own gang, with fully accessible and strong character creation. You get to make a gang logo, and as you get good, you start to get this incredible sense of satisfaction of growing the status of your gang. It keeps you playing. Bullet Time is even implemented, which is great, there is nothing more to say. The multiplayer maps are well layed-out, many of the game modes are unique and great, such as Gang Wars (My favorite) and Payne Killer which is cool also. There is also a swarm of DLC maps out right now, which are all worth getting if you love the multiplayer. The multiplayer has a very robust stats system, which tracks many things all the way to the many different locations your character has been shot. On top of that, the leveling up system is great also, with many perks and extra weapons to unlock as you further progress. Multiplayer is no doubt the best part of Max Payne 3, and saves for many of the faults the main game may have had.

But really, in the end, I would have had a better single player experience then a good multiplayer experience, if I want to play multiplayer, then I just start up Battlefield 3. It reminds me how flawed the game actually is, and good multiplayer isn't enough to cover the flaws up. Next time Rockstar, prioritize the Single Player experience.

Score- 9

Story:

The story of Max Payne 3 is simple and feels like a new direction from the previous titles. The game makes use many very cinematic and beautifully created cut scenes. While some may hate the video effects, I loved them. The story is easier to get engaged to then the comic style cut scenes in Max Payne 2. But thats not saying its better. Let me talk first about the basis of the story. Max Payne is has hit rock bottom. He takes a chance when he meets up with this Hispanic cop name Paso's, who helps him shoot his way out of a situation they met their selves in. Max is hired to protect a extremely wealthy family, and things don't start off well when the daughters are kidnapped. What basically follows is a roller coaster ride of an action game as Max does what ever he can to re-aquire the two daughters. While the story is simple, and it isn't bad, I feel it doesn't compare with the story in Max Payne 2, which was just more interesting and dramatic. I liked the characters alot better in MP2, like Mona Sax. In MP3 the characters aren't horrible, there just meh. I never did like any of the characters in this game then I did in the last game. To me, as far a story goes, Max Payne 2 was the high light of all three games, but I also feel MP3 is just setting its self up for Max Payne 4.

Max Payne himself, delivers a stellar performance as one of my most favorite characters in a video game. He is no super hero, he isn't the savior of humanity, he isn't a model citizen, he's Max Payne, and he can do what ever the damn he wants. The dialog he speaks is so intelligent and precise, I listened and paid attention to every word he said. His attitude and voice make him stand out from many other game characters, he kind of reminds me of Sam Fisher in the the Splinter Cell series. His voice is so distinctive, you can tell who's it is a mile away. He really makes all the games, and I can see thats why they name the games after him. One thing I have noticed though, is the pacing of the game is great. The story and chapters flow flawlessly and are perfectly balanced. The final chapter itself, along with the final moments are all done great and are a satisfying finale. I do anticipate Max Payne 4, and I think Rockstar will have something better waiting for us when it gets here.

Score- 7.75

Gameplay Features and Variety:

Like I stated before, the gameplay is beautiful, all though there is not much variety. You point, shoot and have the ability to activate bullet time. Oh and you can take cover. Thats basically it. You can't do much else in a combat situation, there is hardly any freedom, no other paths to take besides pure annihilation. Me, while that can be fun sometimes, I would also like to engage in battle using stealth, it would have broken up all the monotony that makes up almost all of the game. Rockstar, next time, give us more freedom, I want to experience something like in Dishonored or Arkham City. Let me have more vertical combat, interact with the environment more, let me be able to kill a whole batch of enemies silently. I want more variety, if this game had that then it would have been alot more fun and forgivable.

Also I want more side content and activities to do, give us more open environments. If Rockstar can pull this off for the next game, I will love it more. Im crossing my fingers...

Score- 6

High Lights:

Bullet time and the multiplayer and Max Payne as a character. Bullet time is one of the greatest features a shooter can offer, and without it, this wouldn't be Max Payne. The multiplayer is great and Max Payne is one of the greatest characters of gaming this year, and I've enjoyed knowing him from the start. I will continue to stay and see what he has to offer in the future.

Score- 8.5

Realism:

The game is one of the most beautiful games I have played recently, with a abundance of rich detail and outstanding physics. Max Payne 3 is very high in quality when it comes to gameplay and presentation. Also, the soundtrack is great also, being one of 2012's best and creating a unique feeling atmosphere for Max Payne. There are many aspects like these to appreciate in this game and defines what Rockstar is capable of doing in these areas.

Score- 9.75

Overall Experience:

Max Payne 3 is one of the better games of 2012. While not as good as it should have been, its is still a game worth experiencing. With its defining bullet time mechanic, its high quality presentation, the character of Max Payne, the soundtrack, fluid gameplay and the strong multiplayer, there is many things to like and enjoy about this game. Don't let my rants over the lack of variety and repetitive gameplay give you a wrong idea, because Max Payne 3 is a very solid experience, with many great action moments. It is a roller coaster ride I guarantee many action junkies will love, with a solid story to back it up. If you like Max Payne, or action games in general, then pick this game up. Where Max Payne 3 impresses with great gameplay and a solid story, its hurts in areas of variety and story replay value. If Rockstar can fix all my issues with this game in the next one, then I will be looking forward to a one of a kind experience, but right now Max Payne 3 is just short of great.

Overall Rating:

8/10

Silver

The Good Stuff:

Solid Story +

Great Gameplay +

Bullet Time +

Great Multiplayer ++

Amazing Graphics and Physics +

High Quality Presentation +

Excellent Soundtrack +

Max Payne +

The Bad Stuff:

Dreadfully Repetitive --

Lack Of Gameplay Variety --

Lack Of Side Content --

Minimal Replay Value -

Welcome back Max

Alex Moretti — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Max Payne 3's opening scenes waste no time explaining the type of man that that Max is. Addicted to Pain killers and alcohol and still lamenting the loss of his wife This opening scene is to show newcomers and fans alike just exactly how far Max has stooped from his previous adventure. Though lady luck may have finally caught up to Max in the form of a job offering as a bodyguard for a wealthy family in Sau Palo Brazil.

It isn't long though until everything around him begins to go to hell.
First a group of armed thugs kidnap your employers trophy wife, then the company your employed at is attacked by terrorists. Thankfully none of them are a match for Max and his signature bullet time mechanic. The ability to slow down time that gives him the edge when dealing with these many enemies on screen at once. killing enemies in real time and getting shot will increase the adrenaline bar on the lower right corner of the games HUD. The more adrenaline you have the longer you can slow down time. Don't be afraid to use bullet time at every chance you get, since you need every advantage you can find. The enemies in this game are extremely smart and often take cover if they so much as sense your presence. However while the bullet time and shoot doge mechanic still remain truthful to the previous games a lot of things have been changed to make Max Payne blend in with the rest of the shooters of this generation.

Max can only carry around two or three guns at once this time around, and he can't even dual wield two handguns without dropping his primary weapon.
In the previous Max Payne games you could carry around eight guns plus a lead pipe Molotov Cocktails and grenades. Here in order to make the game have a slightly more realistic feel Rockstar games has replaced that with your standard two weapon limit, and grenades have been removed from the single player campaign entirely. Now Rockstar has never been a company to sacrifice story for gameplay or vice-versa, however all their games up until this point have been open world sandbox games. This is their first time ever constructing a linear shooter. As such a lot of the sense of freedom that they've constructed in there other games feels absent here. All I'm saying is that if Neko Belic from GTA IV can carry around an unlimited amount of weapons up his jacket, and John Marston From Red Dead Redemption Can carry four guns plus a torch, Machete, and Lasso, then why the hell can't Max Payne carry around more than 3 guns at once.

Maybe it's to keep up with the games pace because the game is very fast paced, and having to cycle between ten different weapons in real time would be difficult, but it still took me a while to get used to it. Once you get over the fact that you can't carry ten weapons at once however you get into the feeling that you are indeed playing a Max Payne game. The feeling of loneliness and hopelessness when you and your partner are hopelessly outnumbered from all sides as in the first two games is still present. So too is the health system, one that Rockstar thankfully didn't change to keep up with modern shooters. Health doesn't regenerate, instead you must seek out and consume pain killers to lower the amount of damage that you've accumulated. The last stand mechanic from Call Of Duty's multiplayer has also been integrated into the campaign. When you are about to die if you have a painkiller left the game will automatically go into slow motion allowing you to take out the person who just shot you, succeed and you will be given a second chance at life, fail and you die.

Outside of simply shooting everything in sight, their are also specific times in the game when you can use the environment to your advantage. Such as shooting the bumper on a car that is parked downhill to kill two henchmen standing beneath it, or blowing up a gas station to kill bad guys that are to far out of reach to be dealt with using conventional methods. There was even one moment I recall where I was in a bus depot and I could shoot the hinges off the fork lift of a bus and squish to death the enemies beneath it. One boss fight even requires you to use the environment to beat him. While your stnding beneath him and he's covered by a waist high barrier on top of a balcony I had to shoot the tiles above his head to hurt him and eventually force him to reveal himself. These moments are great, but there aren't enough of them. The scenarios I mentioned were some of the only times when you got to dispatch enemies in non conventional ways. Now this doesn't hurt the game , but it did feel like a waste of potential.

Now Max Payne 3's story is nowhere near as good as Rockstar's most recent outings, (GTA IV, Red Dead Redemption, LA Noire) but it is competent, and relatively long. Clocking in at roughly 12-15 hours depending on the difficulty
this is the longest game in the series. The game also takes a lot of risks by trying to establish itself as less of a Noire themed crime game and more of an all out action experience. Let's face it the sunny populated favela's of Brazil don't give off the same mood and vibe that the dark abandoned streets of New York city did.

While some fans of the series may find it difficult to adjust to this, I can most certainly understand Rockstar's desire to try something new with the Max Payne name. Having it take place in the same location as the last two games, especially after how Max Payne 2 ended with Max excepting the loss of his wife and trying move on would be contradictory to the games ending. So I can definitely see why such a change in pace felt desirable.

This is also the first game in the series to receive a cover system.
Max can press himself against any object at any given time to give him a little more protection then simply just squatting down. Though it feels a bit stiff at times. Since it uses the same method of cover from GTA IV you can't move from cover to cover. Instead you have to stand up, risk getting shot walk to the next available cover section and press the square button.

Throughout the game you will also be given opportunities to seek out clues to uncover the conspiracy and hopefully manage to figure out some of the games overarching plot before Max does. You can also collect pieces of golden guns which, once you've obtained allow you to play with a gold version of that gun in the campaign whenever you pick it up. It may not be much but it does give a little incentive to replay certain parts in the campaign.

The Games story at certain times also feels like it's trying to hard to be something that it's not. It tries to have a gripping narrative and make every action sequence intense and exciting, but without any juxtaposition every intense action sequence begins to feel similar. If every scene in the game is filled to the brim with explosions and burning buildings, then the ones that truly deserve to stand out in your mind get overshadowed by some of the not so great ones.
There was one scene that was extremely well designed where Max is trapped in the a burning building of the company that he works for. Watching him tread slowly as everything around him goes to hell is a very captivating set piece. This can almost be looked at as a metaphor, As his world is crumbling around him Max is forced to either go down with a shred of dignity or continue to walk on forward knowing that there is nothing for him if and when he gets outside. These scenarios are the ones that I payed attention to the most. The
incredible attention to detail and the way that max Moves through the flames is on par with Nathan Drake from Uncharted 3. Though Max Payne 3's color pallet is by no means at the level of Uncharted the Attention to detail is still noticeable. From Sao Palo's slums to the people that inhabit it. Watching children play soccer as max makes comments about them, and how it's there "best legal way out of here" truly shows that Rockstar prides themselves with making there worlds feel as lively and diverse as possible.

To add to the realism are the incredibly well acted NPC's, and of course Max himself. James Mcafrey Does an excellent job at voicing Max even after nine years. The way he talks portraying Max as A cynical jackass is a perfect reflection of what Max Payne should be. Also the excellent OST by HEALTH especially the music that plays during the last three stages are masterfully composed and fit every situation perfectly.
Most action games have music that is either mediocre or less than average, or is decent, but doesn't fit the situation. Max Payne 3 has none of these issues every piece of music fits the scenarios that Max is in. I normally don't just buy games for the soundtrack, but the music alone is worth buying this game for

After you've completed the campaign you will unlock new York minute mode, and score attack mode. In both these modes you are given one life to beat each level of the game. In score attack it's simple you kill bad guys for points, in New York Minute mode you start off each level with only one minute counting down, and the only way to increase your time is to kill bad guys. Head shots award you with even more time. But this mode as cool as it sounds becomes almost unplayable because of one major design flaw, The inability to skip cutscenes. And believe me this game has a lot of them. With over three hours of in game cutscenes the fact that you can't skip them make them feel like a chore to watch. Now 3 hours may not seem like much especially compared to games like metal Gear Solid 4.

But at least MGS4's cutscenes where interesting to watch and didn't disturb the flow of gameplay.
Also you could skip them if you wanted. Here most of the cutscenes don't do much other than disguise the games unbearable load times. This is just ridiculous especially considering that before your even able to play the game you have to wait about 40-50 minutes for it to install a massive 5.5 Gigabytes of hard drive space. Now it's tolerable during the campaign to have these cutscenes, but during the arcade modes where you are only given one life and no continues it is just completely unbelievable that if you are almost at the end of a level and you die just once, then you have to restart and watch the same cutscenes over and over again.

If you can't skip them then why bother putting them in at all during arcade mode. .
Now Max Payne 2 also had Arcade modes, but the cutscenes could be skipped, and they were barely over a minute long.

The last bit of entertainment that max Payne 3 offers is its multiplayer component.

This being the first game in the series to have any form of multiplayer Rockstar wanted to make sure that they made a good impression.
They did a great job capturing the feel of the single player campaign even going as far as to include bullet time in the multiplayer options.
When you activated bullet doge in multiplayer the entire game doesn't slow down, that would be stupid, instead only the people in your line of sight are affected. The closer they are to you the longer it lasts.
You can also unlock perks to be activated when you've acquired enough adrenaline. Adrenaline can be found by looting bodies of dead teammates and enemies. My favorite multiplayer mode though has got to be Payne killer.

In this mode two people play as Max and his buddy Passos, with overpowered weapons and abilities, while seven other players hunt them down. Who ever manages to kill one of these two will automatically become either Max or Passos, making you feel like a god among men.
And best of all you can form gangs or "crews" with specific teammates, whose
status will be directly uploaded into Grand Theft Auto 5. Now I don't know all the specifics on how this will help you in Grand Theft Auto 5 since it's not out yet but knowing Rockstar I feel as though they have something special in store for us. When all's said and done max Payne 3 is a shinning example of what you can expect out of an action game from a Triple A developer. And I can't imagine anyone not finding at least something they like out of this game.

Max Payne returns in style

Andrew Marcos — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 21:03:00 GMT

When last we saw Max Payne, it was 2003. This was before third person shooters like Resident Evil 4, Gears of War and Uncharted had changed the gaming world and evolved the shooter into what it was today. We also last saw him forced to watch the woman he loves die in his arms, right after losing his apartment in an explosion, killing his partner, and losing many of his coworkers in an attack on the police station he worked at. Needless to say, things weren’t looking too good for Max Payne, but luckily in the able hands of Rockstar Vancouver, we can relish in his sorrow as he shoots baddies in a sequel worthy of the name, mixing new and old into what is easily the best pure third person shooter out there.

When we see Max, he’s settling into an apartment in Sao Paulo Brazil after accepting a job offer from an old academy friend to work private security for some rich businessman and his family. After circumstances that we won’t go into force him to accept, he expects an easy job of lounging around and drinking. But of course this wouldn’t be a very fun game if things didn’t go very wrong, very soon would it?

The story is well told, though eschewing the old comic style panels for modern cutscenes, it oozes with style, with a striking visual effect (that can be obtrusive to some), and words popping out in the screen and different screens giving us what seems like a mix of the old comic style with modern cinematics. The cutscenes are fantastic and do a great job of setting up the plot, giving us our motives, and delving further into the characters and their motivations, but as mentioned it does have a screen effect reminiscent of Kane and Lynch 2 that might tear some away from the plot, and the cutscenes have a tendency to be a few minutes too long, occurring a bit too frequently. Of course the cutscenes do have a dual purpose of masking loading screens, and rewatching the fantastic cutscenes is preferable to watching a long bar (and when loading up a game you get some old school comic panels that catch you up to speed).

The plot and writing definitely show that it’s not a case of style over substance, with characters getting plenty of screen time, and Max explaining everything in his classic monologue. The new writing does a much better job of avoiding the overly cheesy feel of the writing in the previous games, while still keeping Max’s thoughts available in an incredibly dramatic voiceover (expertly done by James McCaffrey, who has voiced Max since his first outing). Though none of the other characters are quite as detailed as Max, this goes in the favor of some as we see hidden motivations and character details unfold, especially with Raul Passos, Max’s partner who comes off as a great friend and likeable ally with some secrets of his own. Some of the other characters don’t get as much time as they deserve, and others tend to come off as a bit one dimensional, but with the wealth of characters present it can be hard for some of the more minor characters to not come off as one dimensional stock characters.

The gameplay is where it really shines though, with Rockstar’s Euphoria Engine at its best and the most polished gameplay we’ve seen from them so far. The gunplay is amazing, allowing you to run and gun in the vein of the old titles, while offering modern features like shoulder aiming and a fantastic cover system that works well in tandem with Max’s rolling and shootdodging abilities. Max is capable of holding two pistols at once and one large weapon (which is dropped when Max is dual wielding). In cutscenes, Max will be shown wielding whatever he was using beforehand, with the rifle in his left hand and one of his equipped handguns in his right hand, which shows some incredible attention to detail. In some scenes, Max will even take the time to set down his large gun when he needs both his hands, a nice feat when most games opt to simply give you a stock weapon or cause the weapons to disappear altogether during cutscenes. Oddly enough Max is incapable of using projectile weapons while enemies can, and players are able to use them easily online, but this is more of a personal preference than anything else, it simply sticks out when Max can carry a grenade launcher with 18 rounds, yet Rockstar must have thought that one grenade would break the game.

The AI is some of the best AI I’ve come across, and really forces you out of cover with flanking tactics and communication that you rarely see in other titles, laying down cover for allies or grabbing at their injured body parts as they bleed out or try to steady themselves. Though Max can take down dozens of enemies in a row, even one lowly thug can put Max down with just a few bullets or a shotgun blast, forcing you to move fast, aim accurately, and take liberal use of Max’s signature bullet time ability. In fact, this is a game where moving out of cover and shootdodging repeatedly can be safer than using cover, especially when cover can be destructible and when shootdodging puts you into bullet time regardless of how much is in your bullet time bar (allowing you to take out enemies at your leisure while soaring through the air).

Though Max Payne mainly takes place in Sao Paulo with flashbacks to New Jersey, and the game is mainly comprised of you shooting other people without other game mechanics (like platforming or investigating things) happening, the game never lets repetition set in. Different locations like a big soccer stadium to a cruise liner are all locations Max will be shooting dudes in thanks to his lifestyle as a private security for one of the richest men in the city. Enemies and weaponry also change up as you go along, starting from slower, less experienced thugs with basic weapons, moving up to elite special forces with varying levels of heavy and medium armor, and tactics like window breaching and covering the area with smoke to keep you on your feet.

As the game goes along you also get small moments of respite (though brief), and a few fantastic sequences involving Max shooting things out of a moving vehicle really break up the gameplay without feeling like an overdone turret segment. Even Max himself changes through the course of the game, from looking like an older version of the Max we all know and love, to a bald, bearded, vacation shirt wearing man we see later on (in what is apparently his attempt at a disguise). Even the objectives change frequently, preventing the game from feeling like a shooting gallery from A to B, even though that is kind of what it turns out to be. Some things like the basic shooting mechanics and kill cams are constant, but the satisfaction in seeing an enemy’s eye blow out the back of his head doesn’t get old, and it adds a hefty and realistic weight to the violence allowing you to empathize with Max and his self-pity for being good at killing other human beings (especially with several throw away lines that make some of the bad guys Max brutally kills out to be just victims of circumstance, much like Max himself).

One big flaw the game has is how incredibly linear it is in comparison to older titles, and even other third person shooters like Uncharted. There isn’t much incentive for exploration with most clues and golden weapon pieces available in plain view, with the few times you can go off the course simply being another room containing a clue or a painkiller, but never really allowing you to veer off course. Combat does feel much more open and generally allows you to carry the weapons you had before into your next battle, but this isn’t always the case. The linearity is also compounded by levels that force you to move or fail and be sent back to the next checkpoint, and even levels where you aren’t in a particular rush have Max goading the player into moving with his monologues (which at least change frequently). This does work in favor of the game’s pacing and keeps you feeling on edge, but it’s an unfortunate way to do so.

For the first time in the series history, you now have online multiplayer available in a Max Payne game. Rockstar has actually done a stellar job with the multiplayer, with character customization being rather extensive for the different clans, as well as the fantastic crew and vendetta system that can turn some battles into a personal war between crews, one that could last all the way into Grand Theft Auto V if Rockstar is to be believed on how the crew system will carry over. The content and ranking system are extensive, but the gameplay is stellar as well. With the standard Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch, there is also Gang Wars and Payne Killer, the two stand out modes online.

Gang Wars is reminiscent of Killzone 3’s Warzone multiplayer mode, tasking two teams with different objectives that earn them points, which will give them an edge or handicap in the final Deathmatch battle. Gang wars also comes with an ongoing narration by Max Payne himself, who gives match details and motivations for each team, and it works very well, especially as it gives backstory and history on the enemies Max faces in single player. Payne Killer is almost like a co-op mode in its focus, but instead of AI enemies you face other human players. The first player to get a kill becomes Max, the second becomes Passos and players must attempt to kill them while they fend them off with their bloated health and stock of painkillers, bullet time and heavy weaponry. This mode is tense and it feels great to finally take down Max or Passos and use your abilities to mow down other players as if they were simple AI enemies, and each map even gives you a different version of Max and Passos to play as well as a different type of enemy team to play as or against, adding some variety and making sense within the context of the map.

The online mode isn’t perfect, it feels reminiscent of Uncharted and some of the bursts and weapons can feel a bit unbalanced (though bullet time works amazingly well, the ability for anyone to trigger it with a shoot dodge makes basic bullet time useless as a burst), and the heavy amount of players and matchmaking, as well as the game’s lethality and fast pace means heavy connection issues for anyone who doesn’t have a perfect connection. Despite several attempts, I’ve only once been able to play with friends, and I was constantly taken out of matches or placed in empty lobbies.

If you aren’t the kind to play multiplayer but want to get the most value out of the game, you also get a return to the score attack as well as various achievements and story grinds to keep you playing that give you extra XP, bonus characters, abilities, or golden weapons with extra power and ammo. One issue is that the game makes it hard to know what score you need to unlock certain things, but it’s a blast going through a level trying to get the most stylish kills to keep your clock counting down in New York Minute, or trying to test your mettle by playing through the Hardcore difficulty mode.

Overall, Max Payne 3 is a fantastic game, and one of the best third person shooters I’ve ever played. Whether you are a fan of the old games, or just a newcomer to the series, you’ll love the direction Rockstar has taken, keeping Max as fans remember him and with a nice nod here and there, but changing him to reflect on him attempting to move on with his life and dealing with his loss and depression so long after the events of the older games. This is a great game, with a host of content and that Rockstar stamp of approval that anyone willing to put up with the violence should check out.

Playing through the Payne: The Issues of Max Payne 3

David Chandler — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 02:06:00 GMT

It happened in the decaying favela slums of Sao Paulo. It had been a good few weeks since I picked up the controller to play Max Payne 3, so I figured why not go back. Max Payne 3 has perhaps the most polished gunplay I have ever experienced--it's almost as satisfying as a real trip to the gun range. In my second playthrough, the shooting and movement still felt dynamic as the first time, but in the streets of the ghetto, while Max undergoes a "hangover sent straight from Mother Nature," something felt off. After his employer is killed and the building burns down around him, Max has a life-changing epiphany--no more booze until he puts a bullet in the brain behind this convoluted plot involving organ harvesting and political corruption. The plot takes off in a very clear, direct path for redemption and brutal execution...but the gameplay stays the same.

Here is a textbook example of ludonarrative dissonance (shameless plug for the title of my blog). From the beginning of the game, we know Max Payne bathes in alcohol and derides himself for being a washed-up loser. Yet he moves with the practiced grace and precision of ballet dancer, placing shots between the eyes of his would-be killers with surgical accuracy. It's hard to buy that Max is simultaneously a booze-soaked, pill-popping slob (he even tells his partner "I'm not slipping, I've slipped") and a grotesquely efficient killer. Is this really the performance of a pilled-up drunk with a gun?:

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Tom Bissell, one of the most established game critics I've read, writes about this in his article on Max Payne 3, saying that the game is "quite possibly the most ludonarratively dissonant video game ever made" and arguing that, in the end, the game "appears to be trying to say something about regret and death and slaughter and addiction, but, of course, can't." I tend to agree. The game sacrifices synchronicity in favor of a well-polished shooting system. After all, who the hell cares if a game's story syncs up perfectly at the expense of gameplay? Controlling a drunk, stumbling Max Payne for the first few hours of the game would not a happy gamer make. Nevertheless, if a developer chooses to make a game as narratively driven and brutal as Max Payne, then said developer should work to elevate the purpose behind having a player kill hundreds of virtual people, drunk or sober. One way to alleviate this issue would have been a cosmetic change to the gameplay--other than Max's shaving his head and donning a Hawaiian t-shirt. Something as simple as making the gunplay a bit sloppier in the first half of the game by using more motion blur or by eliminating kill cams altogether would make Max's narrative shift better. Imagine playing the game for a while and enjoying the crisp gunplay, just without the exquisite detail (because Max is drunk), only to be completely blindsided by the clarity of the the death animations in the latter half of the game when Max sobers up. The impact would be narratively and ludologically synchronous--Max's clarity would be the player's clarity. The trade-off would be significant, to be sure, but if the gameplay were still crisp and the visuals dialed down in the first few chapters, the transition could be extremely effective.

But the heavy themes the game introduces would still need to be resolved. Max Payne 3 raises the issues of poverty, redemption through violence, and the carelessness of the rich without offering any type of ludological investigation of how to deal with them. The only issue explored in gameplay is extreme violence, and even then, mostly through the slow cam close-up. The game forces the player to witness up close and in incredible detail countless bodies' being torn and shredded in gory, beautiful detail. Only in these instances does the player have the opportunity to understand what exactly all this killing begets in the form of dynamic death animations brilliantly crafted to respond to where the bullet pierces the body. The player also has the ability to slow down the camera to see with greater clarity the character's last movements as well as the ability to keep firing at the body even though the enemy is dead. Affording the player with the ability to slow down and view pieces of metal ripping and tearing the human body allows the player to reflect on the means he/she employs to accomplish Max's goal. But after about the hundredth time I saw a slow motion death sequence, it no longer induced a wince from me; I kept wondering what is the purpose behind it. Am I supposed to feel guilty? Am I supposed to gain some sort of insight about the human propensity to violence? Is the message that violence only begets more violence? Or am I simply asked to enjoy the carnage? Entertaining any one of these questions seems like a logical critical step, but upon execution, the results are unsatisfying. The game, in this respect, seems a missed opportunity.

It's brutal, it's disgusting, it's beautifully rendered, and it's provocative. But what does it mean?

Let me reiterate, though, that Max Payne 3 boasts the most responsive and satisfying shooting mechanics I've ever experienced. Nevertheless, if games are going to be elevated to the artistic standard we so fervently argue they do, the questions regarding video game violence and ludonarrative dissonance must be addressed. The interaction on part of the player redirects the moral responsibility of executing a person-shaped pile of ones and zeroes back on the one holding the controller. The role of the critic, then, should be to unpack the meaning embedded in the code as pixels explode across the screen. Performing such an exercise on Max Payne 3 yields mixed results, but the game may be compelling precisely because of this problem. There's no way to synthesize violence and meaning here; the game drags you down into a blood-spattered critical hell and challenges you to climb back out--bullet by bullet. Perhaps that's commentary enough.

Cheers,

--David

Stop! Bullet Time!

Craigaleg — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 13:22:35 GMT

Score: 9.0 / 10

Max Payne 3

Xbox 360 - PS3 - PC
Developer - Rockstar Games
Publisher - Rockstar Games
Release Date: May 15th, 2012

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Pros:

Combat never disappoints with flashy, familiar gunplay
Solid look and style of storytelling that holds your interest
Sharp textures and environments
Surprisingly fun multiplayer

Cons:

Cover to cover mechanic feels a bit unresponsive
Cut scenes put a break in the pacing
Multiplayer server connection can be sporadic

Like a sadistic bullet wielding ballerina, Max Payne has made its mark as a third person shooter with style since its debut on the Playstation 2. The noir style storytelling and quick draw gunplay has seen it through two installments, both received relatively well. Rockstar looks to keep the franchise alive with a refined cover system and the addition of competitive multiplayer. Despite sticking true to the formula from the previous games, the polish and overall experience with Max Payne 3 makes it a game that both newcomers and veterans alike can appreciate.

Cop Drama

The tone for Max Payne 3 is set right from the start, as we find Max drinking heavily and popping pills to cope with his dark past. Down on his luck, retired from the NYPD, and still reeling from the loss of his wife and daughter; the game flashes through both past and present to explore the series of events leading to the game's opening of a war-torn airfield. Players will bounce between his departure from New Jersey at the mercy of a local mob to his new job as a bodyguard in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Each chapter adds a piece of the puzzle together as you experience each betrayal, surprise, and turn of events. The cast of characters may not be that fleshed out aside from Max, but the plot serves its purpose and you do not need to play the first two installments to understand what is happening.

Storytelling sticks to previous installments with a noir style influence, giving off a cop drama feel that melds well with the overall somber overtone. In addition to cinematic sequences to hide load times, Max will self-narrate his thoughts as you progress to help to fill the voids between fights. Some of his one liners may feel too cheesy, but it fits perfectly with the "80s cop" shtick the game is going for. Words flash across the screen, comic panel frames overlay many segments, and seamless transitions from cinematics to gameplay are common occurrences. The story may be basic, but the presentation of it all is what is truly captivating.

The interesting style of storytelling is coupled with stellar visuals. Max Payne 3 boasts stunning textures and character models, complimented with top notch mocap to bring each character to life. You traverse through a multitude of settings ranging from vibrant nightclubs to desolate villages, each with its own personality. Bullet time is enhanced with a bass friendly thud and each bullet that leaves the chamber makes as much of an impact on your subwoofer as it will on your intended target. With a solid voice cast backing up the dialogue, it is a game that just looks and sound great.

Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive, and Dodge

Max Payne is all about being quick on the trigger with stylish gunplay. Sticking to the classic over the shoulder perspective you guide Max through each chapter, tackling baddy after baddy to the chapter's conclusion. An arsenal of weaponry will be at your disposal; be it classic dual wielding pistols or semi-automatic rifles. Unlike most current titles, the health system for the game is a throwback to the older generation in which Painkillers are used to restore lost health and are scattered throughout the level. Without the modern regenerative health, it will make you a bit more wary before charging headfirst into battle. This cautious feeling seems to play down the "action hero" feel and can keep you taped to the wall longer with each advance in difficulty settings.

Exploration in the game is minute in both combat and traversal. During battle you will find plenty of opportunity to grab cover, but transitioning between pieces is nonexistent and you are better off using the classic bullet dive. Once the field is clear of enemies, you are free to explore the immediate area for the numerous clues and golden weapon pieces strewn about. This is actually discouraged by Max at several points, as he continually speaks up to press the matter at hand. Despite a few scripted sequences and on-rails scenarios, much of the game involves entering a room, killing everything, and moving to the next room to repeat.

You will have to be quick on the trigger, as the enemy AI is a step above what you would typically see in a third person shooter. Enemies will flank and charge your position, in addition to being much more careful in popping out of cover predictably. The cover system and bullet dodge will have to be utilized efficiently, as even on normal mode you can drop quickly if you are not careful.

Time Bandit

The staple of Max Payne is the slow-mo Bullet Time, which makes its triumphant return. A bar next to Max's health will continuously charge as he takes fire and dishes it out. You can then slow time around you to gain a few opportune moments to line up headshots and pick your targets. It proves handy when the enemies are approaching on all sides, giving a brief moment to plan your next move.

Going hand in hand with the bullet time is the bullet dodge ability, allowing you to heroically leap into the air, popping baddies as you go. Needless to say, this is the go-to move for much of the game, as there is no rate of diminishing returns in leaping into a room and mowing down every last person before you hit the floor. Unfortunately, the leap is incredibly sensitive. Even the slightest object in his way can throw him off kilter and skew your aiming.

A new addition to the bullet time arsenal is a "last stand" mode. If you fail to pop a Painkiller in time and have one in your inventory, it acts like the fairy in a bottle from Legend of Zelda. Time slows around you, and you are given one last "revenge" shot on the enemy that caused you the inconvenience. Successfully hit him and you can get back on your feet, but fail to find him or miss the shot and its game over. It puts a forgiving touch to the non-regenerative health, and can make for some nail biting finishes for a firefight.

Bullet Buddies

New to the Max Payne franchise is a fairly fleshed out competitive multiplayer. Players can choose from a multitude of deathmatch inspired modes to battle it out with up to 16 other players online. While the standard deathmatch mode gives the expected experience, Gang War will be the mode of choice as two rival teams duke it out over five chapters with varying objectives dependent upon the match's outcome. The game can start out by trying to hold turf, and transition into a protect the VIP scenario. It keeps you guessing and provides a nice shuffle to keep modes from becoming stale.

The multiplayer is easy to get the hang of, as the same cover system and run and gun mechanics lose nothing in the translation from single player to multiplayer. The iconic bullet time is worked into the multiplayer in an interesting way; Only the players in your immediate field of vision are affected by the trigger, slowing your movement for a brief interval. It has its moments of questionable execution, but works well for the most part.

Upon completion of each match, the expected experience and leveling system will play its part. You have the ability to choose a loadout to match your preferred style of gunwielding. The more you pack on, the less stamina and health regeneration you have. This healthy balance allows a multitude of possibilities to customize your preference; be it a stealthy bullet time assassin or fully loaded soldier. With a slew of perks, challenges, wagers, and playlist options, the multiplayer ends up being so robust that it makes it hard to cast it off as another tacked on mode. The main downside lies in the huge amount of lockouts to weapons and armor, leaving the new players in that all too familiar feeling of being at the mercy of the fully loaded at-launch buyers.

Overall

Having only a brief experience with the first two games, I walked away from Max Payne 3 generally pleased. It gives the feeling of playing through a compelling action movie, and despite the loop of cleaning rooms of enemies the combat manages to entertain from start to finish. It is a complete package of a game, with plenty of content to keep you coming back for both the single player and multiplayer experience. Max Payne 3 is a bullet diving thrill ride that any shooter fan can appreciate.

PainKillers

Maki — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 12:18:00 GMT

I Rate this game a 8.75 it has some good features and other,It went from epic to ok from my point of view.

After a while it can get bored,You goal is to protect these girls and then something bad happens so common these days.

I recommend La.noire it is a better game from rockstar company its more old fashion but it wont get old trust me.

A 'Payne Pill' for action addicts.

Platinumus Prime — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 19:45:00 GMT

I was skeptical at first when I saw Max in a bright Hawaiian button-down shirt and sporting a freshly cut shaved head. I thought to myself "That's not Max Payne, that's John McClane on vacation!" Although I am a huge 'Die Hard' movie franchise fan, I am also a big Max Payne fan and didn't think he needed to be made into a mirror image of the 'Yippie Kai Yay Mother#@?&er!' catch phrase spouting movie icon. Much to my surprise after playing through the single player campaign for the first time I found myself wishing that they'd cast Bruce Willis instead of Mark Wahlberg for the part in the movie adaptation. Max Payne 3 is an incredible interactive/cinematic experience. For the first time in my life I played through a campaign on Hard difficulty and dove right back into it in order to experience it again on the 'Old School' difficulty. Usually when I beat a game I'd take a break from it for a while and go back to other games in my library to level up characters, gain achievements/ trophies and log in some hours on multiplayer but not this time. It was like watching a movie a second time so that the effects of it would linger longer and further embed itself within my minds memory banks. The story was great, many twists and turns take the player from the rich and lavish backdrops of the well to-do upper class citizens of Sao Paulo Brazil to the poverty stricken streets of the Favela where gangbangers rule not to mention flashbacks to how Max was recruited and shot his way out of Hoboken New Jersey. Max gets drunk, copes with his past memories, self medicates himself, pisses someone off by simply breathing where he shouldn't be, gets into gun-battles, allies himself with powerful people, get's betrayed and almost every key character dies. Max made me curse him several times for decisions which lead him into worse situations where once he was well armed, standing above piles of shot up corpses then wound up beaten bloody and defenseless but much like John McClane, Max proved he can crawl, brawl, re-arm, duck, dodge and ultimately shoot his way out of most situations.

The game also offers many other incentives to boost it's replay value such as 'Grinds' which lead to unlocking golden gun variants for multiplayer weapon loadouts, achievements/trophies and campaign progress on different difficulties offer character skin unlocks for multiplayer avatars. And speaking of multiplayer, how fun it is to 'Shootdodge' in 'Bullettime' and watch several players jumping from catwalks, windows and other forms of cover to kill each other 'The Matrix' style. Other modes such as 'Gang Wars' and 'Payne Killer' offer some spice to an other wise stale market dominated by Call Of Duty and Battlefield. 'Gang Wars' has two teams compete for objectives that change every round for five rounds and 'Payne Killer' nominates the first killer as Max and his first kill as his partner Passos, whoever kills either of them turns into their respective kills as they continue to cover each others back while the opposition continues to commit themselves to their enemy's murders. This game has proven to me to be truly awesome and converted me from a naysayer to a yayplayer. Lol. Minor glitches and some collision issues keep it from a perfect score but aside from that I could find no wrong in this game.This is one of my personal opinions and I'm sticking to it. Bring the Payne!

Back in Action

SneakaFew — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 19:31:00 GMT

Max Payne is back and better than ever. I wasn't allowed to play the games back than lol and thats exactly why i DID play them. The story line is great and the multiplayer is just plain F****** awesome.

A Quick Good vs. Bad Review for Max Payne 3

that_sterlin_kid — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 13:39:00 GMT

Quick isn't what I do, especially since my reviews usually take me at around an hour or 2 to complete even after taking notes during my playthroughs. However, I'm extremely backed up. I now have 9 other games that I've got to beat and review (though I may not even bother reviewing a couple of them) before 2012's glorious Fall of Awesomeness, which what I'm calling the Fall Release Schedule. This is also the first time I've ever done a "Quick Review", so here it goes.

The Good:
+ This is Rockstar at it's finest in story-telling. Max Payne 3 delivers an amazing story that will keep you playing. It may also keep you guessing to the end and throw in some emotional twists.

+ Unlike most games in this generation, Max Payne 3 doesn't tone down its challenge factor. No matter what difficulty, you may find yourself dying repeatedly due to enemies flanking your position, shooting down at you from higher ground, or even surrounding you. Bullet Time is there to help, but it doesn't last long and ammo goes fast.

+ Max Payne 3's animations and some of the environments are among the most realistic that I have seen from this generation of games, especially when it comes down to the destruction of said environments.

+ The Multiplayer is great fun and offers a lot of customization not only for your loadout, but your characters as well. Each faction in the multiplayer have their very own character that you can customize by changing their gender, clothes, and more. As for the loadout customization, you will have to choose what you use wisely because everything (weapons, attachments, and even perks) is weighted and the heavier you are, the slower you will be. There are also many different game types to check out.

The Bad:
- There were a couple kinks, like: sometimes shooting straight up when behind cover, the loading times for some of the levels and "Shoot Dodge" being pretty clunky most of the time, especially in the multiplayer.

9.0 out of 10

(Review based off of PS3 version)

Max is Back and Badder than ever!

D5C Juvenile — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 01:24:00 GMT

I've been a Max Payne fan since the very beginning and I gotta say I love the series. Year after year and delay after delay I patiently waited for Max Payne 3 and I have to say it was well worth the wait. It is a beautifully crafted game, from its intense and noir-style single player all the way to the bullet riddled multi-player. If you like shooters, then you can't miss this bullet-time filled adventure.

Max Payne 3 - All About Max

Cameron Koch — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 18:35:00 GMT

Max Payne 3 has one trait that so many other mindless action games lack - it has character. Or more specifically, one character. Max Payne himself. The above quotes are just a small sampling of some of Payne's social commentary, and makes every minutes of Max Payne 3, even the rare moments when you aren't blowing people away in bullet time, a pleasure.

Players concerned about jumping into the series without having played both Max Payne 1 and 2, don't worry. Max Payne 3 makes it easy for new players to jump in and pick up on events in the previous games. Max now finds himself in Sao Paulo Brazil, attempting to finally escape the memories of his past by leaving them in New York. Working as a private security guard for a wealthy Sao Paulo family, Max quickly bites off more than he can chew when wife of business mogul Rodrigo Branco is kidnapped. It's up to Max to save her, but in traditional Max Payne fashion he will quickly discover that a seemingly simple kidnapping is anything but. Max Payne 3 benefits greatly from its great variety of exotic locations, whether it be the muddy streets of a favela or dance club atop a skyscraper. There are numerous flashback scenes as well, allowing players to also experience the traditional Max Payne setting of New York City and New Jersey, and the graphics are incredibly detailed to bring you into the experience.

The game plays as a big budget action movie, with the series' signature bullet time back with a vengeance. Players fill a meter by getting shot at and scoring kills, allowing for use of the special slow motion effect. Diving through windows, racing down ziplines and shooting everything in sight, all in slow motion, is standard fare in Max Payne 3, but every action set piece feels exciting and intense. This in part because of the games difficulty. Even on the normal setting, Max Payne 3 doesn't pull any punches. While many players will want to simply run, gun, and dive, it will often get you killed. To do well in Max Payne 3 is to use the cover system and use bullet time effectively. Keeping true to it's old school roots, you won't find a regenerating health bar here. Players must constantly manage their health and use painkillers to restore a wounded Max Payne. A new feature of the game allows for when Max is gunned down, as long as he has a bottle of pain killers, to return fire on his killer in slow motion. If the player manages to avenge himself in time, Max will return to the realm of the living. A wide variety of weapons, from pistols and revolvers to smg's and assault rifles are all at Max's disposal, and each type of weapon feels powerful and useful. I used pistols almost exclusively, preferring their accuracy to pull off headshots over pumping enemies full of lead with an assault rifle. While the majority of the game is spent using standard third person shooter gameplay, various action set pieces break up the regular duck and shoot such as vehicle gunner missions, or covering your partner with a sniper rifle. These scenes break up the gameplay nicely, but it would have been nice to see Max, maybe just once, do something other than shoot, such as driving the vehicle himself or simple platforming segments. The few boss battles present in the game are fairly disappointing and don't live up to the excitement of the regular gameplay, but they are few and far between and do little to hurt the game overall.

Clocking in anywhere from 7 to 11 hours depending on player skill, Max Payne 3 offers more than enough content to justify a purchase. Numerous collectibles are sprinkled throughout the 14 missions, either being clues that add context to the story of golden gun pieces that don't do much aside from color guns golden. After completion of the single player game various other difficulties and modes are unlocked, such as New York Minute mode that has players attempting to beat each mission in only a minute, gaining additional time by killing enemies. Players tired of playing single player can jump into an extensive online multiplayer component that features clans, character customization and unlockable weapons and attachments.

But by far the most important feature of Max Payne 3 is Max Payne himself. The characters great writing, solid voice acting, and constant chatter makes every gameplay segment a delight. Even simple tasks such as searching a room for additional painkillers,clues or ammo has Max commented about stealing a person's medication or drowning his sorrows, and while it might seem like it would get tiresome, it doesn't, as every internal monologue is unique and never repeated. Max is a tormented soul, constantly giving the player his own strange philosophy on life that comes off as a joke but also has real meaning. He tries his hardest to succeed and do right, but always fails and runs into trouble. Max is completely aware of this fact, and his self loathing comments are often humorous, but also sad.The writer's took advantage of the games health system and make Max an alcoholic addicted to painkillers, as he is constantly chugging pill bottles for health. The monlogues and constant wisecracking allow players to get into the head of a video game character like never before.

All in all, Max Payne 3 is a action shooter polished to no end. Even then, Max Payne 3 would be a good game. But what sets the game truly above its counterparts is the leading man himself. As players descend into the bowls of Sao Paulo with Max, they will learn more about what makes him tick and his real desire to do good in a world that hasn't been kind to him. It's this narrative that pushes the game forward, and it's this reason why gamers deserve an action hero like Max Payne.

A World of Hurt, Booze, and Bullet Time

Orochisama LEVON, Spectre — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 01:00:00 GMT

We've been waiting for a while, and the latest installment in the Max Payne series has finally arrived. Questions and skepticism arose when players saw a dramatically-aged Max Payne and a story that seemed to completely abandon the subdued style evoked by the first two entries in favor of a b-movie action premise. Eschewing Finnish writer Sam Lake for Dan Houser - of Red Dead Redemption fame - also brought on a slew of new concerns and one central question prevailed: could Rockstar deliver the same magic that Max Payne fans loved, or would they discard all it for the larger mainstream crowd? The answer is as complicated as the plot.

The setting for this foray into the latest Max Payne has probably been repeated ad nauseum by media outlets: Max is now a pill-popping drunkard haunted by the deaths of his wife and child, excessively pessimistic, and retired from the NYPD. Now living in New Jersey, a run-in with the mob forces him to leave and we soon find the tragic hero doing security work in Brazil, of all places. A kidnapping ensues and we find Max fighting goons throughout Brazil in a story filled with twists, turns, and gritty characters. One thing is clearly established before the player even has a chance to complete a third of the campaign: the new Max Payne is a far cry from the gaming experience we're used to seeing, and for the most part it works.

Max Payne 3 is a divisive game story-wise, sprawling with a noirish plot that sizzles with intrigue but is ultimately convoluted. Most of the time, players will find themselves enjoying the narrative unfolding yet not feel invested in the story itself; for all intents and purposes, the setting is just a plot device filled with recited incidents rather than a gripping story that builds tension and anticipation, leading to a somewhat anticlimactic, although satisfying, finish. The comic-book style of the previous entries is nowhere to be seen, although traces of it can be found in a series of flashbacks filling the player in on the events between games, and the highly metaphorical themes of the previous games are mostly abandoned in favor of a more candid and subversive sentiment. Character writing rarely falters, and players will not be able to resist smirking each time Max offers a pessimistic quip about his painkillers. What complements this new approach is Rockstar's equally divisive cinematic approach.

I'm filled with mixed feelings regarding Rockstar's dramatic approach to storytelling, to be blunt. While Max Payne 3 is an action-packed game, it's also a game filled with beautiful cutscenes... lot's of them. Usually, these animated scenes will play out and move the story ahead for us, especially in-between battles, and the scenes vary in length. Instead of becoming engaging however, these cutscenes are unabashedly plot devices whose frequency will annoy rather than engross most players, especially purists, and they take some time to adjust to. At their worst, these scenes end up making the player feel like they're being dragged through the story like a child, and this is already a fairly linear game at that. Thankfully however, the entrancing score and superb voice acting of McCaffrey sell each moment, no matter how outlandish in some cases. His latest iteration of Payne is one that embodies the newfound grit and depravity with convincing nuance and made me care about the character. However, the true highlight is the gameplay, which is fairly simple but has surprising depth.

Players will find themselves venturing throughout impressive set pieces that complement the themes (economic inequality, greed, desperation, etc.) of the story, from a glossy night club to the notorious favelas of Brazil, each filled to the brim with enemies to shoot with a balanced arsenal of weapons. Players will dive, dodge, and roll throughout firefights in some of the most impressive and fluid animations I've seen in a third person shooter. Bullet Time, Max's signature ability, returns with a vengeance, and Max's closest friend will be his painkillers; the lack of regenerating health encourages players to play smartly. The additional inclusion of a realistic loadout system and the Max Payne equivalent of Last Man Standing add a modicum of complexity to gunfights. Destructible objects in the environment add to the chaos and hectic pacing each confrontation brings, and when you combine these features with the gratuitous blood, gore, and the kill cam shots that accompany them, you get an impressive gameplay experience that falls just shy of the complexity of its counterparts.

The multiplayer system remains entertaining, yet relatively conventional in spite of all the drastic stylistic changes to Max Payne 3. It's also pretty frantic, and I've got to compliment Rockstar for successfully finding a way to implement Bullet Time into the gameplay without turning it into a blundering mess. The maps are scaled well and detailed; an experience system with unlockables and different loadouts gives players a great amount of replay value. While many players enjoyed Gang Wars, I found myself drawn to the antics of Large Team Deathmatch. The only drawback I've seen so far when it comes to multiplayer is that the servers don't necessarily stay very active - you'll often have to find the right time of day to have a good share of participants if you don't have any friends joining you; I've literally run into only three players being available before. That small gripe aside, Max Payne's multiplayer system doesn't feel tacked on and fits it like a glove.

In closing, Max Payne 3's a game that may be divisive, but for reasons just as positive as any potentially negative ones. Times have changed for our hero, and possibly for the worst. Yet, change is often good and we see Max grow and evolve in ways unexpected before. Don't let the gruff look and cheap liquor fool you; Max Payne's still got it.

9 out of 10

No Payne No Gain

jktmowell — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 22:47:00 GMT

Max Payne 3 is a beast!!! I just finished the story and let me just say, "Holy Sh1t" it is awesome! Max Payne delivers again and in different ways as well. Here's a few of the key aspects about the game that I thought put it over the top.

Story is Full!

If you are gamer looking for an intense and full story based game, this is the one! I came into the game thinking that Rockstar would try to bring this story back around to have something to do with the original story of the first two games. It didn't, however, it was totally better that they didn't. It did have some flash back chapters that filled in the blanks as to how Max came to this job in Brazil, which was really cool!!! The characters are developed very well in the story, as well. Max's partner Passos is a fun addition to the story, especially since he plays a couple of key roles in some of the coolest twists in the game. Which is another great part in the story of MP3, get ready for some crazy twist and turns as you role through this game.

The Brazilian Backdrop is a work of Art!

I cannot begin to explain how amazing the backdrop in this game is and how essentual it is to the story. Simply put, the Brazilian feel in the game puts this game in a different league than most of its kind. The different settings in this game you get the experience of being part of the rich scene on a yacht and in a night club. Then, later you get to experience the slumbs of a prostitution strip club and a paramilitary headquarter that makes the Bronx look like the Ritz! It always sets the tone for what you are fixing to walk into.

The Music is Perfect

The mostly unknown band, Health, is a very unlikely choice for Rockstar to pick to do the score for this very large release, but it was a good bet. Health puts together a score of music that fits into each phase of the game and builds it appropriately to a climax that will have you so jacked up by the end you will be tired by the time it's over.

The Bullet Time and Controls duh!!

What Max Payne fan was not looking forward to this part of the new game! What is more fun than jumping down a flight of stairs in slow motion dropping off bad guys in droves with a massive load of shells!!!

All in all, MP3 is an all around awesome game!!! There were a few parts that moved alittle slow, but Max Payne is still the craziest and coolest ex-cop that is on the edge and ready to put some bullets in some skulls!

My time With Max

Brian cook — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 00:55:00 GMT

I recently completed Max Payne 3, and am over all impressed with what i walked away from after completing it. The plot was deep and full of twists and turns that I've come to expect from Rockstar. This is not a big step up from Red Dead Redemption, a game which i enjoyed for hours and hours, and the linear levels kind of dragged the experience down, instead of letting players explore the Vibrant city. Some times it gave you some freedom, but was otherwise stripped away. The voice acting was excellent, and Max's narration through out gave a lot of hindsight of what was going through our Hero's (Anti-Hero's?) head. The graphics were very good, from the flashing lights at a party, the way Max's closes shift as he moves around the environment, or the darkness and shades clearly defined from the moonlight. The sounds were very crisp and life like, from the full auto shots of a Machine gun to the silenced shots from a pistol. Multiplayer, on the other hand, was not as much fun as you would expect. It was very dissapointing, and hopefully they can fix it later on and make it better. Overall, i would recommend purchasing this game.