Max Payne 3 - Xbox 360

The New, Same Old Payne

Andrew Reiner — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:17:00 GMT

Max Payne 3’s opening shots bear no resemblance to the series’ iconic imagery of a black trench coat flapping in the wind as a hail of bullets whiz by in slow motion. Instead, the game begins with four snapshots of a much different Max – sitting alone in an apartment with a bottle of whiskey at his side; standing bald, bearded, and bloodied over a horribly mangled body; delivering flowers to a grave; and the most shocking portrait of all, dressed for show in an expensive suit as he mingles with the rich.

Despite his radically different appearances, Max’s state-of-mind is always the same: He’s a cynical jerk with a biting sense of humor. He’s older, wiser, and at times, appears to be someone who has found peace. As much as I laughed at his quick wit and hilarious inner monologue, the game continually reminded me that he wasn’t okay. He still carries his demons with him, and he’s doing his damnedest to suppress them. Most of the game’s transitional moments are bridged with montages of Max drinking extensively and popping pills. The entire game is riddled with graphical distortion meant to illustrate Max’s struggle with addiction. I can see these effects becoming problematic for some players, as they are jarring, but I think they do a fantastic job of reminding us who Max is, and plant the seed that if he wasn’t intoxicated, situations may play out differently.

As much as Max Payne 3 is a fascinating portrait of a man, it tells a great, action-packed story that runs in-stride with Max’s inner turmoil. Thanks to an invitation from an old friend, Max finds himself working in the shady world of private security in Sao Paulo, Brazil for real estate tycoon, Rodrigo Branco. Max is tasked to keep a protective eye on Branco’s wife, Fabiana, an out-of-control party girl with an entourage in tow. Fabiana’s lifestyle often takes Max to places where he can sit back and enjoy a drink. In fact, the game’s first gameplay sequence is set in a swank bar that overlooks one of San Paulo’s poverty-stricken neighborhoods. The second chapter picks up in a night club. As Max relaxes with a drink, Comando Sombra, a gang tied to Brazilian drug trade, infiltrates the party and opens fire on the guests. Fabiana is kidnapped. Max gives chase, but despite leaving the bar littered with Comando Sombra corpses, is unable to reclaim her. What unfolds next is a thrilling pursuit loaded with twists and turns, excitement and tension, and smoking hot gunplay every step of the way.

We see a different side of Max in this game, but when his gun is drawn, he instantly morphs back to the Max of old, a bullish gunslinger who can run into the middle of a lobby and down a handful of foes without seeking the aid of cover or taking a hit. This is all thanks to Max’s greatest ally, Bullet Time, an ability that allows him to slow down the world and move a hair faster than his foes. Although many games have adopted similar slow-motion gunplay throughout the years, this is the most fun I’ve had with this ability. The gunplay is smooth and polished, and almost every combat scenario becomes a game of “how many enemies can I drop at once.” Rockstar Studios also forces Max into Bullet Time for over-the-top scripted sequences that you’d think were designed for a new Jason Statham Crank movie. All of the targeting mechanics (hard lock, soft lock, and free aim) are beautifully implemented.

Animation plays a large role in intensifying the firefights. If Max dives too close to a wall, he’ll smash into it, leaving him vulnerable for a few seconds before he rights his aim from the floor or rises. Little touches like Max trying to cover his face as he lunges toward a wall or tuck his arms under his body as he rolls are impressive.

Most environment surfaces hit by bullets crack or shatter in different ways. The explosion of glass on a framed picture looks fantastic, and most of the cover Max can seek refuge behind can be chipped away or outright destroyed. The cover mechanic works without a hitch most of the time, however, I did run into five or six instances of Max’s gun running into collision problems with cover, causing his firearm to point toward the ceiling and fire shots upward.

The campaign is a fun ride that rarely slows. The script, an area Rockstar always seems to knock out of the park, takes Max to interesting places, and doesn’t follow a predictable path. Once the bullets start flying, the game doesn’t load. Much like the Uncharted games, story sequences bleed directly into gameplay. On several occasions I had to scramble to fire shots.

Max Payne may not seem like a franchise that lends itself well to multiplayer, but Rockstar has found a way to keep Bullet Time alive and well for deathmatching purposes, and uses it to anchor a robust offering of competitive modes.

Deathmatch and team deathmatch prove to be fun, grinder-like experiences with average lives lasting for 20 to 30 seconds. Becoming Max or Raul Passos (an old colleague of Max’s) in Payne Killer mode delivers that “how many foes can I down before I fall” thrill. This mode starts with a standoff between all of the players in the match. The first player to land a kill becomes Max. The player that was killed becomes Raul. These two characters are more powerful than the others and must work together to earn as many points as they can before they are taken out. The player that takes out one of these characters takes their role.

The coolest multiplayer mode offered is Gang Wars. This mode pits two teams against each other and incorporates story threads from the campaign to shape the five rounds. How a round ends dictates what the next objective will be, a design that keeps the battles fresh.

The same great gunplay from the campaign is replicated in the multiplayer modes, and immense depth is tied to the ranking system (with a level cap of 50) and slew of unlockable guns, skins, and items. Rockstar also provides a crew system that tracks world ranks, kill-to-death ratios, and first place finishes for each crew.

No matter what gameplay mode I chose, I had a great time playing Max Payne 3. The gameplay doesn’t explore new territory, but delivers a retro charm that fans of the series should appreciate. It’s a new day for Max Payne, and at the same time, a return to his glorious past.

Hands-On With Max Payne 3's Multiplayer

Chris Stead — Fri, 11 May 2012 20:25:00 GMT

Rockstar has done it! The famed developer has made bullet time work in multiplayer and achieved it with such subtle genius, it feels completely organic to the experience, retaining its functionality and its cool. It's the standout technical feature of Max's robust multiplayer mode, but it's not the only innovative idea set to make it a popular destination.

Bullet time functions much as it does in the single player game. You build up your adrenalin by filling foes with lead, then tap a button to slow everything to a snail's pace. When you activate bullet time, any player in your line of sight also slows, albeit inhibited more than the activator in their ability to move and shoot. In addition, any players in the line of sight of the affected individuals also go into bullet time. As a result, their goal is to get out of line of sight as quick as possible, breaking the spell.

Rather than a confusing stop-start mess, in our two hours playing the game, bullet time only seemed to occur during the climatic closing stages of a one-on-one duel, simply accentuating your focus on that moment. And when you were affected well out of range of the fight, you tended to move out of line of sight and into full stride quickly. On paper, it's an easy system to doubt, but I can assure you it worked in our eight-player battles wonderfully, never acting to unbalance the rest of the uninhibited playing space. I'm curious, however, to see what happens when there are a full 16 players running around.

Two other features also caught my eye. You can loot corpses, just like in an RPG: a process that makes your character crouch for a precious second, leaving you vulnerable to attack. The reward can be extra bullets, cash, painkillers, and adrenaline. Also intriguing is the system whereby loading up your character with gear and guns penalizes your speed, stamina, and health regeneration rate. So you can't be blasé about loadouts; they must be finely tuned to accentuate your strategy for a particular game mode. There's a phenomenal amount of customization options, too. A host of single handed, dual-wielding, double-handed, and projectile weapons can be selected, each affecting the health/stamina/speed relationship in their own way. Additionally, there are various types of protective clothing and gear (such as a Walkie Talkie that maps the positions of enemies spotted by teammates) to equip, and brilliantly conceived power-ups called bursts.

Bursts are short time buffs and modifiers that spend adrenaline when activated and include great ideas like; "your team doesn't consume ammo for 10 seconds," "enemies lose all their weapon attachments" and "your name appears as a friendly to enemies for 10 seconds." There are stacks of these, which are unlocked using the cash earned in-game.

When you take these foundations and put them against the game modes on offer, the bigger picture begins to reveal itself. In one game type, players need to grab a bag of loot and take it to a drop off point. In another, one team plants a bomb that the other must deactivate. Yet another, called Payne Killer, sees the first killer become Max and the first victim becomes Passos, his partner. Each gets buffs to health and weapons, and must stay alive for as long as possible.

Then there's Gang Wars, the marquee event, which throws Crews through five random modes in succession, accruing points in each to establish an overall winner. This mode has a story that branches depending on results, too. Combining such objectives with the bursts and customization system opens up a staggering amount of tactical depth for dedicated Crews to explore. It reminded me of raiding dungeons in an MMO, where you loadout a few tanks to draw enemy attention, while a light, fleet-footed, health-buffed soldier goes in for the objective, all while bullet time-tiered snipers seek threats amongst the cluttered levels.

The maps I played were fantastic, too. They mixed plenty of verticality with equal parts claustrophobic indoor sections and long expanses loaded with cover points and debris that can jump you out of a Bullet Time trap. They're filled with interesting nooks and crannies to discover, and climbing allows you to get to most areas. Thankfully, I never found a single weapon that could unbalance a map.

While I could see that potential, my time with the mode was too short to engage in any meaningful experimentation. However, even casual players will enjoy the playful vibe, reminiscent of both Red Dead Redemption and GTA IV. The Euphoria-powered, animation-heavy movements and 360-degree combat system certainly do take some getting used to (especially if you have just jumped out of CoD), but once you get it, your reward is pure entertainment. Assuming the bugs I saw are squished ahead of its release and that the lack of a public beta doesn't bite early adopters with balancing issues, Max's multiplayer will be loved.

Chris Stead is the Editor in Chief of Game Informer Australia. This article was originally published in issue 29 of Game Informer Australia.

Get Ready For Max Payne 3 With New Launch Trailer

Jeff Marchiafava — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:20:00 GMT

Next week marks the long awaited return of Rockstar's hardboiled detective, Max Payne. Why not prepare for the game by watching this bloody launch trailer?

In the new trailer, a beleaguered Max Payne shares some of his life philosophy. "The way I see it, there's two types of people. Those who spend their lives trying to build a future, and those who spend their lives trying to rebuild the past." Payne falls into the latter category, but explains he's trying to move on from his tragic history. The first step? Shooting a ton of dudes in this trailer. Looks like things are off to a good start.

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Max Payne 3 will be available on May 15. Learn about Max Payne 3's multiplayer in this informative gameplay video.

More On Max Payne 3's Multiplayer

Matthew Kato — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:17:00 GMT

It's always interesting when a franchise known for its single-player tries its hand at multiplayer, and this latest video for Max Payne 3 explains more about this aspect of the game.

The video below talks about the story-based Gang Wars multiplayer mode where events from the single-player story are jumping off points for multiplayer events that branch in different directions depending on which gang wins a particular round. You can also find out about Vendettas, Bursts, and Crews.

For the first part of this two-part multiplayer series, click here.

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Max Payne 3 is coming to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 on May 15, and PC on May 29.

Max Payne Dusts Off Bullet Time In New Trailer

Matt Bertz — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:52:58 GMT

Max Payne may look a fat, bald shell of his former self, but dude still knows how to wield a gun.

When Max finds himself severely outnumbered in a gunfight, the best way to even the odds is to trigger his signature bullet time effect, which slows down the action enough to allow players to line up exacting headshots or to dispatch several enemies at once. As this video demonstrates, the extra baggage Max is carrying doesn't stop him for executing stunning choreographed kill shots. The video also details his "shoot dodge" ability and the new "final killcams" that players can speed up or slow down to watch the lead ballet. Watch for yourself here:

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Max Payne 3 is coming to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 on May 15, and PC on May 29.

Check Out Max Payne 3's Multiplayer In New Trailer

Matt Helgeson — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 17:06:00 GMT

Rockstar is keeping the Max Payne 3 love flowing. Today, the company has released a new trailer that shows the game's innovative and intense multiplayer action.

Max Payne 3 seeks to bring the series signature Bullet Time slow-motion mechanics to multiplayer, which you can see in the video. You'll also get a glimpse of two of the game's multiplayer modes: Gang Wars and Payne Killer.

Rockstar has previously announced that the game will feature Crews, which are online clans that will be carried forward to other Rockstar games, including Grand Theft Auto V.

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Max Payne 3 Video Is Full Of Duel SMG Fury

Ben Reeves — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 01:10:00 GMT

If you’re the kind of player who feels an itch on both trigger fingers, then you’ll love Rockstar’s new Max Payne 3 video, which demonstrates the SMGs that Max Payne will have at his disposal.

You can dual-wield the lighter submachine guns, while the heftier models pack a little more kick. Check out Rockstar’s site for more info on these guns and to play around with 3D renders for each weapon.

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Interested in reading more about Max Payne 3? Check out the latest trailer that shows of the game's unique visual effects and cinematics.

New Max Payne 3 Trailer Shows Off Visual Effects And Cinematics

Bryan Vore — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:59:09 GMT

Get a look at how Rockstar is creating stylish cutscenes in its upcoming Max Payne 3.

The latest video in Rockstar's Design and Technology series for Max Payne 3 shows how the game combines graphic novel panels and the realtime game engine for a unique take on cutscenes. The narration claims that cutscenes and gameplay blend seamlessly and that there is no visible loading in the game.

Take a look at the trailer for yourself to see what's up.

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Rockstar Releases Box Art For Max Payne 3

Ben Reeves — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 19:56:00 GMT

Our fingers are itching to shoot through Brazil in Rockstar’s upcoming Max Payne 3. Here’s a glimpse of the case we’ll soon be sliding onto our game shelf.

Max Payne 3 releases on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on May 15 and PC on May 29. Read our hands-on impressions here.

New Hands-On Impressions Of Max Payne 3

Matt Helgeson — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 17:01:00 GMT

We’ve seen Rockstar’s Max Payne 3 at a few points in its development. Now, with the game’s May 15 release date drawing near, Rockstar stopped by the Game Informer offices to give us our first hands-on playable demo of the game.

If you’ve missed our previous coverage on the game, here’s a brief primer: Max Payne 3 is set several years after the events of Max Payne 2. The intervening years have not been kind to Max, who left the NYPD in disgrace and has fallen into alcoholism. Through a former colleague, Raul Passos, Max makes his way to Sao Paulo, Brazil, where he begins working in the shadowy world of private security for the local scion Rodrigo Branco. Predictably, everything goes to hell when Comando Sombra, a paramilitary-style gang, kidnaps Branco’s wife, Fabiana. Max is tasked with bringing her back, and the result is a whole lot of gunplay.

While this is the first Max Payne game internally developed by Rockstar, the company hews closely to the formula that Remedy created with the first two titles. To wit, this is not an open-world game, but rather an attempt to create a more cinematic, technologically adept version of the series’ signature Bullet Time action.

We start off with a cutscene featuring Max, the Brancos, and Raul Passos discussing strategy at the family’s corporate headquarters. The scene shows off the game’s quick-cut, digital-video style presentation, which will be familiar to fans of the Bourne movies. After agreeing to pay off Fabiana’s captors, Max and Passos leave for the soccer stadiums where the drop-off is to happen. As always, Rockstar’s dialogue and voice-acting is top-notch; James McCaffrey reprises his role as Max to great effect.

It’s a dramatic set-up; as Max and Raul walk on to the field of the massive stadium, the exchange suddenly goes awry as shots are fired from by another mystery group from the bleachers. Max takes a bullet, but manages to pick himself up and run off with Passos to recover the money and (hopefully) Fabiana.

From here, we begin shooting our way through the stadium. As you’d expect, the emphasis of the game is still very much on Max’s Bullet Time abilities. You click down on the right stick to move in and out of Bullet Time, or use the right bumper to do a shoot/dodge. There’s a bit more emphasis on using cover than in past games, but I found that it comes with a risk. The AI is actually pretty aggressive in flanking your position, so staying put and playing the game like it’s a noir Gears of War isn’t a good strategy.

It’s all pretty straightforward; you won’t be mistaking Max for a tactical shooter. As we continue our way through the bowels of the stadium, I start to get a feel for the controls. Max feels a bit “heavier” than in past games, perhaps even a bit plodding at times. However, I get the old Max feeling back pretty quickly, and am soon dispatching enemies in balletic fashion. The highlight of the stadium sequence is a sniper mission where we provide cover for Raul as he runs across a section of seats.

The second level we play is down by the docks, where the Sombra is keeping Fabiana. By shooting out a wedge behind the tire of parked truck with a silenced pistol, we begin the level with a bit more stealth than we’re accustomed to from Max. However, after blowing our cover, we’re thrown back into the fray. While the level design is straightforward (i.e., run into a new area, shoot everyone), there’s a definitely a learning curve in terms of how to approach each scenario. In one garage area, we also got a look at one of the game’s mini-Bullet Time events. After diving off a walkway, the game automatically went into Bullet Time and I was able to pick off enemies on the ground floor with one-hit kills.

Overall, the base gameplay feels solid, but still needs a bit of polish before it ships – something Rockstar has shown time and again it’s more than capable of doing. I played the bulk of the demo in free-aim mode, but there is also a soft target lock available if you choose (something I was forced to a do in a couple of areas for the sake of time). Bullet Time is still a great gameplay mechanic, even if it doesn’t feel as novel as it did years ago. After all, it’s arguably one of the most imitated gameplay mechanics of all time. It’s certainly challenging – I frequently made use of the “Last Man Standing” feature that allows you to save yourself from death by killing the enemy that shot you.

While I didn’t get to see the outcome of the bloody events we’d help set in motion, I was certainly caught back up in the world of Max Payne. The Brazilian setting feels like a fresh start for the series, and while the gameplay is hardly innovative, it’s definitely fun and engaging. Max’s Hong Kong-inspired theatrics are a refreshing change of pace from the current shooter market.

At the end of the demo, Rockstar dropped some intriguing new details on the game’s multiplayer. While the game will have all the customary modes, Rockstar hopes to incorporate the drama and storytelling of the single-player campaign into the competitive multiplayer through a mode called Gang Wars. Gang Wars creates multiplayer scenarios out of events from the single-player campaign that will change based on the outcome of each round. For example, if your team captures the most turf in the last round, the story will dictate that you must defuse bombs in your territory that will be planted by the team that lost the last round. In another set-up, the player with the most kills in the last round will become hunted by the rest of the players in the match. While Rockstar wasn’t specific, we were told that these events will be fleshed out through cutscenes and tie directly into Max’s story. There’s also a new mode called Payne Killer, in which the player who gets the first kill becomes Max and the player who is killed first becomes Passos.

There are also new abilities called “bursts,” that will add intrigue. One, called “sneaky,” will turn your Gamertag or ID the same color as your opponents’ to allow you to get the drop on them. Another, called “paranoia,” actually turns on friendly fire and changes the opponents’ teammates ID color to that of the enemy team. Also, Bullet Time is functional in multiplayer, though Rockstar is attempting to balance the feature by allowing the opponent to “break” your Bullet Time chain by running out of your line of sight.

Based on everything we’ve seen so far, Max Payne 3 appears to be exactly what Rockstar promised in our original cover story: a game that aims to update the Max Payne experience in a new setting and with the best of today’s technology, while remaining true to the traditions of the series. While it would be impossible for Max’s Bullet Time acrobatics to be as groundbreaking as they were all those years ago, the core experience here is still one worth your time.

Max Payne 3 Mini-30 Weapons Trailer

Ben Reeves — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 01:51:00 GMT

Boy do we wish we were posting a 30 second trailer that focused on the deadly Mini-30 rifle in Max Payne 3. Sometimes wishes do come true!

Below is a rapid-fire look at the Mini-30 rifle, a lightweight rifle that is deadly at long range and messy up close. Also, check out 360-degree renders and some new screens on Rockstar’s blog. Or check out the latest batch of PC screens here.

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Rockstar Releases Max Payne 3's First PC Screens

Joe Juba — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:41:00 GMT

PC gamers have to wait a few extra weeks to play Max Payne 3, but it looks like their patience will pay off. The first images from the PC version of Rockstar's gritty action game showcase amazing visuals.

While Max Payne 3 on console is slated for May 15, the PC version is coming out slightly later, on May 29. A press release from Rockstar says that system specs more detailed information are on the way soon, including "special graphics hardware support and enhancements."

Until then, gaze upon the screens below and enjoy. Afterwards, you can see more screens (from the console version) or watch the latest trailer.

New Max Payne 3 Trailer

Jim Reilly — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:20:37 GMT

Max is back! Rockstar Games released a new trailer for Max Payne 3, due out this coming May.

We get a taste of some of the game's many locations and characters. Oh yeah, and people get shot with guns.

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Fistfuls Of New Max Payne 3 Screens

Matthew Kato — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:13:00 GMT

Back when the original Max Payne came out in 2001, dual wielding was a big deal. These new screens illustrate that Max hasn't forgotten where he came from.

Apart from Max's ability to mix and match single-handed weapons – including those of different sizes like pistols and sub-machine guns – these screens also highlight Max Payne 3's shifting time lines. The game chronicles Max's present and past. The more hair Max has, the further in the past the action takes place.

For more on Max's weapons, take a look at this tech video from Rockstar, and be sure to also take a look at these screens of the game's multiplayer.

Max Payne 3 Tech Video Focuses On Guns And Animation

Jeff Cork — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:00:00 GMT

Rockstar Games has released the second in a series of videos focusing on the technology behind its upcoming Max Payne 3. This time, we're taking a look at the game's bread and butter: targeting and weapons.

The video says that one of the most challenging things about the game's development has been in delivering a third-person action game with the targeting sensibilities of a first-person shooter. You'll see how they've tackled this and more through tons of new gameplay footage.

Max's animations are also critically important, and the clip highlights some of the more subtle aspects of his movements. When players move the targeting reticule off screen, for instance, his upper torso will shift to accommodate that movement. It's done naturally, so it doesn't look as though Mr. Payne is suffering through a bout of crazy legs. Check out the video below to see this and more, including how each of the game's gun types directly affects the way Max moves.

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After you're done, take a look at the first installment in the series, in case you missed it.