It's been nine years since Max Payne lost everything, and things haven't gotten any better. Max's past losses and betrayals leave him a shell of his former, caring self. Now retired from the NYPD, Max spends his days at the bottom of a whiskey bottle, eating painkillers like bar peanuts. Before he knows it, things take a turn for the worse, as if that's even possible anymore. Max ends up taking a protection job in South America to escape his dire situation at home. While he wasn't interested in the position at first, he is convinced by his new friend, Raul Passos, that the job of protecting one of Brazil's richest families will be easy. Days of parties, yachting, and beautiful women will be the worst things Max will have to deal with in this job, right? Do things ever go that well in stories like this?
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| Max is breaking into the club scene. |
Hey, imagine that, things go South (literally and figuratively) for Max Payne once again. A masked group of gang members attack and kidnap two of the women Max was guarding at a dance club. This failure to protect yet another woman in his life drives Max to set off on a suicidal mission to rescue the girls, as well as to protect the remaining members of the family. This mission will push Max to even darker depths as the story unfolds, and reveals more and more betrayals and intrigue. This time, the bad guys are going to find out what happens when a man with nothing to lose is pushed beyond too far.
At first I was very unimpressed with Max Payne 3's story, it seemed extremely predictable and cliché. The more I played, the more the story turned from what I expected until it ended up in a way that I never saw coming. Even in the beginning, when things seemed obvious, the story still kept me wanting to push forward thanks to the interesting main character and the game's Film Noir feel.
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| The city is cold and unfeeling, but the whiskey keeps me warm and numb. |
Max has suffered a lot throughout his three games. I can only imagine that Rockstar had a heck of a time trying to figure out how to push this broken man even further into insanity. Somehow, they did it, and I loved every minute of it. Max's lack of care for his own well-being leads to some amazing action-packed moments throughout the game as he employs some very unorthodox tactics when dealing with his enemies.
Returning in Max Payne 3 is the series' trademark Film Noir narration. While the previous graphic novel-like cutscenes are gone, Sam narrates with just as much fatalism as ever. Flashbacks and video static effects on the graphics make palpable just how close to insanity Max's life has driven him.
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| Some of his moves are off the chain! |
Gunplay in Max Payne 3 is just as brutal and difficult as ever. Things get especially dicey on the higher difficulties, which I recommend players start on. I feel like part of the reason I enjoyed this game so much was the fact that I played it on hard. It just wouldn't do the story justice if Max shot his way through the game like some sort of untouchable god. On the higher difficulties the player's struggles seem to best fit Max's character development and the impossible struggles he pushes through.
Luckily, Max Payne's iconic bullet time mechanic returns, making impossible fights slightly more possible. Just as in the first two games, bullet time slows things down just enough to get an edge on enemies. This ability is more of an equalizer against the many tough enemies Max takes on at once than an advantage though, especially on harder difficulties. The ability lets you pull off some amazing maneuvers and comes into play in a majority of Max's scripted action sequences. Bullet cams for successful sniper shots as well as final enemy kills return and are just as cool as they ever were.
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| When Max flies, the bad guy dies. |
The third game in Max's series introduces a new aiming mechanic with different levels of assistance so that gamers of all levels can access the story. Also new to the series, Max can take advantage of a cover mechanic which is absolutely necessary in order to survive his fight through Brazil.
Similarly to other recent Rockstar games, Max Payne 3 offers a massive multiplayer mode in which gamers can team up against others online, or go it alone against other lone wolves. Many modes such as deathmatch, team deathmatch, and themed game modes await those who wish to take the battle online.
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| The battle over who gets the last slice of pizza has never been more intense! |
The single-player story in Max Payne 3 will last around 10-12 hours depending on difficulty. There are a few collectables, such as clues to the story, as well as pieces of golden guns that can be collected throughout the levels that will extend this time a bit. How long multiplayer will last will depend on how much you enjoy that sort of thing. Characters level up, gain access to new weapons and outfits, and complete challenges for more bonuses. Personally, I didn't play much multiplayer, but I know that people can get very into multiplayer leveling.
I went into Max Payne 3 expecting to be let down. What little I had read about the game online had me believing that it was nothing like the older games. I can attest to the fact that it's not much like the older games, but I believe that it is better for it. The core feeling of the Max Payne games is still there, and I loved every bit of the crazy, over-the-top action offered by the game. If you're a fan of great action movies or games, definitely give Max Payne 3 a look!
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