Grab your Paynekillers and strap in for the most explosive bullet-time train-ride in the series
The wait is over, Max Payne 3 is finally here and what a comeback it is.
The developer Remedy that graced us with the last Max Payne title has since moved on, leaving its love child in Rockstar's own creative hands. But rest assured – the prodigal producer behind GTAIV and Red Dead Redemption has done the due justice to the Payne legacy. Max Payne 3 is a spectacular return of the series, and no fan will be left disappointed.
In many ways, Max Payne 3 is not as much a reinvention, but rather a reiteration with Rockstar's personal touch added to the tried and tested formula. Unlike the darkly dramatic, traumatic event-driven saga of the first two games, Max Payne 3 is fast, explosive and action-obsessed. The John Woo cinematic slo-mo shootouts are back, yet they are an octave higher and a beat more spectacular. From the First Chapter, it becomes immediately apparent that Rockstar drew its inspiration from numerous Hollywood blockbusters, and parallels with films produced by the likes of Michael Bay and Tony Scott. A direct analogy can also be drawn with the Brazilian 2007 hit "Tropa de Elite" (Elite Squad), with everything from setting to subject matter sharing multiple elements with the game.
Max Payne 3 is mercilessly violent. The deaths are grizzly and gruesome, the blood is thick and aplenty, the carnage is unprecedented. The violence is made two notches more visceral be means of slow-motion close-ups, used to capture the fall of the last foe in the area. When this happens, the camera follows the path of the last round fired straight to its unlucky victim, capturing their demise in cinematic slow motion. No two deaths are the same in this game, and while spraying an enemy from a distance may feel familiar, watching a bullet penetrate his eye and come out upward through the head in slow motion is deeply unsettling on so many levels. Unless you have nerves of steel, you are bound to cringe at least once.
Visually, Max Payne 3 is simply put magnificent. The depth of field and the level of detail are nothing short of astounding, with every new environment just popping with abundant and intricate features. Your jaws will drop at the sight of Sao Paulo's favelas at sunset, stretching over hills in the distance, washed over by the warm swathes of the setting sun. The scenery is sufficiently varied in nature and aspect as not to feel repetitive, and the environmental destructibility is so profuse that by the end of a firefight, a posh VIP condo may resemble those CNN reports of Hurricane Katrina's aftermath. Luckily, the framerate stays true through the thick and thin of it, making sure the action is always smooth and satisfying.
Rockstar's revolutionary localised damage physics, making their debut in GTAIV, are back and are a true step-up in dynamic character modelling. Max and his victims respond accordingly to being shot in different parts of the body, reacting in a life-like way you'd expect a person to react. Realistic animation and motion capture, especially when shooting while moving, are equally of note, making sure any physical movement is on-par with its real-life counterpart. Minor glitches and clipping pop-up every now and again, but are largely minuscule and immediately overshadowed by the omnipresent polish and attention to detail.
Along with Max's signature bullet-time mechanic, also makes a comeback his poetic narration of events, delivered in the same edgy, poignant and sardonic manner. It is funny, provocative and at times borderlining on absurdity and incomprehensibility. Designed to drive the story along, it also serves to reinforce the noir aesthetic of the game and the comic book style of storytelling.
Musical accompaniment, as is typical with Rockstar titles, is once again stellar. The audio is moody and gripping, pitch-perfectly in line with events on the screen. I still remember one of the final levels, where Max finds himself in a huge deserted airport terminal. This track comes on at the start of the level, splendidly dark and ominous, capturing perfectly the deadly face-off ahead.
The third-person, over-the-shoulder combat borrows a lot from the likes of Uncharted and GTAIV, but taking cover is simply put crucial in this game. Max's health gage is limited, medical supplies are scarce and bullets do serious damage. If you are the kind to charge face-on against a gang of hostiles, it is guaranteed that you won't get far in the story.
Make no mistake – this game is HARD, especially on higher difficulties. Prepare to die a lot, and get frustrated to the point of throwing the controller at the screen. The insane difficulty is both a welcome challenge and a bothersome impediment. On the one hand, Rockstar has crafted one of the best Enemy AIs I've ever encountered in a game, especially in terms of the enemy's cover mechanics. On the other hand, the unrelenting difficulty leads to hundreds of cheap, unnecessary sudden deaths throughout the campaign. I lost count of how many times I was taken out by a lucky AI gunman mere seconds after respawning, all while still in cover. This is especially true of the last boss battle. Ummmm, that one was a doozy...
While the true star of the game is its memorable campaign, Max Payne 3 featured a full-fledged competitive Multiplayer mode. While it won't take your breath away with its originality, it is a compelling addition to the package well worth checking out. Beside your typical Deathmatches and the like, perhaps the most notable aspect of the Multiplayer is a mode called Gang Wars. Here, you can pick and assemble your crew, participate in Leaderboards and earn points that can be spent on unlocking items. This is nothing new in the modern gamescape, but is nonetheless well adapted and executed within the Max Payne universe.
Minor gripes aside, Rockstar's latest is an all new high for the beloved franchise. Whether you are an aficionado of the series, a shooter fan or simply wish to experience a Hollywood blockbuster first-hand, from start to finish, Max Payne 3 will take you on an adrenaline-infused, blazingly bullet-time ride of your lifetime.