9 years have passed by and Max Payne has finally made his way back to the industry once again. Delivering high-quality action with a gripping, mature storyline, Max Payne 3 nailed this one just above the area of 'great' in order to capture hearts and pump lead into baddies.
A huge observation could be seen from the get-go. Given that Remedy never laid hands on this game, Max Payne 3 certainly lost some of its notable Noir-ish aesthetics. From start to finish, Max Payne never really dabbled into surreal territory, at least on most parts.
Gameplay has been given a remarkable update this time around. Notable improvements could be found in Max's shoot-dodge ability which surprisingly acts very realistically according to where he is in the environment. He would physically absorb any incoming impact as he lands on walls, concrete, and other hard surfaces, and animations have been given a lot of detail that using the maneuver never gets old to look at. Bullets realistically tear through flesh, steel, and concrete, giving a very detailed impression of the chaos in progress. The game is still linear in structure though and a bit constricted at times. Doors could never be visited once a cutscene ensues and sometimes in-game cinematics take the control away from the player at certain times due to its frequent nature. That's understandable from a technical viewpoint however, since those cutscenes basically act as loading screens in disguise.
Max Payne still sounds absolutely gorgeous. Weapon effects deliver violence in a weirdly beautiful way that it immerses anyone who fires them in an atmosphere only a Max Payne game could contain.
The story for me was well done despite a few rough expositions on some parts. Even then, the twists are shocking and truly not in cliche territory. Max Payne himself sounds terrific now that he isn't deliberately dark in tone. At first it was a little bit awkward and somewhat off-putting hearing him cursing and swearing throughout the journey, but seeing what the goal for him was - to provide more depth and character, breaking stereotyping and grounding him in reality, - Max Payne currently brings a fresh perspective to familiar fans on what he truly is and the emotions he could display that broadens this character furthermore.
Overall, Rockstar made their own signature presenting Max Payne in a new, innovative way with non-arguably the best animations to date today blending in-game controls, physics, and predetermined animations outputted by video game models. Max Payne 3 has some of the best moments in third-person shooting history, following the steps of previous installments and barely diverting out of the way. Max Payne 3 definitely provides a fresh, unparalleled action all throughout.