Max Payne redefines 3rd person shooters...again.
Story (spoiler free) 10
Max is old now and I believe more booze flows in his body than blood. Still though a very wealthy family out in Sao Paulo feel that he has enough left in him to work as a bodyguard for their family. From the richest and most lavish penthouses to the 7th layer of hell, you venture through on a story that has a few big twists and it chugs along at a very brisk and enjoyable pace. I could see this script now with someone like Jason Staham playing the lead and Benicio Del Toro playing his side kick. This story is right at the top next to Red Dead as one of the greatest gaming stories ever told.
Gameplay 9
Regenerative health? pffft leave that for Gears Of War. Max Payne 3 uses the good old painkillers and searching for those little bottles is part of the fun and intensity that this game presents. You always seem to be a step away from death when you get a second chance shot or pill pop like Lindsay Lohan in mid air, and in slow motion ;). Max Payne has always been about high action and looking good while your going full blast, and MP3 is no different. The action is paced out in such a way that you never actually feel overwhelmed and there are plenty of spots to take a breath. Bullet time and Shoot Dodging are back and better than ever. When Max jumps he lands and stays on the ground until moved. This adds extra levels of sight never seen before in games. The ability to shoot dodge and get a clear glimpse of a soon to be frag under a car is an awesome addition. The environment now also has huge effects towards Max's jumps. You can Shoot Dodge straight off a dock and die in the water or right into a wall disrupting the bullet time and leaving you open to being shot. You can dive across tables or slide down the middle of an escalator all in bullet time and cap enemies, it is truly a spectacle to say the least. The cover system is actually a pretty important improvement yoo as it allows the player to do things never before possible in the series. The only thing I didn't like was when approaching a cut scene (which happens quite often) your character slows down on approach. This takes some of the tension away as all of these instances come when you are about to open a door. Still though this is 3rd Person FPS at its finest.
Graphics 10
From Jersey to Sao Paulo and every where in between, this game really gives you a lot to look at. All the locations have unique cover and little elements that make them all special. As for the animations they are at the top of their game here. Bullet impact on enemies is brutal and very fulfilling. When you shoot a guy in the head and watch the bullet rip the flesh apart, effectively making a soup bowl out of their dome is super gratifying. Explosions look great and best off all the cut scenes flow in and out of gameplay without alteration. It all plays like one continuous shot.
Sound 10
The gun sounds in MP3 are again at the top of their game. From the magazine coming to its end to the deafening sound from an exploding grenade, the audio department at Rockstar Vancouver has done a fantastic job bringing these sounds in the HD 7.1 era. The soundtrack too has a nice flow. Following from the series roots with the now famous MP2 Violin theme and going into new territories no doubt inspired by Red Dead Redemption. One level in particular when a specific epic action scene begins a vocalized song begins to play much like the famous ride into mexico from Red Dead.
Summation 9.5
At the end of the day I will not be partaking in any multi-player but I will play through again on harder difficulties. Max Payne 3 redefines what it is to be a 3rd Person shooter. Maintaining the key focus on cinema like pacing and feel. There is never a dull moment and the moment itself doesn't linger on too long nor does it flash by incomplete. This is a full story that requires no DLC and satisfies all the way up to the final explosion. Will the Max Payne continue? Only time will tell. If they do end it here though, they gave the trilogy a finale fit for a true American bad ass!