Difficulty:

Hard

Time Spent:

10 to 20 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Been there, done that"

When you first start off this game, you get a little held back by the graphics and the lengthy cut-scenes (which you can skip), but the story feels a bit mediocre and like you have played it before. Slip in Saints Row 3's many rooftop/hotel scenes with GTA Vice City graphics and style, and you make up at least 1/4 of this game. It's not much of a downer, but it is not over-the-top either.

This game is short, but at least you don't feel too much "underwhelmed". You will love the gun action, fast pace play, and the fact you can play it without the threat of glitches. .....Actually, I take that last part back, it is riddled with glitches that does not make the game fun at times, but these can be contributed to enemy A.I. appearing and disappearing into cover (out of thin air), game freezing sometimes if you play continuously through the hours of the day, and sudden glitches with the color schemes (which lead to freezing a game NES/SNES style). You will also find that you can pretty much take shortcuts through the entire game just simply by walking past your team mate during an interrogation or even your enemies you are "intended" to kill.

I must have had well over 20 freezes, people appearing and disappearing, being in front of someone and not being able to kill him even when I am near death, and one instance of an enemy going through a wall. Of course this stuff might not happen to most everyone, but some might be a rarity.

I like the fact they added weight to the guy like in Gears of War, but does not help with grenades, and once you start to see those grenades, it begins to get impossible to dodge some of them (always 50/50 for me), feeling like you are going to drop like a crack addict since you have to take so many painkillers to stay alive (of course in hard mode).

To be honest, I did not like the first or second max payne, as I felt almost the same with this one, but all I strive for in these games now are the achievements, because it is just fun to me to do so. :)

Those who are a fan of the series, you won't be disappointed, but I feel I have been let down a bit, and it was not all hype for some of you, I'm sure.