Confident storytelling and a great presentation help sell Max Payne's violent return to form.
Max Payne 3 again follows the titular anti-hero Max Payne who, after leaving his job as a NYPD cop and slipping into alcohol and painkiller abuse; and at an all-time low, travels to Sao Paulo to work for and protect business magnate Rodrigo Branco and his family through private security as a means to forget his nightmarish past. Paired with Raul Passos, the two discover that Rodrigo's wife, Fabiana, has been kidnapped by a mysterious shadowy organisation. Max now discovers that things have escalated to troubled heights in a world of conspiracy, where he is alone in a country that doesn't want him; fighting for an escape from this ordeal in unfamiliar territory. While not as memorable as it's predecessors, Max Payne 3's story is still a top-notch plot, drawing inspiration from crime thrillers of years gone by, and expanding on the experience of veteran Rockstar writer Dan Houser, who delivers a deft story that never gets bogged down with traditional action tropes. It's bold and intense, and delivered with great pace and with some great stylistic touches. The presentation is slick; The cut-scenes are fluid and feature some terrific lens flare elements, mixing different colours to create a completely unique look. During the game, the cinematics feature major plot points when dialogue is running, and the subsequent points are shown on the screen in large, highlighted text. It's so classy and stylish, and looks great and more importantly, fits the game well. The core cast is likeable, with some strong personalities drawing off Brazilian natives and contemporary social behaviour. Raul is a brilliant, loyal partner and the rest of the cast, including Passos' brother Marcelo, Fabiana and Rodrigo are all well-written and portrayed with convincing performances. The game also utilises moments where there will be pieces of evidence in the environments highlighting key moments related to the story. These add a layer of character to the game and give a better impression on the characters.
The visual presentation is just as good. The game features solid lighting throughout, as well as some fantastic animations courtesy of the ever-reliable Euphoria physics engine. Every time Max hits an enemy, they can fall of stumble in tons of different ways, depending on the bullet size, speed and direction of each shot. It's a remarkable visual touch that makes the game feel real. The detail in the environments is impressive, and the particle effects are nice, as well as cool touches like good blood effects and bloody footprints when walking over a dead body, as well as Max taking painkillers instead of the health bar decreasing automatically (along with a cool narrated sentence after each pickup). The game also sports great art direction and facial detail. Some minor framerate stutters occur from time to time, but their infrequent and do not spoil the game's look.
One point that will prove divisive to players is the cut-scenes; more specifically the frequency. Now, I don't mind at all if there are plenty of cinematics, as the story is great and gives you more plot, but some gamers may find these moments too intrusive. Like I said, I didn't find them intrusive or annoying, as I found the narrated cinematics to be absorbing, but it's something you might want to keep in mind when deciding on a purchase. Max Payne 3 isn't afraid of constantly halting the ebb and flow of the game in favour of pacing the story so action junkies, though there is plenty of action in the game, may want to play something different as this differs from traditional shooters.
The gunplay in Max Payne 3 is weighty, violent and very satisfying. The game utilises a 360 degree control scheme that allows Max to move in any direction while firing. He can jump and turn his body in any way while shooting, which is brilliantly fluid. The controls are solid and shooting while running and rolling is really well executed and feels great. Shootdodge is here and is just as fun as ever. Here, the environments are more open which allows for some big shootouts. Places like dockyards, warehouses, nightclubs and the streets of the favela are just some of the many locales that offer this exciting gunplay. Aiming is sharp and responsive thanks to Free Aim, which disables assist in it's targeting system, allowing for more freedom in execution headshots and bullet time mechanics. What is also a great touch is the expansion of the shootdodge mechanic. Max Payne 2 sought an improvement on this system where Max Payne could lie prone while killing enemies until the gun is empty. In Max Payne 3, not only can Max lie prone, he can also remain prone even when he isn't firing a gun, and can dispatch of all enemies, reload and change weapons. Turning 180 degrees while prone is much improved, and more fluid than previously seen in The Fall of Max Payne.
Bullet Time can also be used when standing and running. Time slows and Max can pick off enemies while moving in a given direction, all in perfect motion. This allows for some of the more beautiful moments in the game. Max can also dual wield different weapons this time around, rather than specifically the same weapons. So you can now dual wield a Berretta, for example, and a sawn-off shotgun. This is a great touch that gives the combat more variety and more options. Max can also carry a two-handed weapon while shooting. He will carry a rifle in his left hand while shooting in the other. It looks great and makes the physics more unflinchingly realistic. The combat is also violent. Enemies can be shot in the face, where blood realistically pours from it, while bullets feel weightier than before. Every bullet has an affect and the death animations look great and are numerable. Manual aiming is also available and is cool. This is the standard, over-the-shoulder view seen in other shooter games. The aiming is sharp and feels good, but I always get the feeling that players will be missing out on the awesome gameplay mechanics if using this particular system. Also, if Max's health meter runs out and he is gunned down, depending on your amount of painkillers, he will enter a Last Chance mode where he can kill the nearby enemy and remain in tact. If he has no painkillers or if Max fails to kill an enemy while in Last Chance, he will die.
AI behaviour has also been updated. Depending on the type of enemy, the AI will move and react in different ways. For example, Favela gang members will act rather nervously and move a lot more. However, security agents may move more aggressively and seek you out more often. This adds to the human element of the AI, which makes it feel like one enemy is more experienced than the other, which is cool. Also, when Max is killing the final enemy, he can continuously fire at them while a Killcam is displayed. This displayed a moving bullet at the target. It can be slowed down or sped up, and enters the target at the particular part it was fired at. Max can also keep firing while this is displayed, which is nice.
Shootouts feel intense thanks to the great level design. The game has many different locales to show you, and all feel great and feel intentionally cramped and interesting. The game has some interactive objects in the environment that must be used in order to advance the story. These are the final objectives after clearing out a room of enemies, but it makes the game feel too linear – mainly because it is. It's an extremely linear game, even moreso than your Call of Duty games and Uncharted. The player cannot wander off the beaten path without being told which direction they need to take. I mean, even Max eventually tells you what to do. There is always one room to enter, one way to go, which is unfortunate. Of course, it arguably maintains the game's focus, but surely minor exploration wouldn't harm the narrative. The game also uses a solid cover system, which feels good and an exemplary improvement on many other Rockstar titles. Aiming from cover is great and, because cover can be destroyed, gives a great feeling of tension to each fight. Also, most cover is grounded and small so that the shootouts feel overwhelming. Thankfully, the game is never frustrating or cheap, but a good, fair challenge that requires player skill. Finally, a modern game, and series, that requires skill and determination.
There are also some set-piece moments in particular levels that make use of special environmental objects. At a specific point in a level, Max will climb an object or stand above an object, before it crumbles or falls and Max is placed in a Bullet Time situation where he must take out a group of enemies before he leaves the ground. They are decent moments, though never amazing. Unfortunately, there are also some sections where Max Payne 3 follows the traditional cliches of action games in favour of advancing the story. We've all seen boat missions and escort missions before and using them isn't really a bad thing, but they don't feel befitting in a Max Payne game and subsequently feel tacked-on and forgettable. There are also some small references to past games – I won't spoil them but series fans will definitely notice them, and they are quite appreciated.
The sound design is superb, however. The voice acting is fantastic, with James McCaffrey striking three in a row with yet another great performance as Max Payne. The core cast is also great, and the soundtrack is great. The sound effects are brilliant. The weighty echoes of shootouts, blood splatters and chatter amongst enemies is all well-executed and give the game an immersive quality. Another nice touch, I felt, is that Max Payne 3 uses the same great piano theme song from Max Payne 2 which is great and nostalgic.
The game has some collectables in the form of gun parts. These are found in three parts throughout each level, and can then be used as a skin in the game when unlocked. These golden guns are better than their standard versions, and also look rather awesome. There are also single-player challenges called Grinds. These are specific goals to reach to unlock the next level of that challenge. There are challenges such as killing a certain number of enemies, kills with shootdodge, headshots, kills while prone and many more. They are fun to attain, and can extend the life of the game by quite a bit. Also, like Max Payne and it's sequel, there are extra modes once the game is completed. New York Minute mode requires the player to complete each chapter in a given time to obtain a Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum medal. Kills generate extra time, and once the time runs out the game is over. Headshots offer the most seconds while other body parts offer fewer. There is also a Hardcore variant of that mode, and it is a masochistic challenge. Here, the player must play through the entire game, and obtain a final time upon completion. However, unlike the normal mode, Hardcore offers no checkpoints in between chapters, so dying in any chapter sends you back to the start. So, for those who are on Chapter 14, be careful: dying will take you back to Chapter 1. Brutal.
After nine years of waiting, the lofty expectations of long-time Max Payne fans may lead to disappointment. The graphic-panel cut-scenes are out, and the cast isn't as instantly relateable. However, it shouldn't. The fact is, this game has a fantastic story, violent and weighty gunplay with slick controls and an all-round classy and polished visual-audio presentation. It's a game that is well worthy of your attention, and more than meets up to the standards of its predecessors. Though the changes made take time to appreciate, all in all Max Payne 3 delivers in all areas it should. It's a tremendous experience.
SUMMARY
Presentation 9.5 - A complex, engrossing story with absorbing cut-scenes.
Graphics 9.0 - Great lighting, animations and fantastic, detailed environments.
Audio 9.0 - Great sound effects, a fantastic score and a marvellous performance from James McCaffrey.
Gameplay 9.0 - Despite some uninspired sections, Max Payne 3's gunplay is weighty, responsive and intense.
Replayability 8.0 - The satisfying campaign will take around 8-10 hours. Fortunately, multiplayer is great fun and worth revisiting.
Overall - 9/10