Max Payne 3
Reviewed By Stephen Pastic
Given that it has almost been a full decade since the release of Max
Payne 2, it has been a very long time between drinks (metaphorically,
at least) for the ex New York cop. So how does Mr. Payne's
latest romp hold up? Has Rockstar successfully brought the
franchise into the modern gaming scene, or has it been a long wait for
disappointment?
Right from the get go, I should clarify that
my only prior exposure to this series was about an hour of Max Payne 1
on the PS2, so save from his family being found murdered in the opening
of that title, all I know is that Max has supposedly had more than his
fair share of troubles and exposure to corruption over the
years.
Max Payne 3 introduces us to an older Max,
having quit the police force and now doing private security work (in
between some hardcore binge drinking and painkiller abuse) for a
wealthy family in Sao Paulo, Brazil. From the moment the
stage is set, it doesn't take long for the excrement to hit the
proverbial fan, and Max once again finds himself in the midst of a
dangerous situation he doesn't completely comprehend - not quite the
new start our protagonist was hoping for.
Tonally, Max Payne 3 seems to be channeling a gritty action movie feel,
and players can expect to hear Max's internal dialogue throughout the
entirety of the game laced with a heavy dose of pathos. As
someone who is largely unfamiliar with the prior two games, the writing
is relatively solid, albeit there were points where Max would deliver a
cliche action movie line, only to be immediately followed up with
something with a much more significant amount of gravitas behind it -
not a huge problem by any stretch, but this did give certain sequences
something of a confused narrative tone.
In terms of its visuals, the game has a
unique stylised look - particularly with regard to its cutscenes and
special effects. Most scenes have text popping up all over
the screen reiterating certain points of dialogue or key phrases, and
at certain moments when a fatal bullet is fired, the player can hold a
button to slow time as the camera tracks the bullet from Max's gun as
it flies through the air and into the soft fleshy parts of the
unfortunate recipient - frequently accompanied by a grotesque /
awesomesauce slo-mo exit wound. For the morbid (or those who
have no desire to conserve ammunition), the option is also there to
continue firing additional rounds into an enemy as they slowly fall to
the floor.
Central to the gameplay of Max Payne titles
is the "bullet time" mechanic, and Max Payne 3 is no
exception. Either by using stored "bullet time" or performing
the shootdodge move, players can temporarily slow the flow of time to
assist with accurately putting bullets into enemies. This
mechanic (coupled with the slow mo "bullet cam") frequently makes for
some utterly insane firefights, with the player leaping out from behind
cover in slow motion while firing rounds into the heads of several
goons in one fluid move, for example. Max can also go into
cover this time around and lean out to pop enemies, in a similar style
to the Uncharted series.
Painkillers make a return gameplay wise (as
well as narratively) as a means to recover health, and as long as Max
still holds at least one dose when his health runs out, players get a
last ditch chance to get back up if they can take out the enemy who
dropped them in a few seconds of slow motion. For the most
part, the guns available are pretty standard third person shooter fare
(pistols, rifles, shotguns, etc.), and Max can carry up to four at a
time with the option of dual wielding the smaller arms.
Max Payne 3 also features a multiplayer component with various
gametypes which will pit one team against another. Somewhat
helping to give this mode an identity of its own is the fact that
Rockstar have managed to find a clever way to implement bullet time in
the online setting - if a player performs the shootdodge move with an
enemy in their direct line of sight, slo-mo will trigger as the
attacker flies through the air, giving them a little more time to put
their opponent down.
Whilst not anything earth shattering in
terms of its online offering, what is here works well and is definitely
not a victim of "tacked on arbitrary multiplayer mode" syndrome - this
coupled with the alternate single player modes such as "New York
Minute" (where players start a chapter with one minute on the clock,
and only gain additional time via killing enemies) gives Max Payne 3 a
hefty amount of replay value once the story is done and dusted.
There are a few issues I did have with the
game, however. Primarily, I'm not so sure about the base
gameplay mechanics outside of "bullet time". Max seems to
move somewhat clumsily and slowly (even while running), and save for
certain exceptions, the shootdodge move in particular can almost hinder
the player as much as it helps.
It takes Max so long to get back on his feet
after diving through the air that if there are any enemies left, it's a
fair bet most of your health will be gone once you are upright
again. In fact, there were several points i encountered where
I became stuck in a gameplay loop whereby I would lose all health and
trigger the slo-mo last stand, only to eliminate the enemy who put me
down and get put down again because Max was in no rush to get up
quickly, and in the process go through five doses of painkillers then
die on the same spot I was initially dropped on.
Furthermore, players must utilise the
shootdodge sparingly in certain areas, as much to my surprise, not only
is it possible to jump off an "insta-death" edge of the environment, it
is also remarkably easy to accidentally do. Whilst not as
much of a big issue, I also couldn't help but feel that the way in
which certain enemies spawned into the game world was remarkably cheap
at times - players will be well advised to treat corners with
suspicion, even after a room has been cleared.
When all is said and done though, Max Payne 3 comfortably earns its
price of admission. Featuring some of the coolest slo-mo
gunplay this side of The Matrix, it would be hard to envision anyone
but the harshest critic to come away terribly disappointed.
Rating:
80%
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Game: Max Payne 3
System: XBox 360
Developer/Co-Developer: RockStar
Publisher: Take-Two Interactive
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