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 channelling 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 cliché 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 cut scenes 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 / awesome sauce 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 shoot dodge 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 fire fights, 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 game types 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 shoot dodge 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 shoot dodge 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.
Game: Max Payne 3
System: XBox 360
Developer/Co-Developer: RockStar
Publisher: Take-Two Interactive
