Max Payne 3. True to the name, this character has been through some things. Max Payne 3 takes place 9 years after the events of its predecessor and poor ol' Max is more or less the same same tormented man struggling with the past as he succumbs to his inner turmoil over the loss of his family. You'll be happy to know that while Max Payne 3's protagonist is the same guy at his core, that doesn't mean he's static, and neither is the gripping story. Max Payne 3 is a dark, disturbing story and you'll want stick it out with this guy 'till the very end.
One of the first things vets of the previous Max Payne games will realize is that this game has a different look to it. But don't worry about it too much. While Max Payne may not be pumping his enemies full of lead in the rundown tenements and sketchy places of New York, he'll still be introducing those who oppose him with a well placed bullet between the eyes in the hedonistic nightclubs of Sao Paulo. In other words, the game is different in its locale, but the underlying tone is still there. It's nice to play a game with the guts to snatch the player away from the familiar and actually pull it off. I personally am okay with the baking sun and exotic locations. Never hurts to change things up a bit, and just because the locations appear to be pristine on the surface, doesn't mean you never venture into the more gritty wastes and decay. Its a hard thing to pull off such a juxtaposition, but Max Payne 3 nails it. Throughout, the Max Payne 3 will hit the player with cut scenes. Now, from what I've seen from other reviewers, whether from the big guys out there or simple blogs like this one, some people seem to have a problem with this, and others don't. I feel the cuts scenes are fine and flow into the gameplay better than most other video games out there. What people need to think about is that this is a high-action game and so the cut scenes might feel a little more abrupt than say, an RPG where the fighting is a bit slower. Something like Final Fantasy comes to mind. In any case, just give it a chance and you'll realize that they aren't wasted and truly help move the plot forward.
The gameplay is more or less the same and if you've played the previous games you know exactly what you'rein for. In Max Payne 3 you get two sidearms and one two-handed weapon. Which is nice, I feel that in more recent games, far too many limit the players to only two weapons like Halo. Thing is, it WORKED for Halo, but these are seperate and distinct games, they don't have to follow Halo's formula to be sucessful. and it's good that Max Payne 3 doesn't. One gripe players might have is that if they want a gun in each hand Larua Croft style, they must drop the larger weapon. Sorry.But this does add some strategy to the game as players will think about which guns to use to best fit the situation. If you're like me, you'll dual-wield just 'cause it looks so bad. Bad in a good way.Try to take it in context folks.
Bullet Time and Shoot Dodge are back. YES. Hard to imagine Max Payne without his signature Bullet Time. The controls are easy to use and even newcomers to the series will have no problem picking up the controller and doing their thing. The environments are destructible, meaning you'll see the wear and tear as the bullets fly and blood splatters everywhere and all the carnage and yeah, you get the idea. Epic. There's just something so satisfying as you fly through the air using max's signature Bullet Time as bullet spirals and waves , cresting and breaking in a symphony of awesomeness. Okay, that might be taking things a bit far. In other words, you'll be using Bullet Time even when you don't have to just to see all the cool effects. Also, the cover system. You'll need it. Plain and simple. There's no health regeneration in Max Payne 3. So get behind something, and make it quick will ya? This might throw off some potential buys to be sure. But consider this: Do you want a fun game that challenges you? Or do you want mommy to hold your hand with regenerating health? If you want your mommy then this isn't a game for you. For all the real men and women out there, you'll enjoy the extra challenge seldom seen in shooters anymore, and revel in the need for strategy and precise execution. So you may not utilize Bullet Time as much as before, but c'mon, the man is getting older and it's clear he doesn't take care of himself.
This game is violent and doesn't comp-out on the gruesome details. A word of caution, parents; you may not want to get a game like this for the little ones, even the little boys on xbox live spewing out every new bad word they recently learned may not be suitable for this. But that's your call as parents. Use your best judgment. There are bullet wounds, charred skin, limbs torn off, just to name a few. What I love since playing Skyrim are kill animations. Sure, you may not be playing while they're going on, but darn it if they're not fun and engaging to watch. And in Max Payne 3, players will get their fill. At the end of a skirmish, your final bullet will be tracked as it hurtles towards the target. Nice.
The multiplayer in Max Payne 3 is a bit more fast-paced that the single player as players will be scrambling and fling themselves this way and that to score some kills using Bursts, which are essentially Perks like in other shooters.Gang Wars is really fun and will have you hooked. There's four rounds, each has a different objective from snagging territory to assassinating a randomly selected leader. The final round is basically a death match so take it to em. Bursts are really fun and have a large variety. One increases the caliber of your teams weapons and another induces paranoia and makes the players of the same team sea each other as an enemy. Laugh while your foes lay each other to waste. I did. It's nice to see a developer try something out of the ordinary instead of playing it safe. Remember, this is not a game where mommy holds your hand, and the developers seem to be following their own example. Be sure to check out New York Minute, which has you racing through levels against a dwindling timer, adding more precious seconds for every kill you make. There's so much more to multiplayer but I think I'll stop it here and let you see for yourself.
For its strong single player, something that seems to be a lost art in the shooting genre, and refreshing mulitplaye, Max Payne 3 earns a brutal 9 out of 10. Tell mommy your're a big boy now, or girl, whatever, I know there's plenty of gals out there enjoying a good video game, and buy max Payne 3.
