It’s Multicolor-Noir, with grit.
The return of Max Payne in his latest installment, announced back in 2011, left many fans of the series complaining about his best John McClane imitation. Fast Forward to the present, most people (people who complained) sat down, stayed quiet, and activated bullet-time in unison within the game’s expansive multiplayer map.
Read the full review below:
Story
Max’s return isn’t knee deep in grunge-textured, heavy-vignetted, stylized motion-comics narrative; and for the first time in the series, you get to see Max brood while drowning his bad luck with liquor in all his moving glory. Max raises slow-motion bullet-hell in locales after his Boss’s wife was kidnapped, and true to his down-and-out luck being the grim hero, plot twists are found in every corner of the game. The story, paced evenly and fluidly is great for newcomers to the series, as basically the whole saga is explained as you progress through. We were blown away. the Max Payne series, known for it’s narrative-driven storyline, have always managed to keep us intrigued, and Rockstar Games always manages to up-the-ante and deliver with their ground-breaking games.
Gameplay
Bullet-time and cover. That’s all we can think of when playing the game. While in previous games, Max was more than welcome to dive face-first into a room full of baddies; this time around, however, the same act will probably spell out Max’s quick demise.The implementation of Rockstar’s cover-based mechanics was introduced first in GTA4 and while it seems similar, its also much more polished. Max will hug that wall like his life depends on it, which is probably true in a shoot-out of that scale. You won’t accidentally release your cover like in previous Rockstar games and wander into incoming bullets. The interface is simple and familiar; and like in previous Max Payne series all you get is your weapon’s ammo count and Max’s Health, which is enough to not distract you during the intense firefights you will have to go through. It’s a familiar cycle in which all the games in the series go through, and we never found it repetitive. Max was made for this; he was made to shoot and shoot his way through the story.Immersion
Everything in this game pulls us into it’s Hollywood scale storyline. Every time you click to shoot it actually feels worth it. Every time you hit an enemy smack-dab in the face, it actually feels worth it. From the graphics, to the narrative and the soundtrack; everything just meshes in to create the perfect atmosphere found in typical Max Payne games. The one thing we would like to talk about in particular is the game’s soundtrack. We felt the soundtrack carried this game from the beginning to the end. From the thumping bass during the Sao Paulo nightclub stage, or the iconic somber theme infused with samba percussions found in every narrative segment, this is what it feels like to be playing a great game.
Replayability
The single player would probably last for a good ten-hours, and with the return of the New-York-Minute mode, you can replay levels and compete in a timed-run mode on a global scale. We can play the single-player mode over and over, but this time, the multiplayer mode is where it’s at. The many modes will pull you back into the game, especially the gang warfare. It feels like an actual shootout instead of the typical generic-fps multiplayer. The cover system adds a new depth to an already exciting gameplay; and special tactics need to be applied to control the mayhem. There are two types of jumps–burst and slow motion–both of which add a whole new dimension of strategy to the game. You won’t be spamming any of these power-ups. Instead, you’ll contemplate on whether or not it would be to your advantage to use them in the middle of the fight. We found ourselves returning to the game like we did with the previous games. The pull of the game is like an addiction to the painkillers Max takes by the ton.Verdict
Somber, exciting, and Hollywood. Just what we expected and more from a Max Payne game. This game gets a YEA YO!