Review: Max Payne 3

Bring The Payne.

Max Payne 3 is officially the new standard in blood-soaked, slow motion baddass-ery.

MAX PAYNE 3 REVIEW BY PETER FRANKO

Having finished Max Payne 3 roughly ten minutes ago, my body trembles in awe. Over the past two days I have been immersed in the grim life of ex-cop, Max Payne. His boozed, pessimistic, depressed outlook on life now seeping into every nook and cranny of my brain. And with the urge to pop pain killers like they were Skittles, down brandy until I can't feel my face, sideways dive around my living room, and bring an end to whatever Seattle gangs there are; something tells me the scholarly past-time of writing might be a bit more productive..... and legal.  

I myself played Max Payne 2 prior to this adventure, and it should be said that Max Payne 3 can be played completely stand-alone. But instead of Max fighting his way through the Russian and Italian gangs of 'Noir York', our story places Max at a posh cocktail party, high above the crime and poverty infested slums of São Paulo. Max has there assumed the role of a private bodyguard for the wealthy and powerful, 'Branco' family. The large-and-in-charge Branco's trophy wife (probably too coked out for her own good) is napped by what seems to be a normal Favela gang. Man of the hour Max chases after her, and so starts one of the wildest, twist ridden rides in gaming.


Since everything Rockstar touches turns to gold, the game follows typical Rockstar game-play. But unlike Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne 3 follows a linear story, and has much more interesting game-play. The third person combat pits you up against enemies like any other game would, but gives you what could almost be considered, 'super powers'. Max can slow time in combat, and "shoot-dodge", a move where Max dives in any direction like Peter Schmeichel as time slows around him. The mix of this with the incredible environments spanning both hemispheres and the gritty, witty, self-loathing narraration by Max (or, James McCaffrey) makes for one of the richest moods a game has ever set. 


Max Payne 2 was notoriously known in circa 2003 for its noir/comic book storytelling. Almost every plot building moment of the predecessor was displayed in a comic book being narrated by Max. To some die hard fans' discontent, Max Payne 3 changes this substantially. No longer are we bound by the dotted pages of comics, but every cutscene is fleshed out and beautiful. Blurring and mixed in flashing effects are added to give the game a sense of being one big drunken blur, and it totally works. These scenes of Max's intoxicated memories then flow right into the gameplay, without even a change of shot. This is because Max Payne 3 utilizes these as loading screens, and with no break in the action, the game quite literally feels like a Tarantino flick.


If all of this doesn't seem worth the $60 entry fee, the game has multiplayer, time-trials, and a variety of modes to keep the 'Payne enthusiasts' entertained. If those aren't your thing, it's still honestly worth it for this solid story mode. This is because the ten hour adrenaline fest that was Max Payne 3, was an absolutely insane experience. The whole time I was completely caught up in the story of Max, the plot (and the metaphorical game of twister it played), and all of the slow motion 'cap popping'. Player engrossment of this level is a truly special thing.

If I were you, I'd hop on the Payne train while it's still chuggin'. Or you can always wait a bit for the price to simmer down. Either way, Max Payne 3 is an incredible game.

9 / 10

IMAGES COURTESY OF ROCKSTAR