Difficulty:

Hard

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Worth the wait"

Time heals all wounds...If you're name is Max Payne, however, some wounds last forever. Max Payne 3 is the long-awaited sequel to the series and it takes place 9 years after the events of 2003's Max Payne 2 and Rockstar has taken the franchise from Remedy and puts an even grittier touch on the series.

Max's state of mind has slipped from bad to worse. He has become addicted to painkillers, he's no longer in the NYPD and has been hitting the bottle. One lonely night in New Jersey, he encounters Raul Passos, an old friend in the force. He offers him a job in security for the Brancos, a wealthy family in Sao Paulo, Brazil or as Max eloquently states "Baghdad with G-strings".

A mob boss wants Max's head after killing his son and he makes the decision to leave New York and his old life behind and head off to Brazil for a chance to start fresh. If you thought New York was rough...think again. Rodrigo Branco's wife, Fabiana has been kidnapped and Max sets out to find her and to uncover the truth behind her kidnapping.

Since the beginning, the series has been responsible for introducing Bullet Time to gaming and every other game in the genre has since copied it. In that sense, Max Payne 3 represents a departure, and a celebration, of the series. The game is a third-person shooter but there are new features that add new, exciting layers to the gameplay. The gameplay feels similar to the past two titles and players can feel right at home. You can shoot, leap in the air and kill with stylish flair. But this isn't 2001 anymore. Max isn't darting around the environment like it's The Matrix. This time around, Max is older, slightly heavier and not as reckless as he used to and the gameplay is an extension of that. Max takes things a bit slower and there is a cover system that can give players a reprieve from gun fights. But Max Payne 3 doesn't live and die by it's cover system. You can still run and mow enemies down in slow motion in satisfying fashion. The Last Man Standing feature is a new addition where Max can have one last opportunity to kill an enemy at the cost of one painkiller. It's an excellent new feature that adds onto the intensity.

Max can carry three weapons at a time which adds a sense of realism. He can still dual wield but he has to drop a shotgun or rifle as a result. In Max Payne 3, you can mix it up, for instance, you can hold a pistol in one hand and an Uzi in the other which is fun. The weapons are a lot of fun to use and Max can use some up-close melee kills for some pretty gruesome kills.

The level of brutality in MP3 is shocking. You'll cringe at the exit wounds and enemies wincing in pain from gunfire. The game runs on the Euphoria Physics engine. It gives the player a sense of weight from moving from cover to cover and when Max falls down. You'll feel it. He's no Nathan Drake.

The sound is fantastic, the band Health scores the game and it strikes a balance between thoughtful and tense. The voice acting is phenomenal. James McCaffrey reprises his role as Max Payne and he, once again, brings Max to life. He's more world-weary and disillusioned than ever. But he's still a likable character. We want him to find redemption and to move on from everything and
during the course of the game, you'll be pulling for him.
The voice acting from other characters is engaging as well.

The visuals are fantastic. Rockstar really captures the juxtaposition of Brazil. On one side of the coin, it's where the rich and powerful play and on the other side. It's favelas can provide a sense of claustrophobic terror. Rockstar nails that dichotomy and it's brilliant. The environments are highly destructible and the animations are phenomenal. Max has a greater range of expressions than he did back in 2001.

The storyline is excellent. There are plenty of twists and turns throughout the 10+ hour campaign. The presentation represents a slight departure. There are real-time cutscenes with graphic novel-style panels with certain lines being highlighted during the game. It's effective in motion and it stands out. It's more of a Michael Mann film than John Woo. Expect some references to the past couple of games. Including a certain kid with a baseball bat (hint, hint) and the pacing and editing are well done and there are flashbacks that give players insight to the complex, engrossing storyline.

The multiplayer is a new addition to the series and it translates the single-player gameplay brilliantly. And shootdodging folks online is a blast. There's all the standard modes (Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, etc.) and Gang Wars is a standout mode where two teams have five distinct objectives with Max's thoughtful storytelling that echoes throughout multiplayer. There are Bursts (perks a la Call of Duty) that can trick other players and to help players during gameplay. It's very unique.

A lot has happened in the past 9 years. Max Payne 3 contains the answer that players have been asking since the last game "What has Max Payne been up to?". The gameplay feels familiar but updated. The storyline is excellent and immersive and the voice acting is as nuanced as ever. While Max is still down in the dumps. Max Payne 3 is anything but that. It's a fantastic return of one of gaming's most tortured souls.