Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

10 to 20 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Amazing"

Max Payne 3 (Xbox 360)
Max is back! The guys at Rockstar created a great third installment in the series and they took us by surprise making Mr. Payne more stubborn to die and more bad-ass than ever. After the Noir-cheese-fest we loved in the first two games, the series takes a turn for an action-thriller oriented story, since the writing is done by Rockstar's Dan Houser, not that I don't like Sam Lake's approach, but this helps the character of Max Payne mature nicely into era of modern shooters.

You're dropped off half way into the storyline, in Brazil, where Max is working on a security detail for the Branco family. New Characters and the base for the story are established, mechanics introduced, and the story flashes back to the beginning. Max is just a shell of his former self, struggling with the lingering pain of his past, and addiction to painkillers and alcohol. He gets offered a job from his old acquaintance, Raul Passos, to be a hired gun in the private security sector. Max tries to refuse, but after a son of a local mob boss starts making trouble, Max no choice but to kill him, making himself a wanted man by the mafia, leaving no other option but to take Raul's offer, after barely escaping the vengeful Don DeMarco. Max gets accommodated, but pretty soon things get busy when the Commando Sombra, Brazil's biggest gang, kidnaps Fabiana, wife of Rodrigo Branco, and holds her for ransom. Max and Raul go to make the exchange, but things don't go so smooth.

The delivery of the story remains a Max Payne trademark, everything Max says, the way the cut scenes are directed, and great voice acting, every single detail contributes to the immersion factor, even the video feedback effects, toning the feeling of being awake and half-way sober, although to some it's a minor complain. The fact that most of the Brazilian characters only talk in Portuguese drives the sense that Max is out of place home. The game is extremely polished, the amount of detail in the environment that comes to life while being in larger gunfights is pleasing, but when you slow things down, the scenery seems almost breathtaking.
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The controls are standard, with the exception of bullet time, ability to slow down time for a brief moment, which is the games main mechanic. The core gameplay is simple, go from A to B, kill a wave of NPCs, a little stealth thrown in just for flavor, and occasional Half-Life style, story progressing around you without cut scenes. At first a seasoned gamer might complain about repetitiveness, but every set is constructed so well, while keeping things the same there is a feeling of mechanic dynamics, and it keeps the satisfaction of going through countless thugs and Paramilitary units satisfying throughout the game, if not through multiple playthroughs.

The multiplayer element is great. Maps and modes are dynamic, the ranking and the clan systems are alright, with your standard experience reward after completing certain objectives, detailed statistic, and most importantly, the bullet time. It's an awesome addition to the game, but for Max Payne fans, the story remains the true selling point.

Pros:
• Great story
• Amazing graphics and attention to detail
• Good multiplayer
• Good replay value

Cons:
• A little repetitive
The game is amazing, despite the minor repetitive issue. I was kind of worried where they would take Max next, but Rockstar, to no surprise, delivered with another great title.
Rating: 9

Have an Epic Day,

GameNTrade Ltd.