Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Masterpiece"

Although some would argue that he never left our hearts, Max Payne's belated arrival on this generation of consoles comes with a set of laden questions for the ardent fan. The words on lips of gamers with only a nodding acquaintance with Max's illustrious legacy of shootdodging and painkillers run along the lines of: "Is this a Max Payne game?" "Is Max Payne 3 soaked in goofy melodrama, ridiculous writing, liberal daubs of Hong Kong action and neo-noir style?" "Is this the same Max Payne that was made legendary all those years ago by the crazy Finns we know as Remedy?"

Well no, really. With Max Payne 3, Rockstar has no qualms with ripping out everything that made the Max Payne series what it is. Though it bears his name and his voice, Max Payne 3 is a linear, story-driven Rockstar game to its core and it couldn't be more dissimilar to the tone and narrative sensibilities of its Remedy-built predecessors. That being said, it's difficult to care about such things when you realize Max Payne 3 is one of the more exceptional shooters of this generation.