MAX PAYNE 3 (X360)
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Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Rockstar Vancouver. Released: May 2012. Genre: Third-person shoot 'em up. Other versions: PS3; PC. Posted 14th December 2012. By Shane Battams © 2012 |
After a long development cycle and three years of delays, Max Payne 3 finally hit the shelves. The highly-anticipated third instalment of one of the last generation’s most critically-acclaimed franchises, MP3 takes the hero into even darker territory. Suffering from drink problems, addiction to painkillers and a hell of a lot of cynicism, Rockstar’s hero isn’t without his troubles, but it certainly won’t be as dreadful an experience for the gamer. An extremely well-made, intense and incredibly fun character-study, Max Payne 3 is one of the year’s best shooters.
No doubt from the extreme traumas he’s suffered during the previous games, Max Payne has become reliant on alcohol to numb his existence. He seems to have hit rock-bottom, but a new job protecting the wealthy Bronco family in sunny Sao Paulo gives him hope of escaping his troubled past. Sadly, things quickly turned sour as two females of the family are kidnapped. And no matter what Max and his partner Passo seem to do, things keep getting worse. There’s no doubt Rockstar were aiming to create a character-study of this flawed hero: the entirety of the plot is narrated by Max himself, complete with cynical remarks and self-deprecation. You can’t help but feel for the guy as things start to go wrong, and the story is told with style, cohesion and polish, as smooth camera cuts, split-screens and visual effects pepper the cutscenes, demonstrating Max’s constant clashing with modern technology.
On the surface, MP3 isn’t a wholly original shooter. Levels are pretty linear, requiring mostly trekking from point-A to point-B while killing all dudes in your way. Several aspects of make it stand out, however. The enemy A.I. is simply brilliant; start shooting them and they’ll know to begin blind-firing to protect themselves, stay in cover too long and they’ll flank you and the deadly accuracy, combined with the sheer number of enemies, certainly stacks the odds. The brutal satisfaction you get from combat is awesome too. Killing the last enemy in an area causes a slow-mo cam to pop up, allowing you to see the final bullet. The remarkable physics engine means enemies react realistically to shots, whether it’s in their groins or their head. The story weaves itself into the action constantly, replacing load screens with longer cut-scenes, meaning you never feel out of the action.
Mass-murder made more respectable thanks to a good tailor
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Max improves someone's art gallery
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Max Payne’s traits come into full effect as well. Bullet Time returns, allowing you to either manually slow down time or dive. Painkillers also return, allowing Max to heal, but also introduced is a Last Stand move, where Max can shoot the guy who downed him and use up a Painkiller to get back up. But perhaps the biggest change to the series is the introduction of a cover system. Reflecting the fact that Max simply isn’t as young and mobile as he was before, he can slam his back onto almost any surface. It’s horrifying to think that Rockstar’s franchise has become a Gears of War clone, but it’s far from that. Bullet Time gracefully integrates itself within the cover system, allowing you to slow time and pop those headshots from cover. It’s an excellent fusion of new and old, retaining many of the key Max Payne concepts while melding it into a modern shooter template. The challenge comes from juggling it all – playing it safe and hiding in cover too long leads to being flanked, but being reckless and relying on the finite Bullet Time mechanic causes death too.
There are a few flaws which, while not huge, are noticeable in the grand scheme of things. It’s true that, to a degree, MP3 relies on scripted sequences, and they’re definitely exciting. Some, however, become debunked should you not follow the path the game wants you to, for example a certain sequence involving a sniper tower. Other times, weird things happen with weapons. You may be fully equipped with a two-handed weapon and several pills, but after a cut-scene they’ve disappeared. Sometimes this is shown during the cut-scene, which is fair enough as it gives a sense of continuity, but other times it’ll happen for no good reason. Having said that, these oddities are not nearly enough to detract from the awesome spectacle of the campaign, perfectly blending story with full-on action.
And, surprisingly, there’s plenty to go around. You’ll spend a good twelve hours on your first run through, and two unlockable difficulties encourage more playthroughs. Collectible clues and golden gun parts are actually useful to find, the former giving deeper insight into the story and the latter adding weapon bonuses. An arcade mode contains score attacks and the return of the ‘In a New York Minute’ mode, where you must complete each level with a tight timer and kills adding more time. A Hardcore variant challenges you to complete the entire game, on its hardest setting, without dying. A multiplayer component is also present, containing standard deathmatch modes as well as Gang Wars, an objective-based mode with multiple stages in each game, and Payne Killer mode which tasks two players, the first to kill and the first to die, to survive against everyone else. Extra playlists are available, such as larger versions of these games, a full ranking system is in place complete with unlockable characters, guns and powers and maps are spacious – the mode is frenetic fun.
There are a few flaws which, while not huge, are noticeable in the grand scheme of things. It’s true that, to a degree, MP3 relies on scripted sequences, and they’re definitely exciting. Some, however, become debunked should you not follow the path the game wants you to, for example a certain sequence involving a sniper tower. Other times, weird things happen with weapons. You may be fully equipped with a two-handed weapon and several pills, but after a cut-scene they’ve disappeared. Sometimes this is shown during the cut-scene, which is fair enough as it gives a sense of continuity, but other times it’ll happen for no good reason. Having said that, these oddities are not nearly enough to detract from the awesome spectacle of the campaign, perfectly blending story with full-on action.
And, surprisingly, there’s plenty to go around. You’ll spend a good twelve hours on your first run through, and two unlockable difficulties encourage more playthroughs. Collectible clues and golden gun parts are actually useful to find, the former giving deeper insight into the story and the latter adding weapon bonuses. An arcade mode contains score attacks and the return of the ‘In a New York Minute’ mode, where you must complete each level with a tight timer and kills adding more time. A Hardcore variant challenges you to complete the entire game, on its hardest setting, without dying. A multiplayer component is also present, containing standard deathmatch modes as well as Gang Wars, an objective-based mode with multiple stages in each game, and Payne Killer mode which tasks two players, the first to kill and the first to die, to survive against everyone else. Extra playlists are available, such as larger versions of these games, a full ranking system is in place complete with unlockable characters, guns and powers and maps are spacious – the mode is frenetic fun.
Beige trousers helpfully identify enemies in darkened areas
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Pain awaits Payne
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Max Payne 3 benefits from both stylish and technically proficient visuals. Characters and levels are extremely detailed, with small flourishes such as the way Max’s shirt moves as he walks. The bleak and decrepit cesspools you traverse through are just as broody and dark, even if it’s a change from a noir-heavy aesthetic potent in the previous games. Gruesome headshots round out the satisfying combat, with gory holes forming where bullets penetrate. Once again, Max narrates us through his dreadful experience, with a kind of cynicism which you’ll either laugh at or feel numb to. It’s a strong performance nonetheless, even if Payne can sound constipated at times. The music, however, is simply masterful. A tense synth-heavy soundtrack, somewhere along the lines of Scarface, adds tension considerably. Particularly notable are a ghostly trek through a once-bustling yacht and an explosive gunfight in an airport terminal, complete with a haunting song from noise-rock band Health.
Max Payne 3 is a candidate for best action game of 2012. Tightly woven, intensely satisfying and damn good fun, Rockstar have done an admiral job of creating an in-depth character study akin to a movie while keeping the game side of things intact. And, much like the hero himself, the gameplay keeps with the times, even as old habits die hard. Top that off with extremely impressive presentation, challenging extra modes to keep you busy and a very enjoyable multiplayer component, and Max Payne 3 comes out as an all-round superstar. Anyone who has even a faint interest in the genre would do themselves a disservice to miss out.
Max Payne 3 is a candidate for best action game of 2012. Tightly woven, intensely satisfying and damn good fun, Rockstar have done an admiral job of creating an in-depth character study akin to a movie while keeping the game side of things intact. And, much like the hero himself, the gameplay keeps with the times, even as old habits die hard. Top that off with extremely impressive presentation, challenging extra modes to keep you busy and a very enjoyable multiplayer component, and Max Payne 3 comes out as an all-round superstar. Anyone who has even a faint interest in the genre would do themselves a disservice to miss out.
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VERDICT
Visual: 10/10
Audio: 9/10 Gameplay: 9/10 Longevity: 9/10 OVERALL: 9/10 |