Review: Max Payne 3 - A return to form

For all the violence that modern video games contain, finding one that makes use of said violence in terms of telling a gritty, gripping crime story is not easy. Sure, the “Grand Theft Auto” series generally does a superb job of presenting a dramatic criminal story, though in “GTA” games you’ll often find yourself completing goofy sidemissions or other inane tasks along side more hardened criminal activities (after a while, I lost count of how many places Roman asked me drive him in “GTA 4”) . Telling a convincing and realistic crime drama in a video game is not as easily accomplished as it is for a television show or a movie - which makes “Max Payne 3” all the more special.

Developed by the same studio that handles the “GTA” series, Rockstar, “Max Payne 3” does an amazing job of not only resurrecting a long dormant character, the titular Max Payne, but also takes him out of his natural environment (the streets of New York City) and still manages to tell an incredibly gripping crime drama full of intrigue, double-crosses, drugs, alcohol not to mention lots and lots of gunfights.

The “Max Payne” series has been on hiatus since 2003’s “Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne.” The first two Payne titles were third-person shooters with dark, noir-style stories of loss and revenge and this third title does not stray far from that formula. Being set among the hustle and bustle of the wealthier citizens of Sao Paulo, Brazil, “Max Payne 3” definitely adds some much needed variety to the series.

Rockstar, taking over development of the series from Remedy Entertainment, has done a phenomenal job of perfectly capturing the spirit of the “Max Payne” franchise. Not only that, but the mechanics of its gameplay are leaps and bounds above anything presented in previous Rockstar titles, like “Red Dead Redemption” or “GTA 4,” meaning that it plays more smoothly and the gunplay is more fluid than any Rockstar game I’ve played yet. 

Each bullet is rendered individually in "Max Payne 3" letting you watch the damage each one wreaks

Max Payne has led an incredibly hard life – one filled with loss, regret, revenge, pills and a whole lot of booze. After losing practically everyone who ever meant a thing to him, Max now finds himself in Brazil, working protection for a wealthy family, the Brancos – specifically Rodrigo Branco and his wife Fabiana. Being rich and famous in a city with a huge poor and criminal population, the Brancos are constant targets for gangs and other undesirables. And typical of Max’s luck, the situations he and his partner, Raul Passos, must contend with go from bad to FUBAR quicker than you could imagine. And through various flashbacks, we also get to see the circumstances surrounding Max’s departure from America.

The first major change noticeable in Rockstar’s first “Max Payne” title is the toned-down quality of its film-noir aspects. While still very dark in terms of subject matter, “Max Payne 3” does away with the comic panel presentation of dialogue in favor of cinematics rendered with the game’s engine (“MP3” makes use of both the RAGE and Euphoria engines). Instead, “Max Payne 3” features a much healthier and much larger swath of color than in either previous game. Also, Rockstar has added numerous visual cues and touches which serve to highlight Max’s often chemically-altered state of mind.

Even with the superficial changes that Rockstar has made to the game and character, Max himself hasn’t changed one bit. He may be a bit older, he may be a bit heavier, but he retains the classic bitingly sarcastic wit and defeated wisdom that only someone who has experienced as much as Max can wield. It also seems that actor James McCaffrey, who voiced Max in the previous two titles, hasn’t forgotten how to perfectly deliver Max’s trademark down-but-not-out personality.  

The single player story of “Max Payne 3” isn’t too long. It’ll probably take you around 12-15 hours to complete its numerous chapters. I don’t want to spoil any of the story but I will say that it’s so good you’ll definitely want to play through it at least twice, if only to truly soak up all the nuances of the characters and their relationships. But you’ll also want to replay the story because there are numerous different difficulty levels to choose from. 

That thug won't be having an open casket

In addition to the story, there are a few arcade modes to try. On Score Attack, you select a chapter of the story to play and then try to rack up the most points based on kills, time, headshots, bullet time kills, etc. whereas New York Minute starts you racing against a clock where earning kills quickly is the only way to earn more time.

But Rockstar has done more with the series than give it a new coat of paint and add some new modes. Though Max Payne (both the man and the game) hasn’t been known to use cover in firefights, Rockstar has added a mechanic to fire from cover that actually works pretty well. Max quickly slips into cover with the press of a button and will smoothly get back on his feet just by moving the left stick. You’ll do well to make use of cover frequently as Max’s bullet time and shoot dodging (his signature bullet time dive) usually aren’t enough to take down every enemy in an area. Also, when taking down the final enemy in an area, you’re treated to a slo-mo, up-close-and-personal view of your rounds tearing your target to shreds. You can even slow it down further, if you’re particularly sadistic.

But the final kill-cam does more than just sate your bloodlust, it serves as an opportunity to not only show off the depth of damage that the game’s character models are capable of displaying, but also its impressive rag-doll physics. Enemies (and Max Payne too) react more realistically to damage (gunfire, explosions, falling, etc.) than any other game I’ve seen before. If you thought the rag-doll physics in “RDR” were impressive, “Max Payne 3” will blow you away (figuratively). If you couldn’t figure it out yet, let me spell it out plainly – “Max Payne 3” is very violent and makes no attempt to tone it down.

And I can hear some of you out there, “But plenty of games are violent, what makes this different?” Well aside from being able to slo-mo dive off a balcony, pop pills and shoot a bunch of goons in the face in one fell motion, I’ll tell you. There are plenty of third person shooters out there but not many offer the variety of colorful, unique locales that “Max Payne 3” does. Because even though the gun play stands well enough on its own, unique and colorful locations make murdering half of Sao Paulo’s criminal element stay fresh and interesting. Not only that but there are also a handful of huge set pieces that will no doubt be the more memorable moments of the single player adventure.

Max always knows how to make an entrance

But wait – there’s more. “Max Payne 3” also brings multiplayer to the series. I have to be honest and say I wasn’t expecting much from this mode. Though Rockstar has always done a tremendous job crafting living and breathing open-world environments, they haven’t always been successful at creating exciting multiplayer to fill those worlds. I was incredibly pleased to find out that the multiplayer plays pretty much exactly like the single player, features well-balanced weapons and gunplay as well as a surprisingly deep amount of character customization and items to unlock.

Though “Max Payne 3” doesn’t break any molds with its multiplayer mode, it offers a great companion mode to the single player to make sure that you won’t stop playing this game any time soon. On top of traditional deathmatch/team deathmatch modes, there are a few unique modes to choose from. For instance, in Gang Wars, teams are tasked with completing a series of objectives. Players can wager on their team’s performance prior to the game and whether a team completes a given objective can influence how the next objective will play out. But my favorite multiplayer mode is definitely Payne Killer. In this mode, players fight to become either Max or Passos and can only earn points by either damaging, becoming or earning kills as the two main characters. Both Max and Passos have special abilities which make them wrecking machines compared to the generic thugs. It’s an interesting twist on the ‘King of the Hill’ game type and is always fast-paced and entertaining.

But for the most part, you’ll be playing as a random hood against other random hoods. There are a handful of preset weapon loadouts to choose from but after gaining a few levels, you’re able to create your own. I was surprised by just how many weapons there were to choose from and unlock, along with how many items there were to outfit your character with (body armor, ammo packs, items that augment your health regeneration among numerous others). But my favorite element of the multiplayer is the Vendetta system. After each death, you’re shown a screen detailing how many times you’ve killed each other. If a player happens to take you out a few times in a row, you’re able to put a Vendetta on them and if you manage to take them out, you get some bonus XP. But, your target is notified of your ire and if they take you down first, they collect the bonus. I was astounded as to how quickly small rivalries can develop between players who’ve never met or played against each other before using this simple system.

After a while I found myself realizing that while Rockstar made a number of obvious changes to the “Max Payne” format, it’s the little things they added and got right that make all the difference. For example, Max Payne isn’t a space marine, can’t carry an arsenal with him at all times and at most can have three guns – two pistols and a rifle – and if he’s carrying a rifle and wants to use both pistols, he needs to put down the larger weapon. Also, the amount of minor, seemingly inconsequential character animations is just staggering. For instance, when Max takes painkillers (to restore health – some things never change), you actually see Max pull a bottle from his pocket, down the contents and toss the empty container. Or if he’s running at top speed through a door, Max will actually twist and put his shoulder into the door while running through it in one swift motion.

It’s all the little details added on top of the incredible amount of content in terms of both single and multiplayer modes that makes “Max Payne 3” one of the year’s best titles so far. In a year where blockbuster games like “Halo 4” and “Far Cry 3” will eventually be vying for my attention, I have no doubt I’ll be returning to “Max Payne 3” sooner rather than later.