After nine long years, Max Payne makes a return under the umbrella of a different developer, Rockstar Games, the studio responsible for hits like Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption.
Once again, Rockstar Games has been able to find that perfect balance between story and action, producing an excellent third-person shooter.
It's been almost 11 years since Payne tragically lost his family and he is now employed as a private security guard for a rich South American family. After the wife is kidnapped, Payne and his partner set off to save her.
As always, things are not as they seem and Payne is caught up in the middle. Add in a bevy of suspicious characters and a beautifully constructed but grimy Sao Paulo underworld, and the result is an engaging, addictive story.
One of my favourite aspects of the game is the portrayal of Payne as a deeply flawed protagonist. He is tormented and haunted by the loss of his family and is a pill-popping alcoholic. Yet, he has unfaltering moral conviction and does whatever it takes to do the right thing. The result is a character that players can sympathise with, despite his penchant for self-destruction.
In summary
Pros: Strong story and narrative; brilliant acting; stunning environments and graphics; simple combat system; re-playable game modes; fun team-based multiplayer with no lag
Cons: Linear storyline; short for a Rockstar game; quick-time events are frustrating; no grenades in single player
Score: 8/10
Achievement difficulty: 8/10 (I ended with 170gs at the end of my first playthrough)
Time to completion: 12 hours
Price: R605
The story is told through cut scenes that punctuate the fast-paced action. The combat is incredibly simple and plays almost exactly like the previous Max Payne games, except for a few updates. It uses a cover-based system and players can set how easily their aiming reticle tracks baddies.
As with the previous games, Payne can trigger "bullet time", an ability that slows down time - very useful for jumping into a room full of baddies and taking them out in one fell swoop.
The game has a number of flaws. It is incredibly linear with no room to explore the environments; Payne's character doesn't improve or gain skills over the course of the game, and the combat doesn't increase in difficulty. Fortunately, the combat is enjoyable, so these don't matter too much.
Multiplayer maintains the pace of the single player. There are a variety of individual and team- death-match-based game modes, the best of which is "gang wars". One plays a number of rounds with different objectives, including diffusing bombs or assassinating rival team leaders. Achieving objectives provides perks in the fifth and final round, a team death-match mode. The objective-based gameplay forces teamwork and makes for tense combat.
In a nutshell
The combat in Max Payne 3 is incredibly simple but has a deeply engaging narrative to support it. The game isn't perfect - the linear storyline and minimalist combat seem a bit outdated. However, these issues are relatively small compared to the overall polish of this title and I felt very satisfied at the end of the campaign. The game is an action tour de force that maintains a frenetic pace from start to end.
Share
