Max Payne 3: 13 Years of Downing Payne Killers

Unlucky for some, looking back at Max Payne 3, thirteen years on.

If you haven't played Max Payne 3 yet, then what have you been doing for these past thirteen years? But seriously, Rockstar Games' take on Max Payne is a tremendous game, and one that turned 13 last month (May 16th to be exact). I recently replayed he game and loved it all the same, so I thought I'd spend some time celebrating the (un)lucky anniversary and bring the game back to the forefront for those who have been debating a replay, or those who haven't experienced this stellar neo-noir tale yet.

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Stellar Story

Rockstar Games is known for some incredible games, and their entry into the world of Max Payne was no exception. Taking Max from the dark and grimy streets of New York, and dropping him into the bright and twisted slums and skyscrapers of São Paulo, Brazil not only presented players with a variety of new and exciting levels, but also provided a shift in atmosphere with the blinging lights of Brazil and Max being a character out of his depth and comfort in a world he doesn't belong.

The game briefly heads back to the streets of New York, explaining how Max ended up taking the high-paying security gig for the Branco family. But it's the increasing web of deceit and underworld of Brazil that Max gets broiled up in following a kidnapping that tunnels down into a rabbit hole of complications. It unravels at just the right pace, and with Max hooked on painkillers and booze, he's in a deteriorated state and continues to claw his way through each ballooning escapade to the next.

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Style In Abundance

Story aside, Rockstar pulls you through Max Payne 3 with slick action and a disorienting haze that only adds to the overall package. Max will constantly be narrating his actions and the chaos around him, dropping plenty of great lines in the process.

The action is only enhanced by the bullet time slow-motion, it never feels like a gimmick but an integral part of Max Payne 3's gameplay, you'll be popping out of cover to land nicely timed headshots, but the flavour of Max Payne 3 is the reckless insanity of moving and shooting that you'll be diving between (and over) cover whilst you pepper enemies with bullets in sublime style.

The slow-motion is present throughout, giving you moments to clear out groups of enemies in bursts of action, whilst also granting you a chance to save yourself from death as you plant a bullet between the eyes of the enemy that (seemingly) landed the killing blow on you. It's a mechanic that never ceases to be fun, and sailing through the air with dual-wielded pistols will always be a killer time.

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Great Gameplay

The gunplay of Max Payne 3 feels very similar to other Rockstar titles of the time, like Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto V, but it's the design of the levels and the bullet time that help give Max Payne 3 a timeless combat. The bloody kills are always satisfying, and seeing the final enemy in a room take several slow motion shots before they drop to the floor is a great way to end an encounter, but also clearly signals your firefight has concluded in style.

The combat remains exciting because the environment continually shifts from level to level, with the action taking you to high-rise nightclubs, the slums of Brazil, airport lounges, and even collapsing building sites. The levels all feel distinct and help keep the action fresh. That's not to mention the moments that shake up the established gameplay with speedboat chases and locked-in sniping. It's a nice distraction and helps add some variety to the gunfights as you progress.

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Max Payne 3 was easily one of 2012's best games, as the years have gone on, it's cemented itself as one of the must-play games of the PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 era. I'm still gutted it hasn't seen a remaster or port to current-gen, but I'm glad it's remained just as good, if not better, than I remembered.

Did you play Max Payne 3 in 2012? Or have you enjoyed the game recently? As usual, have a great day, and catch you in the next post.