Max Payne 3 Review

Bring on the Payne

1- General Info
2- Gameplay
3- UI
4- Music
5- Single Player
6- Multiplayer

SCORE
For all you lazy bums out there that skip the review for the score..
Here ya go

9/10
EXCELLENT

GENERAL INFO
As we all know, Rockstar is one of the few game companies that strikes gold every time it releases a new game. Max Payne 3, which will be referred to as MP3 from now on, was developed by the Vancouver studios, famous for the amazing game Bully, which was released almost 6 years ago. You can buy it for your Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.
Hey.. the game isn’t open world!
Why yes, hypothetical reader, you are correct.. even though it is made by and published by THE company that redefined open world action games, MP3 is a corridor shooter. Which isn’t bad, since the game itself is pretty decent (4 stars remember?).
Bullet Time? Lame!
Skip to the Gameplay section, and I’ll explain why it isn’t.
Do I need to play MP1 and MP2 to understand the story?
Not really. Yes, playing the games help you understand the world that Max lives in and the payne (ah, beautiful puns) he’s gone through. He’s a bitter old man who tries to overcome his addiction and depression. Read more on the Single Player section.
Does the game have an online pass?
Nope! And hallelujah for that! You can wait for the cheaper used version and get the same game that everybody’s getting.

Now on to the next section!

GAMEPLAY
MP3 is a third person action game with a heavily integrated slow-down timer implemented as Bullet Time. Since the original titles were the ones that popularized the slow-down mechanic, it was obvious that this feature would be in MP3 at least in a modern fashion. Whereas in multiple recent titles, the time doesn’t just slow down. You can actually FEEL Max dodging the waves of bullets as he shoots down the goons. You can trigger Bullet Time by either pressing its designated button (default RS for the 360 and R3 for the PS3) or pressing the jumping dodge button (RB for 360, R1 for PS3).

The shooting itself is VERY satisfying. You have a great sense of the weapons in your hands as you mow down waves and waves of enemies. The weapons are your standard equipment such as the 9mm and AK-47.
New to the franchise, but a standard in this console gen, is the cover system. As with all titles you just press a button to take cover (X for 360 and Square for PS3). The thing that differentiates MP3 from other titles is that you cannot move from one cover to the other smoothly, as you have get out of your current cover, and then press the cover button again to go to the other point. Some may complain about this, but I think it’s a brilliant notion from the developers.
You see, you play as an old man. An old man who was one of New Jersey’s finest yes, but an old man nonetheless. If you press the dodge jump button and finish the jump and fall to the ground (yes FALL, you do not roll on the ground like it ain’t no thang) you STAY there until you move Max. Other gameplay designs is that Max is intentionally slower than your average protagonist, since you know.. he’s an old guy. His running and rolling to avoid gunfire are slow, but it adds to the fact that he’s… you know, an old guy.
All in all, the gameplay is a mix between Gears of War and Uncharted. Pure shooting with some platforming to get you to a new location.
Can I change the button layout?
Why yes of courses! You have 4 main control schemes, which in all honesty don’t differ from each other than Type 1 (default) and Type 4 (current gen shooter layout). I recommend the default one since it is much more comfortable playing MP3 that way.
Does Max regenerate health?
No. Part of the gameplay in MP3 is balance out your health bar and the number of “med kits” (painkillers in the game) you take to restore health. In Modes up to Hardcore, when Max “dies” while he still has a jar of painkillers left, he goes into the mode Last Man Standing, where Max goes into Bullet Time and you have to shoot the last guy who shot you, or it’s game over.

UI
(UI is short for User Interface)
The great thing about Max’s UI during gameplay is that it is reduced almost to bare minimum, and it is only used for necessity. This adds to the cinematic view that every developer strives to achieve nowadays and the MP3 developers succeeded beautifully in that.
There are only two icons on screen on single player: Max’s Health bar, and the Bullet Time Meter. A mini map is added in the multiplayer.

MUSIC
MP3’s soundtrack was made by the noise band HEALTH. The music adds a chilling intense atmosphere to to the story and shooting sections. The way the music was implemented throughout the levels is phenomenal. It may sometimes feel that a track or two is repeated, but it doesn’t detract from the created atmosphere.
Listen to this:

Full Music Playlist
Also, as always I encourage people to buy soundtrack music. Don’t pirate, and help people make money they deserve.
Amazon
iTunes

SINGLEPLAYER
You are Max Payne. You are an old man that has given up on the world. An old colleague tells you that there are jobs opportunities in Rio (Brazil) that would make him reduce some of his pain… and make some cash in the progress.
But things go wrong. Oh so wrong.
There is a terrorist organization that wants your client dead. You encounter the corrupt police force that controls the city. You fail miserably every single step of the way.
Now I know that sounds like a terribly cliched premise that was presented in stories almost hundreds of years ago, but the way it is presented and the way that Max commentary on things happening around him and his life is interesting and sometimes hilarious.
The best thing about the game is the way Max deals with his pains and accepts that he doesn’t need redemption for his actions… just acceptance.

You go through three stages of Max’s life here. The Search for Redemption, The Acceptance, and the Flashbacks. I don’t wanna spoil anything, but all I say is that the way it is presented is amazing and you should want to replay the game multiple times to let it fully sink in.
The best thing about the campaign is that, every new location actually feels new and the developers actually went out of their way and visited Brazil to make the most accurate and believable game locale. I don’t want to spoil the locations, because you do need to experience the for yourself.
But how long is the campaign?
11-12 hours. Is that all you care about really?
YES.
sigh…
Are there collectibles in the game?
Yes. In each level there are Golden Guns divided into three parts put in different parts of them. Also, there are interactive clues that add to the plot slightly, but the main draw is Max’s commentary on them.

Also, you complete different challenges in the game called Grinds, e.g. Shoot 100 Enemies Under the Belt. And there are divided into three stages: Bronze, Silver, Gold.
I am a returning Max Payne fan. Are there nods to the old games from the developers?
Oh, but if I tell you.. that would ruin the surprise now wouldn’t it?

MULTIPLAYER
(disclaimer: I only played a moderate portion of it, unlocking the basic equipment and abilities)
The one question that everybody asked when Rockstar announced that MP3 would have Multiplayer was, “but how is Bullet Time implemented?”.
Well, the way I understood it while playing was that it affects enemy players in your sight. He slows down, and you take advantage of that and kill the player.
Now that’s out of the way, let me break the Multiplayer down.
1- When You Start Playing:
Unlike any other title in the last few years, MP3’s Multiplayer DOESN’T throw you in the field immediately expecting you to understand the mechanics RIGHT NOW OR YOU FUCKING DIE.
No, it gives you a playlist named Rookie list specifically made for those starting to play Multiplayer, or just want to play a few matches in the beginning.
But wouldn’t that mean that people who played longer than I do can kick my ass in these playlists?
Nope. After you reach a certain level (lvl:7 I think) the Rookie List locks out on you so you can’t take advantage of those poor people just starting out.
2- When You Get the Hang of It:
Once, you realize that “hey I don’t suck!” and stop shooting people and look at the other options.. you notice the overwhelming feeling that you won’t understand all of this bullshit, but never fear! Here I am to save the day.
The basic customization options start after you score 50 kills.
A- Leveling Up:
Every time you complete a match, you level up. Do certain actions (like getting a kill streak) and you level up faster. Now that the obvious part is out of the way, there is a certain twist here.. Leveling up is represented as “collecting cash”. So the added meaning here is that, the richer you are.. the better equipment and abilities you have.
So what does “collecting cash” add to the experience other than having a fancy name? Well, during the match, you can loot bodies. It doesn’t matter wither you killed them or not, you can just loot the body. So you can “get richer” by stealing from corpses.
Is it Immoral? Yes. But is it cool? Oh hell yes.

B- Customization:
Once you have the ability to customize classes you’ll notice a small meter under your characters avatar. The meter represents your mobility in matches, such as regenerative health and how fast you are.
The tricky part of it is trying to find the balance between your equipment and your mobility. You an choose to be extremely fast but die faster. You can really slow and last longer during the battle. Or you can find the right balance for your playing style.
Obviously heavier weapons mean slower character and vice versa. The number of weapon on your possession also affects your mobility meter. Having armor, getting the added Health Burst all factor into that meter. Choosing the best strategy for yourself and/or for different maps can help you and may affect the outcome of the match.

C- Vendettas and Grinds:
Grinds have a part in multiplayer as well, though they differ in that they have one stage only. Vendetta is a beautiful concept that… have you ever played a multiplayer match where there is the ONE asshole who keeps killing you over and over again? We all did, so did the developers. In any match where a person has killed you more than three time, you can assign a Vendetta against them (X on 360, square on PS3). There appear on your mini map as an X mark, AND if you kill them younger extra cash! Now everybody loves that don’t they?

D- Game Modes:
Full list: http://www.gamesradar.com/max-payne-3-multiplayer-guide/?page=4

CONCLUSION
All in all, Max Payne 3 is a fresh change of pace in the stale genre that is the Shooter genre. Bullet Time is implemented brilliantly, the shooting is satisfying, and the Multiplayer ain’t half bad. I still stand by what I scored the game.. while people may complain that MP3 should be awarded a perfect score, it is not perfect. It is an amazing game, and the second best release this year, but it did not change the way we play Shooters or view games as a serious medium.
Also, please buy the game and don’t pirate it. Rockstar deserves the money, since they are one of the few developers that care about the quality of their productsn and the satisfaction of their costumers.

News of the Week: Games

Games:
Release Dates
Capcom Trailers
Cancelled Titles
The American System
Valve News

First I have to say that I’m sorry for missing Thursday’s post and the podcast yesterday. College reasons. Midterms and all that.
Now onto the news:
BIGGEST NEW RELATED TO THE TOPIC OF THE WEEK:
Mikel Reparaz has left GamesRadar for PlayStation: the Official Magazine. Yup, what little hope left in GR even slightly returning to normal is gone. Yes I’m pessimistic, let me be.

Games:-

Release Dates

PS3
Persona 3: FES was released last Wednesday on PSN under PS2 Classics for $10. It’s not a remastered relates, but I recommend it for everybody, even those who aren’t into JRPGs. The version is an updated version of the original Persona 3, with more quests and features.
It’s ten bucks for fucks sake. Buy it.

The Legend of Dragoon is going to be released on PSN on May 1 under PS1 classics.

Xbox 360
Bethesda will re-release Quake 4 on June 19.

Fez, the anticipated Indie game, is now on XBLA for $10. The reviews are good so far.

The Witcher 2 is finally coming to Xbox!! This Tuesday will be fucking amazing. Reviews say the game is epic.

15 minute gameplay demo for The Witcher 2 on the 360

Consoles
GTA V is rumored to be released this October. I want to believe this do much. But Rockstar loves the spring release. What helps this rumor is the feature in Max Payne 3, where you can import your “gangs” into GTA V’s multiplayer. I don’t think they would advertise this feature if it’s both games are a year apart.

Sleeping Dogs, previously True Crime: Hong Kong, has a confirmed release date of August 17.

PlayStation Vita
Mortal Kombat Vita will be released on May 1. The reboot was amazing. The only thing that was working for it was the 2-player combat more so than its single player component. So I don’t know if I’m going to buy the Vita version. If you play MK by yourself (the women help a lot in this case. Wink wink), or play online then you should consider buying this on your new shiny Vita!

iOS
Max Payne was released on is released on iOS. That move was due to the popularity of GTA III on the same platform.
I’m still sad that GTA III wasn’t ported to the 360.

Capcom Trailers

Capcom has released three trailers for three of their major franchises. Resident Evil 6, Devil May Cry, and the announcement trailer for Lost Planet 3.

Resident Evil
NEW RELEASE DATE IS OCTOBER 2ND

DmC

Lost Planet 3
LP3 is being developed by Spark Unlimited. Developers of Turning Point: Fall of Liberty, and Legendary. Yeeeeahhhh skiiiip.

Cancelled Titles

1- Epic announced that they cancelled Gears of War: Exile, the spin-off title from the popular franchise designed for the Kinect. The reason for this is they wanted to focus the resources for the new IP they’re developing.
I don’t know if I should be sad that they cancelled a probable good game for Kinect, or be happy that they are focusing on better things. Ah well, that’s life I guess.
2- The sequel for the amazing underrated and undersold Bulletstorm had been cancelled because (surprise!) there weren’t enough sales.
Thanks gaming community.

The American System/strong>

1- California Judges have forced GameStop to tell customers about the extra additional costs that come with used games. AKA, online passes.
This is obviously because of GS practices of forcing, sorry.. “encouraging”, costumers to buy used games. Combine that with companies forcing, sorry (again).. “encourage to help developers”with the online passes pissed off enough people to warrant government action.
Thanks Capitalism!

Valve News

1- Apple CEO Tim Cook has visited Valve Headquarters this week.
WHY WAS HE THERE?!
NEW CONSOLE?!
JUST A FRIENDLY VISIT?!
AHHH THE SUSPENSE
2- A Valve job requisition has strengthened the rumors of a Valve Console.
Details.

For Your Beautiful Eyes: FAP

This is kind of cheating since it was featured yesterday, and explained what it is.
But fuck this, I’m tired. I need sleep. Enjoy.
FAP is short for Full Access Preview, it’s a video made by the GR staff either making fun of a game or enjoying it.

FAPs

Top 5… Best Things that GamesRadar Had

5- Week of HATE

Don’t you just hate the fucking fanboys and their stupid debates on which piece of plastic is better than the other? Or how some jackasses who notice and complain about every single minor detail in the game?
What about the corporate side of the industry? Don’t you just want to punch a PR representative repeatedly in the face for misleading DLC?
But you’re a professional. You don’t want to look like an amateur journalist who ruins his/her image just by a few words. You also want to be taken seriously and be respected in the industry.
But GR had an awesome solution for all that. For three year (’08-’10), they had a week where they would spill their hatred of fanboys and industry ploys.
Check all the articles here:
2008: (did not find the link to it)
2009
2010

4- B. Buttercup (Senior Wildlife Editor)

Ever felt that horses were under-appreciated in the gaming industry? That they are just slaves to the whims of games characters to to do their fetch quests and dragon slaying?
GR had the same questions, and hired B. Buttercup to write articles exclusively horse related. His writing is so fascinating you instantly forget your first question about him (how does he write for GR? Simple: BIGASS keyboard).
A few of his articles:
Top 7.. Sexy Horse Every Stud Should Ride
Red Dead Redemption Promotes the Subjucation of Horses
His Twitter

3- FAPs

Short for Full Access Preview (not that fap you thought of initially, eh?). They are videos of the cast playing recent games (the time a FAP is released [heh, ejaculation joke]). These FAPs are almost 15-20 minutes long and they include hilarious commentary by the cast, either making fun of the game or genuinely enjoying it.

Shadows of the Damned FAP

Portal 2 FAP

Dead Space 2 FAP

Worst Wii Fighting Games FAP

MORE FAPS

2- TalkRadar

What happens to game journalists after their work is done? They go home and be boring.
Not the GR cast. They may be exhausted and tired and hate your guts, but their humor and sense of fun is still intact. Two hours every week, recently three, they talk about games and their lives in general. They always go off the rail, but they do it in a fun way and make you feel that you’re part of the conversation.
While some podcasts are more informative, the GR staff make feel that you belong in the conversation. Rape jokes and intoxicated cast included.

TalkRadar on GR
TalkRadar on iTunes

1- The Cast

What more can be said about the cast? They are amazing writers, great journalists, and hilarious comedians. Their cast pictures were amusing and showed personality. Some left to pursue other interests, and some got laid off. My memories of them is still intact, and I hope one day I get to meet them face to face.
And yes, Mikel’s glorious beard.

such majestic facial hair

Chris Antista left GR for PC Gamer (DIGITAL!), and formed a nostalgia-filled podcast called LaserTime. Help him by donating and/or buying shirts from the shirt store!
Tyler Wilde left to PC Gamer as well, but didn’t make a big deal out of it.
Charlie Barratt left to @Gamer.
The only Remaining members of the old crew is Mikel Reparaz, and Henry Gilbert and the UK crew.

left to right: Charlie Barratt, Mikel Reparaz, Lizze Cuevas, Chris Antista, Tyler Wilde

A Trip Down GR’s Memory Lane

QUICK! What’re all these thing have in common?

– Rage induced articles that release annually during a week of hate.

– Shark articles ,and a possible shark game of the year for a Spanish editor.

– A Horse columnist named B. Buttercup.

No, not that it all happened in my head (big possibility, however). The one thing they have in common is that they all originated from an amazing website, that will always have a place in my heart, GamesRadar (often known as GR). Quick history lesson before I cut to the chase of this article: once upon a magical time (2007), a magazine proclaiming itself to be PlayStation the Official Magazine was bought. I was flipping through pages of this typical “official” magazine, reading (and wincing at it like a fellow on twitter whose rather weird twitter name, HenereyG, was kind of amusing) previews and laughing at the review scores like any hormone fueled teenager.

But there it was.. a two page ad showing a LOLcat with a weird logo that just states (gr.) with lighting bolts surrounding it.

I immediately checked out the website. It appeared like any other gaming related website. Until one fateful night on November ’06 I noticed an article (a top 7 as GR faithfuls should know), again just like a hormone fueled teenager, titled Top 7 Girl on Girl Kisses. (http://www.gamesradar.com/the-top-7-girl-on-girl-kisses/) The content (AKA kisses) was pretty dull for a seemingly interesting topic. The writing and humor of this article was what grabbed me by surprise. I got immediately hooked by this strange website that promised me hot kisses but didn’t deliver.

IGN was (notice the past tense) my main source of news for me on the net, but that wasn’t what GR prided on. Their features were the main thing that distinguished them from the rest of the typical gaming websites. I will talk more about what I loved about it tomorrow (if you’re interested that is, and didn’t vomit from the disgusting pile of shit that is my writing yet) in The Top 5 (something): Things that I loved about GamesRadar article.

Fast forward five years later, after the wonderful features and reviews that I used to (here we go again with the past tense) trust GR solely on, and the amazing podcast TalkRadar, the site began to spiral down with Brett [Elston] leaving and ended with the “hiatus” of TalkRadar. With the cast either moved on to better things, like Tyler [Wilde] and Chris [Antista] leaving to PC Gamer (DIGITAL!) and Brett to Capcom, or laid off, Cheryl [del Rosario] and Carolyn and [Michael] Grimm and [Matt] Keast, the site lost its edge with the podcast being the last thing to hold onto (I didn’t really care for the forums much, it was sad though how it was just shut down for no reason). GamesRadar is not your lovable grandpa on his dying breaths waiting for someone to turn off his life support. It’s a rapid dog that used to be your best friend and part of your family for so long you just don’t want to put it out of its misery.

I still browse GR every once in a while, enjoying the UK part of the site and also the surprise guest articles (thanks Chris for the Colonial Marines video), and the old cast that is still there, Mikel [Reparez] and Henry [Gilbert]. No, I didn’t forget Charlie [Barratt] .. he left GR on Friday. If you’re a person who is confused of all the names and weird references, I urge you to check GamesRadar and browse the amazing articles that spanned five years and a half. Just don’t be as depressed as us old fans when you reach the end of the journey.

This Week’s Topic: GamesRadar

In this week I will write about one of the major influences on my gaming life, the amazing GamesRadar.
Mon: A Trip Down GR’s Lane.
Tue: The Top 5.. Amazing Things That GamesRadar Had.
Wed: The FAP.
Thu: Future Publishing, or How I Stopped Reading and Hate the Execs.
Fri: Podcast and QotW.
Sat: Major News of the Week and What We Command You to Notice.
Sun: Stolen Feature: The Top 7.

GameInformer Shooter and RPG Flowchart

Have you ever played a shooter or an RPG and thought, “hmmmmm… this looks familiar”?
Well I – or rather GI – have found the answer in this nifty Flowchart!
(yes I am such an asshole for stealing shit from other websites. Get over it)

Replaying the Mass Effect Series

In honor of Mass Effect 3’s release (and also the loss of my previous saves), I shall replay ME and ME2.
Yeah, that’s about it. Hopefully after I finish each game in the series I will post an article on how well the games hold up (very). After I finish ME3 I will post my own review.