A good protagonist is hard to find in the world of video games. For every compelling character that pops up there are at least a dozen faceless space marines and soldiers who populate the industry at the other end of the spectrum. Too often characterization is tossed aside in favor of graphics and gameplay. While those are two very important aspects of any game, is it so hard to also give us a protagonist that we root for and identify with? It just so happens that this is an area where Rockstar Games tends to shine. The studio just happens to flourish when it comes to building worlds and memorable characters to populate them and their latest effort, Max Payne 3, is no different. in that regard. In the latest installment of the Max Payne series, Rockstar takes the helm in the series previously developed by Remedy Studios. If you're a fan of the original two Max Payne games don't let that turn you off to the new offering. Max Payne 3 is undeniably Max, for better and for worse.
Story
At the end of the last Max Payne game it was thought that Max may had finally found a little solace following the events of the first installment. Perhaps finally he could find a little peace after all the trauma. The beginning of Max Payne 3 finds Max to be no better off though. It appears that the mob murdering his wife and child is something that no matter what he does, Max will never truly be over it. And much like a normal person Max turns to booze and pills to numb the pain. It's a frighteningly real interpretation of how a person might handle such a traumatic experience. By this point Max has been kicked off of the police force and is very simply drowning his sorrows in whiskey until an opportunity arises in South America. Max takes on a bodyguard job in hopes the change of scenery might just help.
Naturally trouble happens to find Max despite his relocation. What seemed like the perfect gig soon goes to hell following a kidnapping of Max's client. Soon enough, Max finds himself at the center of a massive conspiracy in Sao Paolo. Needless to say you'll find yourself shooting your way through countless enemies as you attempt to collect clues and uncover the truth behind the matter which unfolds with a gritty, urban noir presentation style. Along the way there are plenty of twists and turns that one wouldn't expect.
By far though it is the character development of Max himself that takes center stage, advanced through cut scenes and his inner monologue. Max is such a troubled character already but his descent into a man who's truly broken mentally is compelling and saddening at the same time. Despite the nature of the gameplay and the fact that you're tasked with running around and taking out hundreds of enemies, the fact that all those lives are being taken senselessly is never lost on the character. It makes him a figure that you can truly sympathize with, much like many of Rockstar's other anti-heroes.
Gameplay
Max Payne 3 is an interesting game to play. The game controls are simple enough but there are various intricacies within the system that allow for a player to pull off some amazing sequences. Of course the main features here are the same as the first two games in the series. Max doesn't have any new moves to display inside of Rockstar's RAGE engine but he does has swifter and more realistic movement which actually lends itself well to aiming and positioning. While Max can roll and take cover, this isn't necessarily a cover based shooter. Cover can be great but the environments are destructible and cover won't be there for long. That it why "shootdodging" and bullet time have been such an amazing staple in the series.
Shootdodging, as it has been dubbed, allows Max to leap in whichever direction you choose while still firing away at his target. Each kill of course contributes to Max's adrenaline meter in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. When you rack up enough kills and start to fill your meter, you'll be able to slow down time as you launch into your shootdodge, giving you ample time to take out multiple enemies. Bullet Time of course is much like that aspect of shootdodging which slows down time significantly and allows you to mow down multiple enemies as their bullets slowly stream passed you. Essentially it's like you become Neo from the Matrix, except with a drinking problem and an addiction to painkillers.
Combining these two tactics are essential. This game manages to toss wave after wave of enemies at you and like I said, cover is destructible. The A.I is programmed in such a way that if you stay behind cover long enough the enemies will start to converge on you and so you are forced to constantly stay in motion. Adding to your plight is the fact that some of these enemies can absorb quite a bit of damage thanks to having far better armor than Max has access to. Max himself can sustain a fair amount of hits, filling his damage meter at the bottom right corner. Thankfully throughout each level you'll find painkillers scattered throughout. Painkillers will replenish your health meter and if you happen to get downed by an enemy while you still have one available, you'll have an opportunity to shoot your attacker. If you manage to nail them you will revive but if you miss or fall at an angle where it is impossible to hit them then you die. Funny enough, there is a drawback to using painkillers. The screen blurs and cuts in and out, signifying their doping effect. So you can imagine that using one in mid battle might be disorienting.
Again, the key to surviving each encounter, and especially the boss fights will be mobility and using bullet time/shootdodging to the best of your ability. Some levels will be trickier than others and call for more creative strategies. Some might find this frustrating but honestly I found it challenging and a bit fun. For every time I died and has to restart a level I attempted different ways of handling the sequence until I managed to clear the level. Luckily the game handles well enough so you won't have too many problems keeping complete control of Max at all times. I had one or two instances of lag in response time between a button press and Max's on screen actions. And while I love the action roll I do wish there was more of a dedicated single button press for it rather than the sprint button doubling for it with a double tap of the button.
Another nice touch comes from the physics engine in the game. The RAGE engine has been powering Rockstar's games since Grand Theft Auto 4 and it really shines here. Max's range of movement far exceeds that of the prior games, sometimes for better and sometimes it can be a hindrance. This only serves to enhance the immersion of the game. At times there have been moments where I'll launch into a shootdodge in what I'm sure will be a few well placed shots and kills only to accidentally slam into a wall which impedes Max's momentum, with the character model crashing into the wall and reacting in a realistic manner. Not only that but once Max is on the ground he still has a full range of motion, allowing him to shoot from the ground and continue to massacre his enemies. It's little touches like this that create some of the more stunning moments in the game.
Graphics
Visually the game is one of the best of this generation. We are approaching the end of this console cycle so you can expect to see games pumping out the best of what these systems have to offer. I played on the X-Box 360 version and found the visual clarity to be on par with one of the more graphically advanced games I played last year, Gears of War 3. Granted the games are both third person shooters, they are in stark contrast to one another in terms of their color palettes. While Gears was far darker and had more of a gritty feel to it, Max Payne 3 clearly has a brighter color palette to work with. I'm sure this is purposefully done by Rockstar by setting such a dark and disturbing story against such a brightly colored backdrop. It also reflects the nature of the character in that while Max appears to have it together on the outside at times, his head is still a complete mess.
Of course the whole game isn't set in Sao Paolo. There will be moments where you flash back to Max's past and revisit the dark alleys of New York which are just as dank as you remember in the previous games of course. Some of these set pieces happen to be incredibly well done I might add. As I mentioned before some of the areas are highly destructible so you'll find pieces of walls, tables, columns flying about as you fight your way through areas. The game's engine really shines with the gunplay though. Sadly it is this glorification of violence that shows off the game's physics engine the best. When moving through countless enemies, you'll find that you have the opportunity to slow down the game's camera when you land the last shot on an enemy. The engine will show almost every gory detail as the bullet enters and exit's the character model's flesh. Nail a guy with a headshot and watch as a gaping hole spurts out blood, flesh, and brain matter in slow motion. It's all very visceral and displayed with a disturbing amount of clarity, something that is not lost on the character himself as such matters are referenced in his inner monologue.
Thankfully for a game so large and with so many things going on at once it manages to run without any drop off in the frame rate. Though I have experienced one odd glitch. Very early in the game I had a fall through the earth moment where the character fell through the geometry. I haven't run across any other visual glitches in the single player portion of the game though which made me think it might have just been a one time thing. Also, it's not a big deal but it can be distracting sometimes is that the lip-sync isn't totally perfect. I guess Rockstar's last offering with L.A. Noire and it's incredible facial capture technology has sort of spoiled me but every game since then I've been more aware of the lip-sync versus the dialogue and it kind of gets distracting for me. Not a big issue but just something that I noticed.
Sound
The score is appropriately mellow and dramatic. It really catches the somber mood and tone that encapsulate the character of Max Payne. The theme for Max himself truly underscores the the scenes of him sitting alone in his apartment drinking himself into a stupor as he attempts to cope with the tragedies that constantly seem to follow him. This is contrasted by the high profile family that Max is hired to protect as they throw lavish parties and visit nightclubs where the the rhythmic Latin American beats pulsate loudly. I commend Rockstar for their choice in music for the soundtrack as they all fit the setting so well. The music really serves to properly capture the significance of the bigger set pieces as buildings crumble, glass shatters, and gunfire swirls all around.
The voice over work for the game is tremendous as well. James McCaffrey returns as the voice of Max Payne and does a terrific job in the role. Once again he manages to bring just the right amount of pathos to help humanize a character that would otherwise be categorized as a drug addled sociopath. Naturally his performance stands out as Max does voice over narration as well as his one liners during the game when picking up weaponry, painkillers, and in battle. The rest of the cast does a very capable job and portraying their respective characters and bringing a level of authenticity to the roles for a game that is mainly set in South America.
At the end of Max Payne 2 it seemed like there was very little ground left to cover for Max. In Max Payne 3 Rockstar managed to take Max's pain to a whole new depth and show that there's still aspects of the character left to explore. Putting the character through the virtual wringer produced not only a great shooter but a character study as well. Sure, Max is essentially an unflinching killing machine in the hands of the player but when was the last time a developer had their character stop and reflect on the carnage that they had caused. Far too many games present a protagonist that has very little regard for the consequences of their action whereas Max Payne finds himself constantly questioning himself and the results of his actions. As a result Max becomes a character who aware of the damage he causes and regrets it. It's an interesting take on the normal unshaken killing machines that most gamers slip into when they play.
When you layer that on top of solid gaming controls and tried and true gameplay mechanics you get a nice packaged deal that is an entertaining play through. Luckily there are varying difficulty levels and even score attack modes that give the game some definite replay value. Not to mention there is an excellent multiplayer portion to this game that I have yet to completely cover. I will however do some multiplayer impressions very soon. Till then I will leave a video I captured of myself playing the game below the final score. If you're a fan of the Max Payne series then I highly recommend the game. And even if you're not you might find yourself drawn into the story and its characters. The multiplayer also provides a nice change of pace from your normal shooters. Another fine job from the crew at Rockstar Games.
Story - 9/10
Graphics - 9/10
Gameplay - 8/10
Sound - 9.5/10
Final Score - 9/10
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