Shattered My Expectations
Max Payne has a long and storied history. Originally developed by Remedy, Max Payne was a tongue-in-cheek noir thriller that was the first game to utilize the bullet time effect made popular by The Matrix. As a hard boiled, Mickey Spillane-type NYPD detective, Max waged a one man war against the mob after his wife and baby daughter were killed, turning the bright cop into a depressed pain killer addict. The Punisher Max ain't, but he's damn near close. Keeping the violence in check was a healthy dose of comic relief, whether it be the off hand comments of the in-game baddies or full episodes of Address Unknown and Lords and Ladies, television shows that mirrored the events of the game.
Max Payne 3 represents a complete tonal shift from its predecessors, largely in part to Rockstar taking over the property from Remedy. After the events of The Fall of Max Payne, Max has once again fallen into the well of depression over the death of his family and Mona Sax, adding alcoholism to his list of addictions. This version of Max Payne is angrier, self-depreciating and even more cynical. After some unfortunate business in New Jersey, Max is recruited by Raul Passos, an old friend who promises a comfortable living acting as bodyguard to the wealthy Bronco family in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The gig seems nice at first as babysitting socialites and protecting its political interests and aspirations yields as much free booze that Max could ever ask for. It isn't long before things turn sour and a raid on the Bronco family by a gang of favela thugs leads to Victor Bronco's wife, Fabiana, getting kidnapped and ransomed. Things continually go from bad to worse as events spiral out of control and threaten to drag Max deeper into the black pit of despair, anger and violence.
Many elements that helped define the Max Payne experience have found themselves here. The player will guide Max throughout a series of levels while jumping back and forth between present day and flashbacks. At any given time, Max will be confronted by a small army of goons that must be eliminated before reaching the next area and taking out yet another cadre of villains. The structure certainly sounds repetitive, but it never gets dull. Max will have access to a host of different (yet familiar) weaponry such as pistols, shotguns, sub-machine guns and assault rifles, many of which can be picked up from fallen corpses. Apart from a new cover system, Max has the unique ability to perform bullet dodge maneuvers giving him the extra edge and precision that comes from time slowing down to a crawl. Should Max sustain damage (and he will), painkillers can be used to keep him alive. If painkillers and bullet dodge aren't enough and Max gets hit too many times, he will enter a phase called Last Man Standing which gives you one last chance to kill the target who fired the potentially fatal shot. You've only got one opportunity for success, so if you run out of bullets or fail to hit the target within your final moments, the game is over.
The combat in Max Payne 3 is, quite simply, the best in the business. Taking down enemies is comfortable and feels completely refined from previous third person Rockstar ventures. I find it difficult to aptly describe just how good the combat is, other than it just feels right. Max Payne 3 does have a number of faults but fortunately, they aren't enough to denigrate the experience. Enemies tend to pop out from corners when you least expect it, allowing them a free shot at you and if you're already crippled with no painkillers on hand, death is an expected result. For the majority of the game, I had set the difficulty to Medium only to switch it to Easy after having to replay several sections over and over because of the sheer number of enemies storming my position while frantically search for cover. One particular annoyance involves the cutscenes. If Max is carrying a shotgun, assault rifle or anything other than a pistol before initiating the cutscene, once the movie sequence is over Max will automatically switch back to the weaker weapon and, more often than not, drop the two handed weapon. Why do this, exactly? This becomes particularly bothersome after collecting the necessary pieces to unlock gold versions of in game weapons that are better than their standard counterparts.
While Max Payne 3's combat makes for a sublime action game, it is Rockstar's flair for the cinematic that makes the product an incredibly stellar experience. You can look at any Rockstar game developed in the last decade and see that each strives to recreate a cinematic and emotional experience while drawing upon other films in order to develop the narrative's tone. Max Payne 3 draws inspiration from Tony Scott's Man On Fire, adapting a similar narrative and utilizing the film's penchant for superimposing important bits of dialog onto the screen, and Michael Mann's Collateral. Camera tricks,Kane and Lynch 2-style visual flourishes, slickly produced and directed cutscenes combined with Max's hard boiled manner of narration make for an engrossing and violent drama that's better than what I've seen in theaters. There were moments where the weight of Max's past and actions gets too difficult to bear, leaving me in a state of shortened breath after each narrative twist (some considerably better than others). There narrative suffers from a few flaws towards the end, when a late game revelation (itself an early flashback) seems decidedly out of place, making Max Payne - the most cynical and distrusting man on the planet - appear incredibly naive.
Before I close, I want to point out the game's strict attention to details. Everything in the game, whether it be curtains, cramped favelas or Max's clothing, is rendered with a supreme level of care and realism. As Max gets shot, his clothes become bloody and punctuated with bullet holes. Glass shatters realistically when bullets pass through it. Max's clothing creases as he walks. Performing a bullet dodge without ample room will cause Max to hit a wall and fall to the ground in a heap. If you pick up a two handed weapon but opt to continue using a handgun, Max will carry the larger gun in his off hand. Rockstar must be using the Natural Motion engine for the character models as they behave realistically when shot in various limbs or take a fall. Max Payne 3 also has some of the best kill cams in the business. When firing the killing shot, the camera will pull away from Max and focus on the final bullet as it bursts from the barrel and flies in the direction of the target, giving you a close up shot of the victim's final moments. These kill cams also allow for you to appease the inner sadist by pumping additional rounds into the poor soul and watching as his body is pounded by ammunition. You can slow down time even further and watch as blood flows from exit wounds in beautiful red cascades.
Max Payne 3 delivered an experience that surpassed my every expectation (granted, they were somewhat low to begin with). I remember being upset with the prospect of playing as a bald Max, but I was pleased to discover that this version of Max doesn't appear well into the second disc. If you're expecting an adventure on par with Max Payne and The Fall of Max Payne, you might be disappointed as Rockstar has infused the franchise with a more realistic tone. Make no mistake, Max continues to perform unparalleled feats of human agility and prowess despite his addiction to pain killers and booze, but there are very little winks and nods to the camera. Rockstar has taken their years of development experience and created a refined combat experience second to none (well, so far). Whether you count yourself as a fan of Max Payne or are looking for a well put together action title with a touch of melodrama, Max Payne 3 is a game worth playing.
