Xbox 360 Review: "Max Payne 3"

Publisher: Rockstar Games

Developer: Rockstar (Various Studios)

Release Date: May 15, 2012 (USA)

Premise:
Max Payne 3 is a 2012 Third-Person Action game. You star as the titular character Max Payne who has now managed to make his way to São Paulo, Brazil working as a bodyguard for a rich and powerful man. When the man's wife is kidnapped, Max is drawn into a web of conspiracy and betrayal as he battles his own personal demons to save the life of another distressed woman.

Gameplay: 

Max Payne 3 is a Third-Person-Shooter. All of the classic elements of the Max Payne franchise return in this newest installment. The game involves a lot of shooting, then some more shooting and after all of the shooting, there's more shooting. Bullet Time makes a return, allowing you to slow time down to gain an advantage against your foes.

Max Payne 3 also employs a cover system that you will need to take full advantage of at all times. Enemies are very accurate in their shooting and most of the time just a few bullets is all it takes to kill you. The traditional Painkillers are back as the method of Health Kits, and there is a new feature included called "Last Man Standing." What that means is if you have at least 1 Painkiller in your possession and you get shot enough to where it would normally kill you, you have the chance to kill the person who last shot you. Doing so lets you continue the game but takes away a single Painkiller.

Graphics:
The graphics in Max Payne 3 are just about as good as it gets for an Xbox 360 game. The character models are absolutely amazing, as you can tell Rockstar went into great detail with each NPC as well as Max, such as adding blemishes and skin flaws to make them look even more real. The environment is crafted perfectly, and the textures look amazing along with the detailed and vibrant cities, towns, jungles and other areas that you visit throughout the game.

Sound:
In addition to the original music score that is the most well-known to Max Payne fans, there are some additional musics that really get you caught up in the game. The weapons sound very authentic as well as the ambient sounds of the environment of doors, wild animals and much more.

Length:
Max Payne 3 is a linear story/action-based game. It will take you roughly 6-9 hours to complete the entire game which can be extended if you spend time scrounging around each area you visit for the collectible Gold weapons, more Painkillers and finding "clues" around the world that give you a further glimpse into the story as it unfolds around you.


There are several difficulty levels to unlock as you complete the game multiple times, as well as an "Arcade" mode that's similar to Gears of War 3's Arcade mode in which you play the campaign with the goal of racking up the most points possible. There is also a multiplayer element to the game that lets you battle against people on Xbox Live.

Value:
Max Payne 3 is a hell of a great experience. The story is filled with raw emotion and sadness from Max as well as a shit load of heavy action. The fact that the game was done so well, I would gladly pay full retail price to show my support to Rockstar for making such an amazing game.