Max Payne 3 is mere days away now, and it’s time to get familiar with the tubbier, yet somehow more agile Max before tucking into his new escapade.
Max has been out of the game for some time now, but it has only made him angrier – a mood we kind of like to see from our favourite hard-boiled vigilante cop.
Taking place a number of years after the events of Max Payne 2, Max tries to pick up the booze-soaked pieces of his life when he’s assigned to protect a wealthy family in Brazil.
Things go from bad to worse when the wife is kidnapped by a ruthless gang, and Max has to track her down, and in doing so, uncovers a bigger conspiracy than he ever expected.
As in all Max Payne games, the story will play a pivotal role, as the series’ gritty film noir feel has always been a strong point in the franchise. With Rockstar pushing the narrative elements of the third game, expect a solid piece of story-telling this time around.
What should I expect?
Max Payne is the daddy of all that is bullet-time in video games. Max will once again return in full-force with his slow-motion acrobatics and duel-wielding mayhem.
Bullet-time and gunplay combine like never before, with Max being able to fill enemies with lead while flying through the air, sliding on the floor or lying down, as Max Payne 3 features a full 360 degree shooting mechanic which allows Max to shoot freely and naturally from any position.
To add a sense of realism to the action, weight of weapons and fire-arms comes into play. Max can duel-wield any combo of guns, although a double-handed shotgun for example, will change the way he runs and moves within the environments.
What about multiplayer?
Multiplayer will make an appearance in the series for the first time, and it won’t be a tacked-on addition by any means, as Rockstar are backing their online component with the utmost effort.
A number of modes will be available, most notably Gang Wars, which streamlines the story and multiplayer elements of Max Payne 3 into a single online experience. Players can team up with one another and take on other gangs which act as a parallel to the single-player campaign.
A Max Payne multiplayer segment wouldn’t be anything without bullet-time, and thankfully it’s got that.
While many have always wondered how bullet-time would work in multiplayer, Rockstar went ahead and implemented it. Using line-of-sight, the multiplayer introduces slow-motion gunplay by putting anyone within viewable range into bullet-time when a respective player activates it. This boost should give the multiplayer a unique and distinguishable feature, which will offer something new to players in the online arena.
Is it pretty?
With all this in tow, the game also looks drop-dead gorgeous. There’s a stylish “gritty” look to the whole game, although it maintains its comic-book-inspired heritage in its story-telling and presentation.
The Euphoria animation engine also does wonders for the gameplay and gunfights, as characters move fluidly and dynamically, and most importantly, react accordingly as they soak up Max’s bullets.
From why people fell in love with the Max Payne series in the first place, to new additions which are keeping everyone excited, Rockstar seem to have all the ingredients for the return of one of gaming’s biggest (and most underrated) bad-asses.
We’re pretty excited for Max Payne 3, to say the least, and hopefully you are too. Just how excited are you for Max’s third adventure? Let us know in the comments below and on the MyGaming forum.
Related articles
Max Payne 3 arcade mode revealed
Max Payne 3 blending story and multiplayer
Max Payne 3 PC requirements revealed
Max Payne 3 comic available for free download
Max Payne 3 brings out the shotguns
Max Payne 3 brings bullet-time to multiplayer
