I should’ve hated this game.
No, really.
I did not expect to enjoy this thing as much as most critics proclaimed to, mostly because
when most critics praise a game for its “compelling story,” I’m usually rolling my eyes and
waiting for the poorly written slop to get out of the way and let me play.
I’m not opposed to games telling stories, but I like to play video games.
And about a third of Max Payne 3 is cutscenes.
I should’ve hated this game.
But...I didn’t.
In fact, I was riveted.
At first glance, there’s not much separating Max Payne 3 from the countless brown-and-grey
action games with vulgar white guys as antiheroic protagonists.
But then you get to know Max.
You start to learn his world is comprised of, above all else, character.
And despite all the awful things he does, slowly but surely, you start to pull for Max
Payne.
The latest opus from Rockstar Games, Max Payne 3 comes about a decade after the second game
in the series.
Obviously, a wait that long can lead to lots of expectations, both varied and outrageous.
But fortunately, it feels like Max Payne 3 simply ignores them.
Instead, like the man himself, it just does what it wants.
Generally, that involves kicking ass.
Now, the calling card of the Max Payne franchise has always been its Matrix-like gameplay.
Max can dive out of a bullet’s way to slow time and fire his own rounds through an entire
group before landing, getting back to his feet and shooting the straggler who was hiding
under a table the whole time.
That concept is back, only Rockstar has made things far more cinematic.
Once you eliminate the last enemy in a group, for example, the camera automatically tracks
the bullet in a violent slow-motion display.
From there, you just can keep unloading...ugh, this is horrendous.
If there’s one criticism I can make about Max Payne’s gameplay, it’s that the game
doesn’t make the same kind of progression the games it’s inspired have.
Despite its flaws, a game like WET really elaborated on the slow-motion concept to incorporate
these addictive combo systems.
And in comparison, Max Payne just feels a little conservative.
Definitely more polished and refined, but also...safer.
Don’t tell Max I said that.
Ultimately, though, you’ll keep coming back to the story in Max Payne 3.
This is an exemplary piece of storytelling for its medium, not necessarily because it’s
a fantastic piece of writing, per se...but for the way it makes you care about Max.
A lot of games think they have an antihero people will sympathize with, but Max is one.
When he’s drinking and vomiting and taking pills, you kinda forgive him.
At the very least, you understand why he’s doing it, and you always want to see him get
back up.
Factor in multiplayer with a Call of Duty-style progression system, terrific graphics, perfectly
solid gameplay and of course, rich sense of character...and it’s easy to like Max Payne.
I’m not personally a fan of games so heavily story-driven, but with each passing shot—both
bullet and whiskey—Max Payne 3 made a believer out of me.