Max Payne the story of a New York detective who’s bright life is turned to pure darkness when his wife, and child are both brutally murdered. The game follows Max as he attempts to hunt down the ones responsible for murdering his wife and child, as well as framing him for the murder of his partner, Alex. This was all just the FIRST Max Payne storyline, in the sequel titled Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne it picks up two years after the first one concludes. Max has cleared his name and is now back at his old job as an NYPD detective. He reunites with Mona Sax, whom he met in the previous game, and they set out to resolve an elaborate conspiracy of death and betrayal, that goes deeper than either one could ever imagine.
Eleven years from the date of the original release and the Max Payne franchise is stronger than ever, with it’s latest outing MAX Payne 3 set in the mean streets of in São Paulo, Brazil, where Payne is working in the private security sector for a wealthy local family. Not to spoil the story too much, but when one of the people Max was ordered to protect gets kidnapped. Max does any, and everything to get them back.
What makes this game the strongest effort so far in the Max Payne lineage, is the story telling, hands down. In the first two, Rockstar took a comic book panel approach, while this one has the Tony Scott’s “Man on Fire” epic movie feel to it. There are moments when playing you become emotionally attached to the characters, and you work your hardest to save them. There are enough terrible situations in this game to shake a stick at.
The game play on the third person shooter is still the same. You can still bullet time (Where you jump in slow motion getting the DROP on less aware baddies who are aiming at your head.) Pop painkillers when your health bar is low, and shoot everything in sight. The physics system that Max Payne implements is so realistic, it’s like your throwing the grenade in the room full of kidnappers YOURSELF….Not that you’d do that in real life 😉
There is REAL acting in the cut scenes of the game, there is one scene that struck a chord with me. Max & his right hand man Raul Passos are in a boat on some murky lake, late at night in attempt to get Fabiana, the woman Max was ordered to protect. The whole game you’ve watched him drink, pop painkillers, and wake up in a drunken rants. But on this boat ride Max comes into a mind-blowing moment of clarity. Transcript of the scene below.
Max: You know if I had been doing my job properly, we wouldn’t be out here in the middle of nowhere looking for some broad that got pinched on my watch.
Raul: That’s what we tell ourselves? It’s all our fault!
Max: No, I’m serious. By the time they grabbed the girls, I was half cut. I ain’t slippin’ man. I’m SLIPPED.
It’s impressive writing in the cutscenes, that make playing the game worth while.
In short RUN, DON’T WALK TO PICK UP A COPY of Max Payne 3 if you haven’t already.
Like this article? Follow us on @fauxsociety for the best news and updates.
PROPS TO ROCKSTAR GAMES FOR SENDING FAUX SOCIETY A PROMOTIONAL COPY TO REVIEW.
