Max Payne 3 Review

If you grew up loving the films of Humphrey Bogart at his grittiest and virtually all the hardboiled gumshoe movies of the 'film noir' era, then meeting Max Payne for the first time is like having a reunion with an old friend.
An ex-cop who virtually invented the phrase 'bitter and twisted' after the death of his family, Max turned violent revenge into an art form, thanks to the invention of the infamous 'bullet time' slo-mo technique that changed third-person shoot-'em-ups forever.

With its semi-cartoony style and Max's gravelly voice-over providing a cynical take on the action, this was the perfect antidote to all the squad-based shooters on the market. For this third instalment, Rockstar Games (home of that other beloved gangster series Grand Theft Auto) has dragged Max reluctantly from boozy oblivion in a New York bar via a Mafia bust-up to the seamy cesspits of Brazil. As you can see, this has resulted in a new bald-with-beard image which contrasts strikingly with his relatively clean shaven look in the States.

Persuaded to take a job as bodyguard to a rich South American family, Max is immediately drawn into a complex web of deceipt, corruption and betrayal which keeps you guessing until the final chapters.

If you're a PC owner then you're in a for a visual treat as Rockstar have pulled out all the stops to make sure you make the most of your graphics card. Apart from several spectacular set pieces, the attention to detail (especially in the extended sequence in the poverty-stricken favelas of Sao Paulo) is astonishing. It's been a while since I've played a game where you could swear you could smell the city as realistically as this.

And before you ask, yes, bullet time is still there and will be just as necessary in some of the hairier battles. In addition, there's a cover system which provides partial relief, as well as the ever-popular painkillers to keep Max's perpetually battered body in the land of the living. The visuals cleverly wobble out of focus whenever he has too much to drink (which is most of the time) or takes some more painkillers and each completed mission segment is punctuated with FMV sequences and split-screen cartoons.

As you progress, clues can be gathered to fill in gaps in the narrative and 'golden guns' can be assembled from parts scattered throughout the game. When you've finished the main game (around 10 hours) you can either replay earlier chapters or move into multiplayer mode and indulge in some good old fashioned gang warfare.

Make no mistake, this is by far the bloodiest and most vicious Max Payne game yet, with scenes of brutal executions and torture that some may find hard to deal with. You will need to have your wits about you for the fight scenes, too, as enemies will constantly try to outflank you, weapons can suddenly be stolen or lost and both time and timing will determine how often you die.

Will Max finally find peace of mind and lay all his demons to rest? Yeah, right. Can't wait for the next cynical sequel...

Score: 4.5/5