Max Payne 3 (video game)

[Neil]

http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/games/874852-max-payne-3-confirmed-for-march-2012

Can't wait!

[Danny]

did we read the same article? that sounds terrible.

[CoinReturn]

did we read the same article? that sounds terrible.

How so?

[Danny]

How so?

because its not max payne. thats every rockstar 3rd person shooter this gen.

[SymphonicX]

Wow, the metro's gaming section is actually pretty cool...!

AS for MP3 - I LOVED the writing of the first game, the atmosphere, everything - they watered it down a bit for MP2 which was a shame, but still a fairly enjoyable game.

I always say about rockstar, it's style over real substance nowdays...and Max Payne is unfortunately great fodder for the self indulgence of Rockstar games to feed gorge itself into obesity. So I am half half excited about this one. On one hand we may get a great, dark, balls to the wall action game with a great story and a great script. Or we may just get another game with (arguably) a great script. Meh. Couldn't care less about that one.

As I always say, I'll wait for someone here to fork out on it and give a review before going anywhere near it.

[MinionZombie]

I'll most likely play it ... it's certainly been in development for a while and Max has gone through some changes over those years. We'll see what's what with it in due course I guess ... but I'm definitely interested, even if it's not Remedy ... ... speaking of which, I do hope we get an Alan Wake 2.

[MikePizzoff]

did we read the same article? that sounds terrible. because its not max payne. thats every rockstar 3rd person shooter this gen.

Huh? Just because there's going to be a multiplayer mode?

[Neil]

did we read the same article? that sounds terrible.
If it's just 50% the game Max Payne 2 was, it will be worth the wait!

If you can enjoy it with friends... Even better!

[Danny]

If you can enjoy it with friends... Even better!

no, no not better. Max payne is a noir crime thriller, a very deep, dialogue heavy single player experience. Not yet another call of duty fanbase appealing meathead bro-down where im trying to listen to max say someshit like 'the bullets fell, like raindrops in a storm of blood, sweat and cocaine" or some bullshit but my brospeh is over the mike screaming "YO BRAH, I ,LIKE, TOTALLY SHOT THIS GUY IN THE FUKKIN GIGGLEPOUCH, SHIT WAS STEEEEEEEP SON".

not everything needs bullshit multiplayer and other suck bollocks. its like half life episode 3 having online co-op and the game requiring a constant online connection. theres some shit you leave well enough alone.

[ProfessorChaos]

one of my roommates in the Marines was always playing max payne, he really dug it. i had some extra MS points and bought it on sale a few months back, but only made it to chapter 4 before i got side-tracked...still plan on finishing it sometime soon once the weather turns to shit.

i like what i've played so far, though, and may even download the 2nd one if it goes on sale again.

[Neil]

not everything needs bullshit multiplayer and other suck bollocks. its like half life episode 3 having online co-op and the game requiring a constant online connection. theres some shit you leave well enough alone.
True, but Max Payne 2 had some extra game modes, and those would be very fun with a couple of mates joining! VERY FUN!

[MinionZombie]

First Trailer!

-PbphJ8KMjo&feature=feedu

[Neil]

^^ Do you recon that's the game engine?

[MinionZombie]

^^ Do you recon that's the game engine?

It said at the end that all footage was in-game engine footage ... that's quite common for Rockstar games now. They've done the same thing with their trailers for GTA IV, RDR, and LA Noire in the past.

As for the trailer itself - I wonder if this teaser just covers an early part of the game ... because there's no rain-lashed New York streets during the night in that trailer ... which are key to Max Payne's style, not only is it visually dramatic, but it's an extension of the protagonist's mental state and a reflection of another fine mess he's gotten himself into.

At least they've still got the same guy doing the voice anyway.

[Neil]

^^ Epic graphics then!

[Neil]

p3KK0Z-rzlw

[MinionZombie]

^^

Oh yeah, I meant to post this.

Anyway - looks alright ... two things:

1) Cool that they're (apparently, so I've heard) using the face of the guy who has done the voice the whole time.

2) With the release date I do wonder if May 2012 is at all likely for GTA V ... it was like when Bulletstorm was going to be released 1 or 2 months ahead of Gears of War 3 - the latter release was shifted to the 'holiday season'. I wouldn't be surprised if GTA V was shifted to October time (the traditional release slot of the franchise, before GTA IV had to be delayed six months) to provide breathing room for this release.

[Danny]

reason why im still wary of it: the man with nothing to lose runs away from his problems and goes to south america to go to seed. thats not max payne.

[Neil]

Video - Looks grooooooovy!


http://uk.ign.com/videos/2011/12/08/max-payne-3-interview

[Neil]

http://www.t3.com/news/max-payne-3-uk-release-date-confirmed-by-rockstar

Due out May 18th!

UPDATE: May 15 in the United States, and May 18 internationally (while the PC edition is expected on May 29 in the US and on June 1 in other countries).

[MinionZombie]

bEaS8Si2P90&feature=g-u&context=G2f31992FUAAAAAAAAAA

A new design & tech featurette.

I wonder if they'll have a 'recoverable health' option - more akin to relatively recent games - in addition to the classic 'pill popping' health recovery of Max Payne 1 and 2.

[Neil]

^^ Yes yes yeees yeeeeess ooohhhhhh yyyyyyeeeeeessss

OMG yes!


Recoverable health? No!!!!!

[MinionZombie]

^^ Yes yes yeees yeeeeess ooohhhhhh yyyyyyeeeeeessss

OMG yes!


Recoverable health? No!!!!!

I think Neil just Randy Marshed up in this forum. :sneaky:

I think there should be a recoverable health option - because it's no more daft than popping pills or injecting yourself with adrenaline (Bad Company), and you know what, I'm so fed up of applying health packs - it was good how in Bad Company 2 they got rid of the incessant adrenaline kicks to boost your health, so I think they should have an option for both preferences, personally.

[Neil]

I think Neil just Randy Marshed up in this forum. :sneaky:

I think there should be a recoverable health option - because it's no more daft than popping pills or injecting yourself with adrenaline (Bad Company), and you know what, I'm so fed up of applying health packs - it was good how in Bad Company 2 they got rid of the incessant adrenaline kicks to boost your health, so I think they should have an option for both preferences, personally.

Suppose maybe if it was tied into a skill level? ie: Easy = life regens... Hard = doesn't ?

[MinionZombie]

Suppose maybe if it was tied into a skill level? ie: Easy = life regens... Hard = doesn't ?

Perhaps, or just a simple option in the options menu that you can switch one way or the other. Health Packs/Pills/Adrenaline/whatever are just a faff to me ... regenerating health is no less realistic and less of a faff - personally speaking at least.

[Neil]

Perhaps, or just a simple option in the options menu that you can switch one way or the other. Health Packs/Pills/Adrenaline/whatever are just a faff to me ... regenerating health is no less realistic and less of a faff - personally speaking at least.

Agreed!

[Neil]

pswaBErxZJY

[MinionZombie]

Finally we get a bit of info on the story...

iGDnNT0Wmwo&hd=1

[Neil]

Behold the PC image quality!

http://www.cdn.actiontrip.com/images/features/maxpayne331.jpg

[MinionZombie]

Looks rather fancy ... still going to wait a while before I get this game, though.

Edit - just noticed this is my 17,777th post. :p

[MinionZombie]

New tech trailer - cinematic style:

9Pk3wYVu1og&hd=1

[Neil]

^^
o_m_g_!

[MinionZombie]

^^
o_m_g_!

So I take it you're impressed just a smidge then? :p

I'll certainly play Max Payne 3 at some point, but not a day one purchase for me ... especially as I've just splashed out a few hundred quid for a new computer, hehe.

But it does look pretty good. The attention to detail in combat and body movement is particularly impressive and it's something they've been progressively working on over the years in recent titles, from GTA IV to RDR to L.A. Noire and now to Max Payne 3. It really helps towards immersion when your character moves how you'd imagine they should. Dodgy animations can be a real killer when it comes to believability - unless the game is deliberately silly (e.g. Saints Row 3, but even in that the animations were far advanced from SR2, and suited the OTT style perfectly). :cool:

[Neil]

So I take it you're impressed just a smidge then? :p

I'll certainly play Max Payne 3 at some point, but not a day one purchase for me ... especially as I've just splashed out a few hundred quid for a new computer, hehe.

But it does look pretty good. The attention to detail in combat and body movement is particularly impressive and it's something they've been progressively working on over the years in recent titles, from GTA IV to RDR to L.A. Noire and now to Max Payne 3. It really helps towards immersion when your character moves how you'd imagine they should. Dodgy animations can be a real killer when it comes to believability - unless the game is deliberately silly (e.g. Saints Row 3, but even in that the animations were far advanced from SR2, and suited the OTT style perfectly). :cool:

It's not always realism - Half the fun of Max Payne 2 was the epic ragdoll physics. ie: Just blowing enemies around a room with your guns. Utterly unrealistic, but hugely fun :)

I hear good things about Saints Row 3 :)

[MinionZombie]

It's not always realism - Half the fun of Max Payne 2 was the epic ragdoll physics. ie: Just blowing enemies around a room with your guns. Utterly unrealistic, but hugely fun :)

I hear good things about Saints Row 3 :)

True that actually, I remember fondly shooting guys up into the air with grenades and watching all the physics do their work as debris spewed everywhere and they crashed down uncomfortably to the ground. :elol:

Saints Row 3 is hella fun. Very few mis-steps with that game, and a vast improvement over SR2. I enjoyed the crap out of SR3 - very good for just having a bloody good crazy time - so hopefully SR4 will indeed go ahead as the creators said that the fourth would be even more mental. :stunned:

[Neil]

True that actually, I remember fondly shooting guys up into the air with grenades and watching all the physics do their work as debris spewed everywhere and they crashed down uncomfortably to the ground. :elol:

Saints Row 3 is hella fun. Very few mis-steps with that game, and a vast improvement over SR2. I enjoyed the crap out of SR3 - very good for just having a bloody good crazy time - so hopefully SR4 will indeed go ahead as the creators said that the fourth would be even more mental. :stunned:

In a couple of sentences what is SR3? Is it similar to Max Payne or GTA in anyway?

[Rancid Carcass]

In a couple of sentences what is SR3? Is it similar to Max Payne or GTA in anyway?

SR3 is more GTA - kinda like it used to be before it went all serious, it feels like the whole game was designed around having OTT fun. It's hard not to love a game that has you involved in shoot-outs, drugged up to the eyeballs and stark bollock naked... livin' the dream... :thumbsup:

[MinionZombie]

In a couple of sentences what is SR3? Is it similar to Max Payne or GTA in anyway?

It's like GTA, but with the silliness turned up to 11. Some of the things you can get up to are as follows - running around as a huge-boobed babe completely starkers - flying around in a jet that fires a laser - leap into a car through the window to save time doing it the Niko Belic way - attack a massive cloud-base fortress - take on waves of Furries in a side-mission battle - whack people in the bollocks with a rocket launcher - kill people with a giant purple dildo - invade an underground sex club and escape on a Rickshaw while being pursued by other Rickshaws piloted by 'ponied up' sex slaves - attack a boat off the coast to free crate-loads of prostitutes - yomp around in a tank or attack helicopter and cause loads of havoc - and generally be an utterly barmy bastard.

For a brief review, see below:

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[MinionZombie]

99gjWK6hYxw&hd=1

Looking pretty spiffing actually ... still won't buy it full price (gotta keep the belt tight for the foreseeable future), but will definitely buy it on sale down the line. :)

[Neil]

It's available for pre-order so I'm VERY tempted!

http://mlblogsredstatebluestate.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/randy_marsh_jizz.jpg

[MinionZombie]

^^

:lol:

Go on, you know you want to ... then you can review it for your fellow HPOTD'ers. :elol:

[Neil]

Behold the power of the PC!

http://www.cdn.actiontrip.com/images/features/maxpayne338.jpg

Click here for full size - http://www.cdn.actiontrip.com/images/features/maxpayne338.jpg

-- -------- Post added at 02:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:21 PM ----------

TV trailer:-

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[MinionZombie]

I saw the PC spec requirements earlier today - absolutely insane - no wonder I turned to console gaming a few years back!

Loving the level of detail they've invested into character movement. It's good to see this cross-franchise development going into Rockstar's games, by which I mean, look at the movement mechanics used in GTA IV, then in Red Dead Redemption, and now in Max Payne 3 - there's a constant evolution of the tech to make it better and better, which I personally find really exciting.

[Neil]

I saw the PC spec requirements earlier today - absolutely insane - no wonder I turned to console gaming a few years back!
The PC I built for a reasonable amount FOUR years ago, and not upgraded since, still plays every game I own on maximum, and is higher spec than those Max Payne 3 requirements!

I would say the only thing that hits me as outlandish is the disc requirements, which must be some sort of mis-print: 35GB!?

FYI: That's with a £100 CPU and a £180 graphics card (as of four years ago), an Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4Ghz (overclocked to 3.4Ghz) with a Powercolor ATI Radeon HD 4870 1024MB

The moment that machine has problems I'll get a new graphics card to give it a lot more umph.

[Neil]

q4Nsl8bq-_4

[MinionZombie]

IGN REVIEW:

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[Neil]

^^ Cooool!

[MinionZombie]

RQYENa-7Lak&hd=1

:p

[Neil]

He can outgun 1000 people, but beaten by a plastic crate!

[childofgilead]

Anybody playing this? I've been having lots of fun on multiplayer, trying a hard playthrough now..

[MikePizzoff]

I'm gonna hold off on getting this until the price drops because my buddy says its a very short game; he beat it in a few days.

[MinionZombie]

I'm gonna hold off on getting this until the price drops because my buddy says its a very short game; he beat it in a few days.

I've read that it's 10-12 hours for a play through, and for a linear campaign that's pretty good.

Disappointed there isn't the option for regenerating health though - even in the easiest difficulty setting - you need the painkillers to remain true to the franchise, but the option for regenerating health should be there for those that want it, I say. I always find it daft whenever people say regenerating health isn't realistic - yeah, because stepping on a white box with a red cross on it, or eating a hot dog, is so realistic. :rolleyes:

I'm all for the gamer having options to suit their preferences, so it was disappointing to not see that as an option that could be enabled.

Generally speaking though I will get the game, but not until it's on sale. I barely ever buy games full price anymore, and on the rare occasion I do, it's a sandbox game (which will allow me many hours of play - thus giving me a better 'pounds per hour' value in my favour ... if I can get one hour of play time for every £1 spent, then I'm happy).

[childofgilead]

This game has alot going for it. Sure it's linear and that may deter some, but there are plenty of incentives for extra playthroughs and the multiplayer is entertaining as all get out.

[Neil]

and the multiplayer is entertaining as all get out.
Can you play 4-6 humans vs AI?

ie: Can you and a group of 3-5 of your mates take on levels against AI opponents?

[childofgilead]

No..thats actually what I love about Mass Effect 3, that it's co-op only..*sigh*..if only..

[MinionZombie]

Multiplayer cheaters and hackers are going to get the Rockstar treatment. :elol:

http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/plugged-in/max-payne-3-innovative-way-dealing-cheating-181929439.html


Rockstar has created an area called the "Cheaters Pool," where it will toss anyone who uses hacked saves, modded games or other shortcuts to gain an advantage -- a group the developer calls "confirmed miscreants." Once confined to that area, they'll only be able to play against others who have used cheats like invincibility hacks, infinite adrenaline or score boosters.

Don't think the infractions will be tolerated even in the pool, though. Anyone in that quarantine zone who's caught cheating a second time will be banished from the multiplayer servers indefinitely.

[Neil]

Christ! Let's hope people don't get mis-diagnosed!?

[MinionZombie]

Christ! Let's hope people don't get mis-diagnosed!?

Rockstar themselves said that 'legitimate techniques like camping' won't be affected, and they'll review the evidence (they want pics or video, so it seems). What they're seeking to get rid of are people who have unlimited ammo, health, etc - things that are clearly cheats.

[slickwilly13]

Gamefly just shipped a copy. I cannot wait to play it. I have not played a Max Payne game, since the first one over a decade ago.

[childofgilead]

It's pretty good..gunplay and multiplayer are outstanding.

[ProfessorChaos]

this was on sale for like 33 bucks on amazon the other day. should be here by the end of the week. pretty excited about it....i have the first one on the xbox but have to go and replay it before i'll allow myself to get started on part 3....may delve into the MP a lil bit first, though.

[Neil]

this was on sale for like 33 bucks on amazon the other day. should be here by the end of the week. pretty excited about it....i have the first one on the xbox but have to go and replay it before i'll allow myself to get started on part 3....may delve into the MP a lil bit first, though.

Got it on my Steam Wishlist, so when it drops by 50% I'll get it...

[MinionZombie]

I was tempted to get it t'other day, but decided against it until it's cheaper still. I've heard it can be a bit frustrating difficulty wise, and I don't enjoy frustrating games ... besides, I've still not played Gears of War 3, and that's higher up my to do list.

[ProfessorChaos]

yeah, this game kinda sucks in my opinion. pretty damn frustrating is right. the degree of difficulty can be a real mothrafucker, even on the middle settings. the campaign is just basically walking into a room to trigger a quick cut-scene, followed by shooting three or four guys, get killed by a fifth guy hiding behind a wall, retry, move on to the next cut-scene, rinse, repeat. not very fun. probably will finish it for the sake of getting the story completed and picking up a few achievements. the story is slightly compelling, but the presentation of this game is ridiculous, as there's always some sort of visual effect going on where colors blur and come into focus and random bits of dialog spoken by characters pop up on screen during like every conversation....very distracting and totally annoying.

the multiplayer has got to be the biggest waste of time i've ever fucking played. you begin with only a few items, and have to unlock other things as you rank up, which is common with most mp games, but this one is a joke cuz you literally start of wearing shorts and a t-shirt with maybe 3 pre-set classes and have to go up against assholes who've maxed their levels out and are sprinting around like the damn master chief from halo with totally decked out riot gear and all kinds of one-hit kill weapons. i'll spot an enemy, dump a magazine into him, stop to reload, then he'll turn around a headshot me from across the room in a blink of an eye. not fun at all. i've accumulated a handful of hours on this stupid game and still don't have any money to buy weapons with...then again, i could bend over and let rockstar have at my wallet and arsehole and pay real-life money for super-weapons and extra perks to have an advantage over those who haven't burned ms points for dlc.....no thanks.

should've left this one alone, i suppose. will likely be trading it in shortly. even only paying half price for it, i still feel like this game has been a total waste of money and time thus far...could be wrong, but so far i'm far from impressed. i really only bought it for something to cure the itch till gta5 drops, but i should've just placed the money i blew on this on a pre-order for what will surely be a far superior game. i realize that gta and max payne are two very different styles of games, but this seemed like a decent and engaging action game from what trailers i saw....but it's really just a crap game so far, to be honest. feels nothing at all like the original max payne...more like a watching a movie on a scratched dvd that keeps getting stuck on the same chapter till you hammer your fist on your player to skip to the next bit....

3/10

[Neil]

3/10
Wow! That seems in the face of every review I've seen? How did you get on with Max Payne 2?

[ProfessorChaos]

tbh, i've not played the second game, neil. like i said, the story is good enough, but there are so many cutscenes, the difficulty is asinine at times, and the constant blurring of colors and words popping on screen during the numerous cut-scenes is enough to make this game almost unbearable at times....to me at least. you may get more mileage out of it, but i've decided that as soon as i finish the story once, i'm trading it right in. that's odd for me, as i usually replay games on the higher difficulty settings and go through to find collectibles and whatnot, but i honestly can't wait to finish this one and trade it in. maybe 3/10 is a bit harsh, but the highest i'd rank it would be like a 5.

[Neil]

tbh, i've not played the second game, neil. like i said, the story is good enough, but there are so many cutscenes, the difficulty is asinine at times, and the constant blurring of colors and words popping on screen during the numerous cut-scenes is enough to make this game almost unbearable at times....to me at least. you may get more mileage out of it, but i've decided that as soon as i finish the story once, i'm trading it right in. that's odd for me, as i usually replay games on the higher difficulty settings and go through to find collectibles and whatnot, but i honestly can't wait to finish this one and trade it in. maybe 3/10 is a bit harsh, but the highest i'd rank it would be like a 5.
Well, the 2nd one had lots of story/cut-scenes etc... I enjoyed the 2nd one a lot... But I can understand how it might not appeal to some.

You've made me wary, so I'll read some more reviews before buying 3.

[MinionZombie]

I'm at the point now that I'll only get it if it's properly cheap - below £10 for sure ... but that might take a very long time, if it ever happens ... so I might end up letting this one slide.

[ProfessorChaos]

i actually lost patience and interest in this game and just decided to get rid of it without even finishing it....oh well.

[Neil]

Just finished it.

Incredibly clever and incredibly pretty, but just very repetitive...

Shame because the engine was pretty amazing really!

[ProfessorChaos]

how'd you feel about the cut-scenes, neil? with all those damn colors blurring and dialogue jumping all over the screen, it nearly drove me nuts. that was probably my biggest problem with this game....

[Neil]

The colour flashes and text popping up was OTT at times... And the fact some of the cut scenes went on for ages, with no way to get out of them was annoying. A number of times I wanted to exist the game and simply couldn't!

I played some of the time challenges last night which were fun, but what seems to be missing is what made May Payne 2 so great, the survival maps where an ever increasing number of attackers would come after you and you simply had to see how long you last... Max Payne 3 doesn't seem to have that :(

[MinionZombie]

I just bought this for a fiver, so I'll give it a spin in a bit and see what's what. I didn't want to spend too much on it, so a fiver is rather good. If I hate it, or completely suck at it, there's not much lost ... but if I rather dig it, then it's a win for cheap.

I'll report back in due course.

[Neil]

I just bought this for a fiver, so I'll give it a spin in a bit and see what's what. I didn't want to spend too much on it, so a fiver is rather good. If I hate it, or completely suck at it, there's not much lost ... but if I rather dig it, then it's a win for cheap.

I'll report back in due course.Very pretty IMHO... The cut scenes are a little painful after a while and the gameplay a little repetative... But good, especially for a fiver!

[MinionZombie]

Okay, with the first four chapters done (out of fourteen), here's my initial thoughts.

1) The cutscenes are very fancy, but yes, they are too long. At times it's like watching a movie - albeit one that I'm interested in - but this is a game, and sometimes it can get a tad silly when a cutscene is going on and on and on - cut to the chase a bit sooner, like.

2) The controls are pretty good, but there are occasionally moments where I do get a bit befuddled and make mistakes.

3) There are difficulty spikes at certain points that can prove a little annoying. In Chapter III you have to snipe some mercs, but your field of view is so limited, and your buddy isn't giving you clear instructions, so it's hard to tell where the bad guys are coming from (I failed that portion several times, but a trial-and-error approach got me through). Some enemies do take a bit-too much lead.

4) Visually stunning.

5) The 'visual effects' on the cutscenes are cool - but they are overused. At certain moments it makes sense (like when Max downs a drink or some pills), but it's not always necessary.

6) There have been a couple of times where I'm roaming around finding pills or golden gun parts and my sidekick runs off ahead of me, starts a gunfight, and gets killed - oi mate, hang on a minute, I'm searching the cleared area first!

7) Compared to the first two, there are far less moments where you can really employ bullet-time/shoot-dodge, so that's a bit disappointing, even if I still enjoy the firefights in general.

8) The movement of Max can feel a tad stiff at times, but there has been a significant evolution of these physics and mechanics since GTA IV, and through Red Dead Redemption, so hopefully this bodes well for GTA V.

9) I like the settings, and little moments of interactivity (e.g. watching the TV).

10) The voice acting and dialogue is fantastic. There's some quality lines in the script, and James McCaffrey continues to rock Max Payne's vocals (as well as the look and motion capture in this entry).

Looking forward to continuing it. A bargain at a fiver. :cool::thumbsup::cool:

[Neil]

I still recon Max Payne 2 was the better game!

And Max Payne 2 had that survival (name?) mode where you were on a level where just a never ending/increasing number of enemies attacked and you had to survive... Great fun!

[MinionZombie]

I've got three chapters left to do (I just completed the level on the yacht), and here's something that annoys me:

1) I've got my heavy weapon equipped (e.g. an assault rifle) - then it goes to a cutscene - and when I come back to gameplay (usually as a bunch of tooled-up mercs swarm into a room), it's gone back to just my ruddy pistol, so I have to manually select the heavy weapon even though I'd already had it selected before the cutscene. That happens all the time and it's an annoying, silly little thing.

2) There's a few times when, again usually with a cutscene, where Max will have to hurry somebody along and push them around and such - and in-so-doing, you lose your heavy weapon, so when you return to gameplay you've got to pick it up again. Now sometimes that makes sense with this whole 'realistic holding of weapons' thing they've got going on (a nice bit of detail, I think) - a time when it really makes sense is, say, when Max jumps onto a zipline and so cannot possibly hold a heavy weapon (his pistols/smgs are in holsters). However there are times when he could easily continue holding his heavy weapon, but he doesn't ... although I think I remember a time when he did actually pick it back up again during the cutscene.

Point being - that's a tad inconsistent ... sometimes you wonder if it's a contrived way of upping the danger briefly (down to just a pistol against heavily armed bad guys) ... indeed there's one bit just before he goes for a fight through some favellas that he's only armed with one pistol and eight shots ... nevermind that the room he exited, in-shot, shows two AK-47s sat right there. :p

...

Anyway - I'm really enjoying the game, and it's not as tricky as I was expecting, so that's nice (albeit, yes, as is my modus operandi, I'm playing on "Easy" ... but some reviewers were saying that even this mode was rather difficult :confused:). There are certain spikes in the odds against you at times (e.g. a couple of 'arena battles' during the bus station level) ... I dig the story too ... just thinking about it, I'd like to see Max taken to L.A. to skulk about the seediest parts of that city.

The move to Sao Poalo is quite stark, but it works and makes sense in the story (so far there's been a couple of levels explaining why he left New York, set in New York, in classic MP style). I'd definitely welcome a Max Payne 4, but - this far into MP3 at least - they'd have to freshen up the 'booze, pills, and self-loathing ex-cop in the wrong place at the wrong time' angle.

But yeah - I'm enjoying it quite a lot despite a few niggles here and there.

[MinionZombie]

Alright - game complete - and I very much enjoyed it.

The odd quibble here and there along the way, but over-the-piece I rather dug it. Some more observations:

1) The soundtrack is awesome.
2) I encountered more than one failure of the 'last stand' mechanic, usually when I was behind cover. I'd be downed and needed to pop off a kill to revive, but I wouldn't be able to actually hit them because cover was in the way of the bullets, or the angle wasn't at all right, or whatever.
3) I'm not sure whether there should be a timer or not ... sometimes you don't know how much time you've got to search the area for pill bottles and golden gun parts etc, and sometimes you might fail a stage by mere seconds (e.g. atop an exploding building, I needed just a few more seconds to nail the heavy gunner, but died as the invisible clock ran out on me and I had to do the section again).
4) Blimey it's violent! :lol: Seeing innumerable slow-mo kill cams as a downed enemy spurts blood from their throat, or has a gnarly big would in their face etc.
5) The plot was a little tricky to follow at times, but despite that I still enjoyed the overall story.
6) The level design was really cool - I really got pulled into the world they were putting in front of me.

I was wondering if I'd trade it in immediately after completion, but I think I'll hold on to it and re-do the campaign in arcade mode at a future date.