Max Payne 3

 PC
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 3066 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,142 out of 3066
  2. Mixed: 604 out of 3066
  3. Negative: 320 out of 3066
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  1. exKid
    Aug 14, 2012
    7
    Max Payne of old with all the crap of modern shooters added. Too many cutscenes, too much scripted action and far too much cover and narrow environments. I played the game through for some of the core Max Payne game but could not help but be disappointed. It is worth playing if your a fan but bare in mind you will be constantly annoyed by all the new elements added to the game that serveMax Payne of old with all the crap of modern shooters added. Too many cutscenes, too much scripted action and far too much cover and narrow environments. I played the game through for some of the core Max Payne game but could not help but be disappointed. It is worth playing if your a fan but bare in mind you will be constantly annoyed by all the new elements added to the game that serve to remove the core game play and induce cover based nonsense.… Expand
  2. Yddraiggoch
    Jun 3, 2012
    7
    I felt the need to give this game a but of praise... but also a thoroughly reserved arse kicking.

    This very much has the old Max Payne feeling. It's all there - bullet time, bullet dodge and the story style is very much the same. The problem this time is that there's.... Too. Much. Story. It seems that around every five minutes there's a cut scene. I understand, and appreciate that    I felt the need to give this game a but of praise... but also a thoroughly reserved arse kicking.

    This very much has the old Max Payne feeling. It's all there - bullet time, bullet dodge and the story style is very much the same. The problem this time is that there's.... Too. Much. Story. It seems that around every five minutes there's a cut scene. I understand, and appreciate that the story is part of the game but geez, it's not mean to be there to (I feel) disrupt the actual gameplaying experience.
    This is made worse when some of the checkpoints have not been thought out properly. I decided to start the SP experience on hard (not a good idea - my Max Payne skills are a bit rusty!), so having to run and gun several attempts to get to the next checkpoint wasn't my idea of fun - more of an uncontrollable opportunity to swear very loudly! Bearing in mind some of the restart points are preceded by cut scenes (which are unskippable) then this can get incredibly frustrating very quickly.
    Still, bad points aside it's a fun game and I can't give it a low score purely on a couple of bad points. But the message to Rock* is -

    FFS PATCH IN AN OPTION TO SKIP THE CUT SCENES!!!!!!!!!    … Expand
  3. hawkeman72
    Apr 7, 2013
    7
    Max Payne 3 is a very tough game to review, at times it's blundering, overly cinematic and linear, at others its brilliantly violent, dynamic and clever. I have yet to play a game with this many ups and downs in my opinion on it. However, I finished the game with a huge smile on my face and an eagerness to go through it again.

    The first thing you will notice is of course the change in    Max Payne 3 is a very tough game to review, at times it's blundering, overly cinematic and linear, at others its brilliantly violent, dynamic and clever. I have yet to play a game with this many ups and downs in my opinion on it. However, I finished the game with a huge smile on my face and an eagerness to go through it again.

    The first thing you will notice is of course the change in setting, Max Payne 3 switches the grimy streets of New York for Sao Paolo brazil. Max Payne is no longer a sharp wisecracking detective but an aging, incompetent drunk. The sequences of him drinking and popping painkillers and talking about how much he hates himself get old really quickly, however within this overused cliche Rockstar develops a strange relationship between the character and the player. Much of Max Payne 3 is spent watching Max act in extremely stupid ways (in one scene he busts into a hostage situation, outnumbered 10 to one and just says "drop the guns", in another, he wanders down the streets of brazil in a Hawaiian shirt asking people for directions before inevitably getting robbed.) and you, the player, having to bail him out of his situations withy our superior shooting skills. You, the player, will come to hate Max as much as he hates himself, whether it is intentional or not it was a clever way of getting the idea across.

    The game is made up of cinematic sequences (QTE style set pieces), escort missions, vehicle levels, occasional "boss battles" with heavily armed enemies, and open ended shootouts with multiple enemies. It is when Max is alone, outnumbered and has to shoot his way out that the game really shines. The gunplay is generally brilliant on a level not even achieved by MP1 or 2. Environments are almost fully destructible, the rag-doll physics are really well done, and shoot-dodging has a whole different feeling to it. Max now interacts with his environment. if you shoot dodge into a wall, max will hit his head and land on his face, having to correct himself before being able to get a clear shot at anything, this means shoot dodgning is no longer an easy answer to everything, it can go horribly wrong and you actually have to plan your moves. It is in this mechanic that the game truly shines, each gunfight plays out differently depending on your actions, and is generally a joy to play through. The other sequences on the other hand, can be god awful. Vehicle sequences drag on and seem ridiculous, escort missions missions get obnoxious as the game plays a cutscene of your buddy dying if you fail to meet certain perameters which the game is not clear to you about. This can be extremely frustrating. In one sequence I managed to outsmart a sniper by hidning behind the wall he was sniping from, the game then played a cutscene of max wandering out into the open (despite the fact that i was taking cover) and getting shot, meaning i had to restart the sequence. The game does this a lot, requiring you to do EXACTLY as the game intended, even if there are other solutions, and punishing you by playing a cutscene of Max or one of his friends getting killed and a "Mission Failed" screen. This is not OK in my book, the game can be disgustingly linear during these sequences. Luckily near the end of the game, Max goes it alone and these sequences become less plentiful. The last 4 or so levels of the game are brilliant, featuring almost exclusively brilliantly sculpted shootout.

    Like the gameplay, Max Payne 3 doesn't know exactly what it wants to be storywise. The first 6 or so hours feel like a michael bay movie, with cheesy dialogue and really stupid cutscenes. Eventually things take a turn for the darker, max payne is left with no one to talk to but himself as he must unravel an intricate plot in neo-noir fashion, and a lot of people die. The game sort of finds itself and resolves beautifully, despite its many misteps.

    The story took me about 12 hours, at the end there is both the option to play through each chapter of the story, even allowing you to load individual checkpoints to skip all the crappy levels, or Arcade mode. Arcade mode allows you to play through the levels with a score counter, trying to beat the high score, you can also choose your player skin (including old school max payne, which is hilarious) and other paramters. I had a lot of fun doing this, the replay value on this game is very high for a story based shooter.

    A lot of people here are saying that you can't skip cutscenes, that is not quite true. You have to watch cutscenes while the game is loading, however once its done loading you can skip them, most of the mandatory pre game sequences which you have to watch after you die last 5 seconds at most, so its really not that bad. One big complaint is that on the PC version you cannot alt tab, this is a big problem.

    Overal max payne 3 had me cheering at bits and screaming and cursing at others, its a flawed game, but the brilliant gunplay makes it worth it.    … Expand
  4. valid8
    Jul 1, 2014
    7
    Got MP3 on Steam for about 9€ with all DLC included. I haven't played other max payne titles so I'm not particularly attached to franchise in any way, nor did I had great expectations.

    For a 3rd preson shooter PC game, the gameplay and mechanics are well thought and the graphics are pretty good. Textures have reasonable. Physics and environment destructibility are also OK, but nothing    Got MP3 on Steam for about 9€ with all DLC included. I haven't played other max payne titles so I'm not particularly attached to franchise in any way, nor did I had great expectations.

    For a 3rd preson shooter PC game, the gameplay and mechanics are well thought and the graphics are pretty good. Textures have reasonable. Physics and environment destructibility are also OK, but nothing to radical.

    On the campaign and the story as a whole it's pretty meh...I mean it's not bad it's just nothing out of your ordinary action plot, and sometimes you might even predict certain outcomes. The story is also pretty linear. The quantity cutscenes in this game may not appeal to some, but I suppose it's part of the action driven movie formula kinda game...Overall it's a good a game for less than 10€.    … Expand
  5. Kenjiro
    Jun 16, 2012
    7
    This game is good, but has some problems: AI mostly cheats like hell (also being stupid), moving is sluggish, graphics sometimes is buggy (object or texture blinking), cover system work with only selected objects and many more. Of course this bugs are not critical and overall game is good, play is enjoyable, graphics has its moments. Definitely worth buying.
  6. Timson
    Jun 10, 2012
    7
    There is everything great in this game, except the story. There is no characters written good enough to be interesting to me and to involve me in story as it was in MP1 and 2.
    The game is totally disconnected from first two parts and all characters are new except for Max himself. So I just run through it without caring too much about all that on "Hard" difficulty and is was still very    There is everything great in this game, except the story. There is no characters written good enough to be interesting to me and to involve me in story as it was in MP1 and 2.
    The game is totally disconnected from first two parts and all characters are new except for Max himself. So I just run through it without caring too much about all that on "Hard" difficulty and is was still very satisfying. The combat is great, all bullet-time mechanics really improved and polished, great graphics and level design, great voice-acting. It is enjoyable game, you just have to keep in mind that it's not Remedy game anymore, so don't expect too much drama.    … Expand
  7. meediocre
    Jun 7, 2013
    7
    Fun, to a point. Ultimately this is a corridor, utterly linear shooting adventure from start to finish. Max Payne's narrative, some nicely coded locales and settings, and overall gunplay battles is what keeps the game better than mediocare. Having never played a Max Payne before, this game conformed to my expectations. It's a solid FPS with an achingly unoriginal story-line. But what let'sFun, to a point. Ultimately this is a corridor, utterly linear shooting adventure from start to finish. Max Payne's narrative, some nicely coded locales and settings, and overall gunplay battles is what keeps the game better than mediocare. Having never played a Max Payne before, this game conformed to my expectations. It's a solid FPS with an achingly unoriginal story-line. But what let's it down is the distinct lack of freedom to do anything other than follow a cut-scene to action based continuous script. In the game you truly are either watching some dialogue and pre-sequenced action scenarios, or you literally pointing and shooting. That's it. However, apart from some issues with the cover-system and annoying ability of the goons to find pinpoint your exact location at all times, it was generally a fairly enjoyable experience. I persevered, had a bit of fun, but won't be coming back. Liked Max though, what a hero!… Expand
  8. ultraviper
    Nov 13, 2012
    7
    Max has been turned into John McClaine from Die Hard. One-liners, over-the-top action scenes, and even his appearance. The grittiness from the first Max Payne games is mostly gone. The graphic novel cutscenes are gone. Bullet time stayed and is just as fun as ever. However it's still an enjoyable experience for what it is, even if it isn't "really" the Max Payne we remember. Also, it seemsMax has been turned into John McClaine from Die Hard. One-liners, over-the-top action scenes, and even his appearance. The grittiness from the first Max Payne games is mostly gone. The graphic novel cutscenes are gone. Bullet time stayed and is just as fun as ever. However it's still an enjoyable experience for what it is, even if it isn't "really" the Max Payne we remember. Also, it seems Rockstar has FINALLY remembered how to make a game run well on the PC.… Expand
  9. Escherichia
    Jun 17, 2012
    7
    Very good shooter, but it does not seem like a Max Payne's game.
    You know, Max Payne wasnt just bullet time: It had a dark atmosphere, a story of personal revenge, the drug fueled nightmare levels, the witty remarks, it even had a good (albeit dark) sense of humor.
    This is just some angry dude shooting his way out of situations, why didnt Rockstar name it "Badass in Brasil" or    Very good shooter, but it does not seem like a Max Payne's game.
    You know, Max Payne wasnt just bullet time: It had a dark atmosphere, a story of personal revenge, the drug fueled nightmare levels, the witty remarks, it even had a good (albeit dark) sense of humor.

    This is just some angry dude shooting his way out of situations, why didnt Rockstar name it "Badass in Brasil" or something like that instead?
    Anyway...

    Pros: -Great graphics.
    -Good port to pc.
    -Overall fun to play.

    Cons:
    -Does not feel like a Max Payne game.
    -Not enough weapons, or way too similar weapons.
    -Inability to skip cutscenes.
    -Bad implementation of the Shootdodge ability.
    -Relies too much on taking cover.    … Expand
  10. RedAFX
    Aug 20, 2012
    7
    An adrenaline fueled behemoth of an action title, but the disturbing plot may be too intense for a few casual gamers, this is third person gunplay at it's most refined.
    The game however is held back by repetitive multiplayer and poor replayability.
  11. gruia
    Jun 4, 2012
    7
    A great game, here's what it needed to be more. By most standards this app is awesome, but for me there's a killer dealbreaker: Character develompent. Max and the rest of the characters are weak and one sided, there is no progression, there is nothing to love about them. It reminds me of Breaking Bad, the same static feeling, people passing through life without learning a thing. And theA great game, here's what it needed to be more. By most standards this app is awesome, but for me there's a killer dealbreaker: Character develompent. Max and the rest of the characters are weak and one sided, there is no progression, there is nothing to love about them. It reminds me of Breaking Bad, the same static feeling, people passing through life without learning a thing. And the second worst issue is the facial expressions.. they barely exist. Just because everything is done with so much detail, sound, graphics, mechanics .. its just sad to see the feeling, the immersion of the game being the weak point.

    Hope they improve    … Expand
  12. spangen13
    Oct 28, 2012
    7
    Max Payne is back and he is angrier and more miserable than ever. I´d say Max Payne 3 is a decent 3rd person shooter. The game-play was fun and the physics and graphics very good. The story though isn´t really touching. I´d hoped for a deeper story and characters to sympathise with from Rockstar! So in a way MP3 is a dissapointment. Some lightglimps in the story but mostMax Payne is back and he is angrier and more miserable than ever. I´d say Max Payne 3 is a decent 3rd person shooter. The game-play was fun and the physics and graphics very good. The story though isn´t really touching. I´d hoped for a deeper story and characters to sympathise with from Rockstar! So in a way MP3 is a dissapointment. Some lightglimps in the story but most it just feels like a pretty cheesy transport actually. But like I said, still a decent shooter and I had quite some fun playing it.… Expand
  13. Endolphins
    Jun 4, 2012
    7
    The game has an interesting shooting mechanic, very nice graphics, a plot (good or bad, it's still obvious somebody thought about it at some point) and BulletTime(TM). All in all this makes for an enjoyable experience. The cut-scenes are an interesting story telling tool, but the implementation is kind of rough. There's just so MANY of them and oftentimes you're struck in the face with aThe game has an interesting shooting mechanic, very nice graphics, a plot (good or bad, it's still obvious somebody thought about it at some point) and BulletTime(TM). All in all this makes for an enjoyable experience. The cut-scenes are an interesting story telling tool, but the implementation is kind of rough. There's just so MANY of them and oftentimes you're struck in the face with a cut-scene before you're done exploring an area. It's still worth playing, although in hindsight I would've waited 'til the price had gone down a bit.… Expand
  14. specialx
    Jun 8, 2012
    7
    I am pleased for the game it is, but i wouldn't call it part of the max payne series.
    1. I do not like this new writer, i dont think this story had the dark and depression of the second one.
    2. I also we didnt have enough controll. I really miss the comics of the first 2. 3. As far as mechanics goes, it is spectacular, and visuals are amazing too. 4. Multiplayer i think is brilliant.    I am pleased for the game it is, but i wouldn't call it part of the max payne series.
    1. I do not like this new writer, i dont think this story had the dark and depression of the second one.
    2. I also we didnt have enough controll. I really miss the comics of the first 2.
    3. As far as mechanics goes, it is spectacular, and visuals are amazing too.
    4. Multiplayer i think is brilliant. There are a lot of connection issues and hackers, but i do hope they fix that because i would like to continue playing it.
    5. Was there really a need for the cover system?    … Expand
  15. JakeSTALIN_RUS
    Jun 10, 2012
    7
    First of all I have to say that I am a great fan of Max Payne 1 and especially 2. The story - is the main point in computer games for me. Speaking about the story in Max Payne 3 - I can say that it is terrible and moreover I dont like the long cut scenes aswell.The fights in the game are brilliant but they become a bit boring in the end.The multiplayer is just ok - nothing more.I haven'tFirst of all I have to say that I am a great fan of Max Payne 1 and especially 2. The story - is the main point in computer games for me. Speaking about the story in Max Payne 3 - I can say that it is terrible and moreover I dont like the long cut scenes aswell.The fights in the game are brilliant but they become a bit boring in the end.The multiplayer is just ok - nothing more.I haven't excepted anything from Max Payne 3 but i must say - the game is nice but i dont really like it.… Expand
  16. Heresticus
    Dec 27, 2012
    7
    Good graphics, nice cutscenes, wonderful environmental details. It's fun for a few hours but after that you just start to look for ending in a pain. Oh wait, the biggest problem is that this game has no freedom even you are able to open a door if a cutscene allows. And please someone warns Rockstar about their unnecessary collectables. Those collectables could make Max Payne 3 neitherGood graphics, nice cutscenes, wonderful environmental details. It's fun for a few hours but after that you just start to look for ending in a pain. Oh wait, the biggest problem is that this game has no freedom even you are able to open a door if a cutscene allows. And please someone warns Rockstar about their unnecessary collectables. Those collectables could make Max Payne 3 neither wider nor fun.… Expand
  17. unlimitednk
    Jun 21, 2012
    7
    After I finished the game, I tried to play it one more time....
    ...but then....
    ..... I got frustrated like hell..
    because I had to watch the long cutscenes again and again..
    I tried to skip them but I couldnt skip them most of the time
  18. Qoke
    Oct 20, 2012
    7
    I had issues with the DVD, which meant I couldn't play for 2 months whilst that got sorted out, but it was a fun game while it lasted, but it felt a bit short. The graphics was pretty decent, and the story was engaging, but for such a short game, a bit of user-guided selection to the plot would have been nice. That way you could play it through again with a different approach and get a bitI had issues with the DVD, which meant I couldn't play for 2 months whilst that got sorted out, but it was a fun game while it lasted, but it felt a bit short. The graphics was pretty decent, and the story was engaging, but for such a short game, a bit of user-guided selection to the plot would have been nice. That way you could play it through again with a different approach and get a bit more gametime for your money.
    On harder difficulty there is a good challenge, and that's always nice for a second run-through. There were a few environmental issues like line-of-sight and walking through objects that would have been nice to clean up before release, but it didn't ruin the game completely.    … Expand
  19. dumle
    Nov 25, 2012
    7
    Max Payne 3 have pretty big shoes to fill and the games manages to get it right in some areas while it falls flat in others. The action in the game is pretty damn good. They have changed it from the old formula by adding cover-based shooting to the mix which makes the gameplay a little bit slower than it was in the previous games. The old health-system is thankfully still intact and evenMax Payne 3 have pretty big shoes to fill and the games manages to get it right in some areas while it falls flat in others. The action in the game is pretty damn good. They have changed it from the old formula by adding cover-based shooting to the mix which makes the gameplay a little bit slower than it was in the previous games. The old health-system is thankfully still intact and even though the action is a bit slower than it was earlier it never feels like its entirely based around covers. The old jump and gun action is still there and it works and looks great and i personally have no problems with the addition of the cover-system. One problems that i have is that the slightly left/right behind camera angel feels awkward and you often get the feeling that Max have clear view of the target while you dont. Story-wise the game follows in the footsteps of its predecessor and is pretty great. The old visual-novel style story telling is gone and the story feels less self-aware of its own silliness than in the previous Max Payne games. That doesnt change that the story and narrative by Max is pretty damn good and i wholeheartedly
    enjoyed it. The biggest flaw of Max Payne 3 though is the cutscenes. The problem is not that they look bad, the problem is that they wont stay away. I have no problem with a shooter being linear but in this game the narrative takes total control over every action you make and it feels like you are only allowed to play the shooting parts since the games is worried that you might screw up and make it look bad. In the first hour of the game there were probably more cutscenes or "gameplay" in cutscenes than there was real gameplay. Thankfully it gets a little bit better later in the game but its still always there. In some areas it gets totally absurd when you arent allowed to control the sniper-movement the few second between the shootings. It totally kills the immersion and you are left wondering why cant i do that. Why arent i allowed to do all the cool stuff that happens in the cutscenes? It feels cheap and it really hurts the
    game. The worst part of it is that it makes the game feel like its following a formula. Cutscene-->Shootout in a small area--> Cutscene and so on. I still had a good time with the 10 hourish campaign though and i would still recommend playing this game for all fans of action games or old Payne-fans. I wouldn't recommend paying 40 bucks for it though.    … Expand
  20. MsSpecialEd
    Jul 6, 2012
    7
    Good game series and story, but Max Payne 3 had a few glitches and issues where i died and shouldn't have. Plus the game was NOT worth $60, a very short game for that amount. Next time ill wait till its on sale.
  21. Suspect1001
    Jul 9, 2012
    7
    Max Payne 3 is a fun game. It brings back that old feeling from Max Payne 1 and 2. The story is exciting and fun, but does not relate well with the later games well. This game plays like a movie, which I found to be nice and it kept me engaged in the game. The game play is very similar to the old Max Payne games so it was refreshing for me at least. I would recommend this game to peopleMax Payne 3 is a fun game. It brings back that old feeling from Max Payne 1 and 2. The story is exciting and fun, but does not relate well with the later games well. This game plays like a movie, which I found to be nice and it kept me engaged in the game. The game play is very similar to the old Max Payne games so it was refreshing for me at least. I would recommend this game to people who played the previous Max Payne's or someone who wants a story driven fps.… Expand
  22. arjunbkool
    Jul 29, 2012
    7
    I found the gameplay much more advanced and easily adaptable..Rockstar games never seem to disappoint us...great graphics..only thing i found lacking was the absence of our original max payne, with his black leather jacket, washed in the rain, always hiding behind the shadows..original poets of the fall theme was fantastic..this time, i loved the final score called tears..it really got myI found the gameplay much more advanced and easily adaptable..Rockstar games never seem to disappoint us...great graphics..only thing i found lacking was the absence of our original max payne, with his black leather jacket, washed in the rain, always hiding behind the shadows..original poets of the fall theme was fantastic..this time, i loved the final score called tears..it really got my adrenaline pumping to play the final chapter in style..overall it was fun… Expand
  23. Dangqi
    Jul 29, 2012
    7
    Max Payne 3 is an odd beast. It may be just what some fans wanted, but it may be hard to like for new-comers. At times its mechanics come together to make a pretty good action game, and at other times, they collapse on themselves. The story mode is about a broken, alcoholic, painkiller addict with an irresistible urge to kill bad guys. It's not pretty, and certainly never happy, and theMax Payne 3 is an odd beast. It may be just what some fans wanted, but it may be hard to like for new-comers. At times its mechanics come together to make a pretty good action game, and at other times, they collapse on themselves. The story mode is about a broken, alcoholic, painkiller addict with an irresistible urge to kill bad guys. It's not pretty, and certainly never happy, and the writing does well to deliver an engrossing tone which is very well supported by the good voice acting. Meanwhile, the presentation is stylistic, and the graphics are quite nice. You'll find yourself in various environments which display the graphics engine's staying power, but not much in visual flair or varying colors. The levels just look like the places they're supposed to be, no unique art style or tone; you've been to these places in other games, making Max Payne 3 overall a bit bland to look at. On the PC, the additional settings available are very welcome, including DX11 support and an actual counter to tell you how much VRAM you're using. Its Rockstar's GTA IV engine essentially, so you'll see the aging this time around like low poly edges, less roundness in the environments, and not-the-best facial animation. Additionally, watch out for the install size which nears about 25GB of space.
    Throughout the game, you'll be treated to extensive cutscenes that merge pretty seamlessly into gameplay. Unfortunately, extended play will reveal that these cutscenes seem overdone: Max's monologues, though well-written and voiced, are consistently pessimistic, sarcastic, and just self-defacing, all the time. Max hates himself, and is fully aware of the terrible situations he's in, which is fine until he decides to tell you about how crappy things are over and over again. It's gets annoying, often I found myself wishing he'd have something else to say, like something more creative than another sarcastic line about how these rich people were terrible or how crappy the situation was. The next things to get irritated were my eyes. The game does 2 stylistic things in its presentation: words from the dialogue pop up on-screen and the screen often wigs out of focus or has TV lines obscuring part of it. This makes the game look unique, sure, but they irritate my eyes. The screen falling out of focus and such so often was not comfortable to watch, and as much as it could be selling the hung-over old dog in an overstimulating world experience, it becomes too much for tolerance. Then there are the words that pop up: they tend to be emphasized words in the dialogue and they pop up for no discernible reason, there really isn't any gameplay significance at all and unless you're dying to see what gets pointed out next, it's a pointless novelty. At least the music is okay, but nothing that really caught my ear.
    Basically, the game goes cutscene -> linear cover-based shooting level -> cutscene, and there isn''t much deviation from the pattern. As a game, Max Payne 3 still has the trademark Bullet-time mechanic that's essentially a limited (be refillable via killing and waiting) supply of player-triggered slow-motion. You also have the shoot-dodge jump which slows down time as Max dives in a chosen direction, but stops abruptly once he runs into something, leaving him to awkwardly take his time to stand back up. As opposed to other 3rd person shooters, there is no regenerating health in the single player, so you need to rely on consumable painkillers which will not heal you 100%. If you're shot fatally with a painkiller in your inventory, you'll go on a Last Stand sort of slow-motion event where you can kill the guy who shot you to live. It's nice to have seeing as how easily you'll get shot from people out of nowhere. You can't take many hits to begin with, and enemy AI is often aggressive and flanking. You'll need to take cover to survive. This is where Max Payne doesn't feel like Max Payne. You WILL need to take cover, lest you die. And you'll often be using bullet-time to peek out of cover just land a shot without getting hit, instead of diving or running-and-gunning, as you would expect of this franchise. Do anything else, and you'll probably die. This game is pretty strict and doesn't allow much for creativity. Enemies spawn in unfair places, and the slow-mo final kill cams can be misleading when you walk a few steps and find yourself in another encounter with no cover. No cover traversal means you'll get shot trying to get to cover, which is extra annoying with the unusual controls, and Max's own lumbering but well-animated movements. Sprinting is slow, and Max stands up completely after a roll before moving again. The Rockstar atypical single-white-dot aiming reticule makes a return, and at times can be indiscernible in the scenery, thou    … Expand
  24. Beefygoblin
    Jul 29, 2012
    7
    The gameplay is old fashioned arcade style, and therefore often starts a level from cutscene of you literally running into the fight guns blazing. This doesn't allow for the same old strategies most fps gamers have accustomed to, and therefore has caused a great deal of butthurt amongst youngsters who feel they should be allowed to pick what weapon he has out and get to enter the room onThe gameplay is old fashioned arcade style, and therefore often starts a level from cutscene of you literally running into the fight guns blazing. This doesn't allow for the same old strategies most fps gamers have accustomed to, and therefore has caused a great deal of butthurt amongst youngsters who feel they should be allowed to pick what weapon he has out and get to enter the room on their own accord.
    The whole novelty of this game is that some of the game plays style actually predates the first Max Payne game, while using truly up to date graphics and a remarkably cutting edge game engine.Plus some modern touches like the cover system.
    There isn't much re-play value and the multi-player system is rather weak, but if you have the Hardware to play this at it's full graphical glory then I highly recommend it. Also there are some audio issues if you try to use spdif to dts surround I believe due to dx9 audio. So if your computer is integrated into your home stereo system that way, then set it for stereo instead of surround or use headphones (it sounded great through my akg701s). Be sure to check graphic card compatibility and such before you buy the game and to download the latest drivers, because I've read some reviews where people with the wrong hardware where having hissy fits. For example a mac user duel booting into windows... that review was hilarious    … Expand
  25. Radek
    Aug 16, 2012
    7
    Good game, well optimised for PCs. Graphics is nice and the game keeps you busy. The story is trustworthy.

    Gameplay is a bit weak. All you are asked to do is cover-slowmotion-shoot and all over again. The shooting itself became boring after two or three chapters. The story kept me in the game until the end.
  26. chronoT
    Sep 5, 2012
    7
    This game is pretty satisfactory overall with a few flaws here an there, but if you liked the previous MP games you'll like this as well. To start off, the damn game is about 26 gigs, which is bigger than GW2! Secondly, you will need a pretty damn good computer to run it, I am using a Geforce 670 SLI and it runs perfectly smooth. If you have the space and good enough card, this is a uniqueThis game is pretty satisfactory overall with a few flaws here an there, but if you liked the previous MP games you'll like this as well. To start off, the damn game is about 26 gigs, which is bigger than GW2! Secondly, you will need a pretty damn good computer to run it, I am using a Geforce 670 SLI and it runs perfectly smooth. If you have the space and good enough card, this is a unique shooter in that it allows you of course to slow down the scene and carefully plan shots. This makes for a lot of fun, but to be honest, after about 6-7 hours the game seems to get a bit repetitive. Max Payne 3 will only take you 9-10 hours tops on normal, and maybe a little longer on harder difficulties. I will admit right now there are 5 difficulties and the hardcore and old school are no joke. Overall I still don't understand why this game is so big in file size, the graphics do look nice but not 26 GB nice. This game really is a personal preference, hit or miss for people.… Expand
  27. plotlesviolence
    Apr 27, 2016
    7
    [OVERVIEW = 7]
    A third-person shooter defined by time slowing and shootdodging, “adding” cover-based combat and only 2 weapon slots.
    [PRESENTATION = 8] (Visuals = 9) It looks like it’s running on the same (gorgeous) engine as GTA V, with garish flashes in the Tony Scott “Man on Fire” style that fits the South American setting. The levels have great variety while all looking realistic.    [OVERVIEW = 7]
    A third-person shooter defined by time slowing and shootdodging, “adding” cover-based combat and only 2 weapon slots.

    [PRESENTATION = 8]
    (Visuals = 9) It looks like it’s running on the same (gorgeous) engine as GTA V, with garish flashes in the Tony Scott “Man on Fire” style that fits the South American setting. The levels have great variety while all looking realistic. And it’s cool that Max holds the unused rifle in the other hand while firing his pistol…once…and hardly worth the 2 weapon limit.
    (Sound Effects = 6)
    (Voice Acting = 7)
    (Nvidia 3D Vision = 7) Looks good in 3D, a few shadows are slightly fuzzy.
    (Physics = 8) The Euphoria engine that procedurally mixes ragdolls and animations is beautiful, but while levels have more physics-reacting objects to shoot than most games, it doesn’t appear to have more such objects than Max Payne 2. Certainly there’s no true destruction a' la Stranglehold/BF:Bad Company/Red Faction.
    (Vibration = 4)
    (Plot = 7) This is Rockstar’s version of “Man on Fire,” and while it’s well above ordinary videogame fare, it’s never reaches the overdramatic ridiculousness of the first twos' takes on New York-noir, and I miss the graphic novel-style cutscenes. Cutscenes become skippable after the next bit finishes loading.

    [CONTROLS/MECHANICS = 7]
    (100% Third-Person Shooter = 7) It’s a third-person shooter with the recharging abilities to slow time to aim better, or dive forward to invincibly pick off enemies at the risk of being extra vulnerable upon landing. Rockstar Games has hurt this winning formula by adding the cover system from GTA V, which works, but it makes the game less fun than the previous run-n-gun system; at least on “normal” you can ignore taking cover for the most part.
    Mouse controls work well, but the right analog stick for joystick control aiming doesn’t “scale” well: I SHOULD be able to fast-turn by pressing the stick all the way and aim carefully by barely moving the stick. You can adjust the sensitivity, but you either get a joystick speed that’s too fast for careful aiming or too slow for switching directions. A quickturn button (works in slow-mo) helps a bit.
    The other big change is the 2-weapon limit, which DOESN’T come from GTA V, it just comes out of nowhere and ensures that you have less fun than before and run out of ammo constantly. And bizarrely, you have to use a weapon wheel to switch between just three options (dual wield, single wield, rifle) where one “weapon switch” button would be the obvious way to go.
    There’s also no dedicated melee button, which forces you to waste some ammo at near-point blank range until you get closer. And the guns are unimpressive: pistol, shotgun, machine gun.
    There's also a "last stand" limited opportunity to shoot the enemy that killed you to come back to life, and I'm
    disappointed that this has been the ONLY beneficial new mechanic added to the Max Payne formula: There’s no Dead-to-Right-style disarms, or Stranglehold-style rolling trays or railings to ride, or Stranglehold-style physics objects to drop on enemies, no Crackdown-style special attacks or Bulletstorm-style kicking enemies into hazards; it’s just Max Payne 2 remade into the GTA V engine with a few mostly negative tweaks.
    (Camera = 8)
    (Physics = 8) I love the way dives get interrupted if you collide with walls or railings, which makes you assess when to use it, and I like the way the GTA V Euphoria ragdoll engine can have enemies go down without dying, so you have to pump a few extra rounds into enemies to be sure. You can also dive into enemies to knock them back.
    (Friendly AI = none) "Allied" movement appears to be entirely automated.
    (Enemy AI = 7)

    [DESIGN = 4]
    [Technicals = 0] I bought the Steam version, but the first day it wouldn’t work because the Rockstar Social Club website that runs their anticonsumer DRM was offline, costing me an hour of my life trying to figure out if I forgot to install something. Steam really needs to put its foot down and refuse to sell games unless they eliminate their SECOND layer of DRM (i.e., GamesforWindowsLive/Uplay/etc.). From then on it ran fine, although loading times are an ass.
    (Menus = 7)
    (Level Design = 7) Levels are linear, and I like the mixing between run-and-gun, rail shooting, dodging a sniper, being a sniper, etc.
    (Difficulty Curve = 7)
    (Upgrade System = none)
    (Modes = Singleplayer campaign (10 hours, 5% padding), Challenge modes, Competitive Multiplayer)
    It’s a good campaign with only a few enforced-slow-walk sequences and collectibles you can ignore. The multiplayer works fine (it’s a normal shooter but any player can put his bonus time-slow into effect that affects everyone) but didn’t hold my attention, and these days online play is uninhabited by human players.

    [OVERALL]
    Fun enough, but kind of a disappointment given that Max Payne was previously one of my favorite series. Stranglehold, a game 5 years older, took the mantle of being the better third-person shootdodge/diving game.    … Expand
  28. Lefort
    Dec 1, 2013
    7
    Max Payne 3 is a great shooter with a respectable story, with enjoyable characters, and well done cutscenes that meld into the gameplay (which are your loading screens as well). However the game is absurdly difficult due to fantastic ai and you having the same hp as them(until later levels where they get body armor making them stronger then you) and that you can get one shotted in the headMax Payne 3 is a great shooter with a respectable story, with enjoyable characters, and well done cutscenes that meld into the gameplay (which are your loading screens as well). However the game is absurdly difficult due to fantastic ai and you having the same hp as them(until later levels where they get body armor making them stronger then you) and that you can get one shotted in the head or by shotguns. You too frequently have to spam bullet time (which dries out too fast considering how reliant on it you are) and rely on quite a bit of luck to get through later levels. A lot of these probablems could be fixed if you were given grenades, friendly npcs, or better map layouts to aid you in fight but no, prepare to be bogged down by 5-8 guys who can one shot you in a heartbeat breaking up the awesome gunfights unfortunately. As for the multiplayer it shows massive potential but also is bogged down by horrendous balance issues and a lack of dedicated servers, the unbalance gameplay is has mostly to do with duel pistols which can outgun most weapons at most ranges and body armor does little negate dmg from them even though they slow you down. It's sad that Rockstar abandon what could've been a very addicting online teamfights. All in all a great game when you get a flow going, but can be frustrating at times but worth the buy for it's price when it drops on its frequent sales.… Expand
  29. Xelion
    Jan 15, 2013
    7
    It's a good game, visually awesome, but too short and overrated. It's very linear, you only end up shooting and shooting all the time... could have been much better, overall it felt really short.
  30. IBuyAnyCheapCra
    Feb 11, 2013
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The gameplay feels just as good as MaxPayne 1 and 2 but there is one thing that destroyed the game. MaxPayne is too stupid. He is always drunk and surrender to anyone with a gun in the cutscenes even thou you could do 30 headshots before they have time to blink using bullet time.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

13
#13 Best PC Game of 2012
9
#9 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
10
#10 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 13, 2012
    87
    Max Payne 3 feels like a PC original, in a very good way. [Aug 2012]
  2. PC Master (Greece)
    Aug 31, 2012
    91
    Its deviation from the mood instilled by its predecessors might annoy some purist fans, but Max Payne 3's undisputed quality standards in all accounts will make them look the other way and enjoy the game as it is. [July 2012]
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jul 29, 2012
    90
    Max Payne is god and it really doesn't matter that he is not the fair one. He is the most interesting action character these days and the game itself is one of the best you can get. [July 2012]
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