Max Payne 3

If you're at all a fan of shooters, then I urge you to run out and pick up Max Payne 3. It's a great follow-up to one of the best third person shooter franchises around, and while it certainly changes up familiar elements of the series, pretty much all of the changes work out really well. The shooting is, bar none, some of the best you'll see out of this generation of consoles, and really begs to experienced. So do yourself a favor and pick this one up, it really shouldn't be missed.

There's not much more I can say about Max Payne 3 without spoiling the experience for you. Emotionally exhausted and still buzzing with excitement after playing Max Payne 3's story mode throughout the weekend, I woke up this morning bursting to tell everyone that, quite simply put: Max Payne 3 is the best character-driven shooter that I've ever played.

The checkpoints aren't that well-placed, which may lead to some frustration along the way... that's the only complaint we have. What we actually want to say is that Max Payne 3 is a fantastic shooter with an unseen filmic flair that even holds up nicely in comparison with Uncharted 3. And that's saying A LOT.

With a perfect narrative and an adrenalinic gameplay, Max Payne 3 is a wonderful action shooter with an adult mood. There are several minor flaws with the frame rate but in the overall it is a game you can't miss.

As much as Max Payne 3 is a fascinating portrait of a man, it tells a great, action-packed story that runs in-stride with Max's inner turmoil.

An engaging story, extremely satisfying shoot-outs phenomenal graphics turn Max Payne 3 undoubtedly into one of the best shooters of 2012. It's a shame that Rockstar doesn't seem to know where to place their checkpoints.

Max Payne 3 brings back the depressed and trigger-happy former cop, in a new and surprisingly entertaining chapter of his life. Rockstar has brought the story to São Paulo, equipped Max with a few new tricks and made everything look a bit more polished and updated. The addition of a well-rounded multiplayer proves to be a stroke of genious that adds loads of extra hours of fun gameplay.

Rockstar proves it doesn't need bleak snowfalls, neon lights or long raincoats to conjure up a great film noir aesthetic. A darker game doesn't exist. The sinister atmosphere might be even a bit too depressing at times. [June 2012, p.72]

There are also some breathtakingly elegant scene shifts where you play stints of classic, NYPD detective Max. Punchy script and Max's metaphor-ridden inner monologues are milked for all they're worth via action-text and motion comics. Some may find the constant artefacting effects distracting – but we found it accentuated emotional beats nicely, and suited Max's boozehound view of the world. Whichever way you look at it, Max Payne 3 is slicker than owl crap on an iceberg. [June 2012, p68]

With a lengthy campaign and a multiplayer full of leveling and unlocking Max Payne 3 is a title that will hold your attention for a while and show you one hell of a ride in the process. With only a few minor hiccups keeping it from being a perfect game, Max Payne 3 is unquestionably a must have.

The king is not dead, long live the king! He's enjoying the booze, he's eating only his remedies and he's killing as many baddies as he can. Max Payne 3 is one hell of a great shooter with modern day enhancements, still bringing the nostalgia into your eyes. Visually riveting game, whose style is going to knock you out with a little bit of tears leaving in your eyes. If you love the shooters, why are you still reading this? We haven't played something of this crystalline purity in a very long time.

Max Payne 3 may not move the action genre forward, but it doesn't matter. It can be as retrogressive as it wants, as long as we are treated to well-written stories and fantastic action, starring one of the most interesting heroes in gaming. And then it doesn't matter if he shaved his head or not.

It's neither as groundbreaking as the first one nor a compelling a narrative as the Max Payne 2 (…) but it's still the kind of 'Welcome Back'-Party you wouldn't want to miss.

Bleak, sometimes frightening, always powerful and quite often shocking, Max Payne 3 takes the third person genre about as far as it can go, and most likely does the same this with this generation's now ageing console hardware. Polished to near perfection, with just a few minor sticking points that dent – ever so slightly – what is overall a wonderful slice of gaming. Enjoy.

Max Payne 3 is a rip-roaring success on many levels. It relentlessly hammers at your emotions and nerves and keeps you perched on the edge of your seat. The borderline unfair difficulty towards the end of the campaign, noticeable issues with the shootdodge, and a couple minor glitches notwithstanding, this is one hell of an experience.

With savage gunplay and an absorbing personal story, Max Payne 3 is an exhilarating shooter that grabs hold of you and doesn't let go.

Max Payne is a great third person shooter that sets a high standard for all subsequent action games.

The gameplay is simple yet satisfying, but it's entirely in the service of a strongly-authored narrative. Players aren't at the liberty to roam, to explore, or to shake things up. Some might find this too controlling, but in return for your freedom, you're rewarded with a mature genre piece which is also a finely-realised character study.

The story is suspenseful, engaging and I was impressed the games character development.

It's not perfect but it is more than good enough to be one of the best titles so far this year. Few games make me want to rush into a second playthrough yet MP3 did. With some patches and tweaks the multiplayer could be the best of the year, too.

Max Payne 3 is not as revolutionary as the original, still this third-person shooter is one of the best games of 2012 so far. With it's phenomenal animations, suberb shoot-outs and it's breathtaking singleplayer it's a must have for shooterfans. Apart from a couple asperities as annoying checkpoints and a lack of variety, there is little to complain about Max Payne 3.

A fast-paced and violent shooter with Rockstar's trademark style and panache, marred by a lack of variety in tone and content, and an overlong story. [July 2012, p.94]

It's a safe house for the trigger happy but also an engaging tale, told with the sort of introspection missing in other games: Max is letting you in on his darkest secrets, and these are secrets to cherish.

A somewhat slow start paired with controls that aren't perfect is soon overshadowed by terrific gameplay and a surprisingly good multiplayer mode.

With an intriguing editing style and story, rock-solid performances and eye candy galore, Max Payne 3's campaign hits hard where most games whiff. While the gunplay is gorgeous and Superman-ing around the room doesn't really get old, sadly the core combat doesn't quite reach the dizzying heights of the wrapper - faithful to the series, but a bit arrested.

While not groundbreaking on a technical level, the game's visuals are the best we've seen from this studio. Every locale feels authentic and lived in, making the experience, although incredibly linear, still feel organic.

A dark, cinematic single-player campaign lasting around ten hours coupled with a compelling multiplayer offering make this a worthy addition to the genre, even if it can't quite compete in the very top tier. But for legacy's sake, we hope that this time Max's retirement is permanent.

The continuing saga of everyone's favourite terrible cop has been a long time coming. Maybe too long. It's not bad by any means; there are moments of high-fiving, air-punching joy here. The trouble is it's both as eloquent and repetitive as its lead. Moments of glory clash with irritating, baffling design decisions to ensure that Max Payne 3 isn't quite the sequel we all hoped for. Brilliant in places, utterly frustrating in others.

Max Payne 3 is an excellent farewell, but ultimately it's not as relevant as it was in the past. It has nothing to teach to the "new" shooters.