Max Payne 3: A journey into frustration and enjoyment

So, I just finished Max Payne 3 on Xbox 360, Rockstar's latest entry into a series that I hadn't played previously. I ran through the game on 'old school' aim settings and it took a lot of getting used to. The aiming system could use some work and was somewhat frustrating…but when I got a head shot off it was all the more exhilirating because of it. There is a great 'Last Stand' feature that kicks in when Max is just about to die…if you manage to kill the character that fatally shot you, you are granted a second wind. Max is also addicted to pain pills that the player finds hidden in medicine cabinets throughout the game.

The graphics in this superb and I have heard some comparisons to the Uncharted series in this regard: they were good but not that good! The gameplay does kind of compare to that series as well and the gunplay is pretty varied. There are quicktime moments that gamers have been plagued with since God of War first introduced them in 2004 and they aren't that intrusive.

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Storywise, the game finds Max Payne working for a crime family in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The development team really travelled to locations featured in the game and it shows; the seedy Brazil inner city strip club and back streets truly utter menace that the player can feel.  Other locations such as the high rise dance club shoot out are a great, refreshing experience with locales and places not seen too often in games. There are some flashback scenes that take place in New York as well and these are well done with just the right noir atmosphere.

The multiplayer seems to be just tacked on as it often is in games of late, I ran through a few modes and it wasn't that enjoyable…this does somehow link with Grand Theft Auto 5's multiplayer as stats/teams carry over somehow, but it wasn't that great anyway…

Unfortunately, in Canada anyway, this game does not seem to be such a huge hit…I picked it up not long after launch for $29 bundled with GTA IV: Liberty City Stories. The next month it was on sale for $19.83 at Walmart, I couldn't believe it. This led to the closing of Rockstar Vancouver. They did a great job with this game and it is worth playing to see their efforts.

When I completed the game, it made me want to track down Max Payne 1 and 2 to see how they connected. What did you think of Max Payne 3, Bit mob readers? Was it worth the trip?