Opinions & Thoughts So Far?

[Parker]

My local Redbox had Max Payne 3 available (which is rare for them to have a new release for PS3, they usually have the 360 version) and since I really enjoyed the first two games on the PlayStation 2 I figured I'd probably enjoy this one as well. I've only played an hour or so as of yet but I've really enjoyed the time I've spent with it.

At times it feel a little old school, non regenerating health being the main reason why, but I feel the game is better for it. Firstly, it wouldn't feel like a Max Payne game without his pills, and secondly it forces you to go all out and use bullet time and shoot dodge to clear areas instead of standing behind cover waiting for your health to come back. The voice acting has been great so far, the character models are fantastic( although Max reminds me of an Uncharted 3 Sully) and the gunplay is very fun. One thing I really like is when Max has a two handed weapon like a Shotgun or rifle you can see him holding it even if you have a pistol equipped. It's very fun seeing him lug a Shotgun with him through cutscenes and everything and really adds to the realism in the game.

If anyone is on the fence with this game I'd say go ahead and take the plunge if you liked the first two games. Once I'm done with my initial playthrough I'll be returning this to Redbox and purchasing a copy at GameStop. I think they definitely deserve my money and I'm sure I'll be playing the story multiple times.

So, what does everyone else think so far?

Parker

[Chambers35]

I'm really enjoying the story mode, pretty much for all the reasons you've said. Plus it's longer than I expected it to be

The multiplayer on the other hand...isn't so great, it just feels messy, especially in the bigger matches.

[Dreakon139]

I'm curious to try it, I really liked the first two but probably not enough to throw down $60 for the third one... especially since from what I hear it's a little rough around the edges. Something to look into when I am itching for a good third person shooter down the line and the price drops a bit.

I hear the cutscenes are used as loading screens rather often, so they are unskippable in a lot of places and may make multiple playthroughs a little tedious. Not that it's a big deal, but fair warning to anyone who wants to play through multiple times.

[AlteredFormula]

So far, I'm loving the game. Certainly reminiscent of all the things I loved about the first two games, getting some of those bullet-time ballets right is a pain in the arse though. I love the fact that the game encourages you to keep on the move and not hug the same piece of cover.

Multiplayer is where I've had the most fun though, not quite earned the top spot yet but tend to be mid to upper table in most matches so far.

[Mattas22]

Im loving this game, got to chapter 7 before going online and since then iv not been back to the story. Didn't like it that much but since making a few classes iv not played nothing else, my favourite is the dual weild UZI's with no gear or armour on so i can run n gun fast as possible. I just hope the free-aim servers are still as active in the long run because ill never play no soft-lock shite.

[GolfingDevil05]

I just finished the single player campaign, and so far, there's a lot that I love about this game, and a few things to hate. Story, voice acting, presentation (cutscenes and the like) are all very well done. The game uses sound very well, and I really like the atmosphere of the seedy side of Brazil. Very cool setting for a game. I know MW2 got there first, but I think Max Payne's take on the favelas outshines MW2 by a fair distance.

However, there are things I really don't like. Number one, I hate that the cutscenes cannot be skipped. I realize they're being used to cover load times, but it's frustrating to hit X and get the "Still Loading"message, no matter how close to the end of the scene it is. It's especially frustrating when you're trying to just load up a checkpoint for a run at one of the trophies. I'm not a fan of games that make you wait five to ten minutes just so you can try again on a section of the game that takes 45 seconds to complete (if you get it right). I also prefer games that allow you to skip the cutscene after the first time you watch it.

There are also a couple of game play mechanics that drive me nuts, especially when you're put into a Last Man Standing situtation. First, if you run out of bullets, you have to sit there and watch for 20 seconds, knowing you're going to die. More importantly, though, is the times when Max turns the wrong way to attack someone who's downed him, and even though the cross hairs are over the enemy, the gun is firing the wrong direction. Worse yet, there are times when the enemy who shot you can't be hit because Max can't shoot through something which obstructs his view, like a handrail on a stair case, even though the enemy was able to overcome that obtacle when he shot Max in the first place. Feels like a cheap death to me. I think the Last Man Standing mechanic is otherwise a cool game play mechanic, but it needs tweaking. I also feel that Hard difficulty was about right in terms of the level of challenge. Sure, there were a lot of cheap deaths, but at least the checkpoints keep you advancing through the story.

Overall, I like what I've played so far, but there are just some minor adjustments that would make this a game of the year contender.

[Gotakibono]

One of the best games I've had the pleasure of playing in a long while. I've been a huge fan of the series since the first game, and I was a little apprehensive over the apparent change in tone and setting when the game was first announced; I should've known better than to doubt Rockstar.

The gameplay remains tremendously enjoyable but it's the story that really griped me and surpassed my expectations; it tackles hard-hitting themes and problems that are rife in Sao Paulo and I respect Rockstar for not sugar-coating such issues. I was also worried how someone like Max Payne could remain relevant and be given a proper, engaging story-line years after the events of the first games - kudos to the writers for creating such an attention-arresting plot.. Voice-acting, characters, environments, plot and design are all top-notch. Honestly, perhaps my favourite game this year; only Deus Ex comes close for me.