Max Payne 3 PlayStation 3

User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 799 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 591 out of 799
  2. Mixed: 117 out of 799
  3. Negative: 91 out of 799
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  1. JoeNel
    Feb 24, 2014
    6
    honestly, this game is really bad, the story is just plain boring, i never felt intrigued or curious about what would happen next, it was just boring and i was left having to skip through parts that dragged on forever.
    The gameplay is just max payne 1 or 2 again, nothing's changed, which isn't necesserily a bad thing, as it's quite fun, but leaves the game feeling like it should still be    honestly, this game is really bad, the story is just plain boring, i never felt intrigued or curious about what would happen next, it was just boring and i was left having to skip through parts that dragged on forever.
    The gameplay is just max payne 1 or 2 again, nothing's changed, which isn't necesserily a bad thing, as it's quite fun, but leaves the game feeling like it should still be on ps2. about 3/4 of the way through the game is discovered that it's 10 times easier to complete just using the "worst" weapon on the game, the pistol, than to bother using anything else. the machine guns are underpowered, and the aiming system, most of the times, is alright, but anything with a lazer on it is broken.

    I got this for £5 and it was just about value for money, thank god i didn't pay full price.    … Expand
  2. mosessaur
    Jun 2, 2013
    7
    Cool game. Nice story and with nice story telling. I liked Max Payne character. He's kinda funny even when he's totally screwed :).
    I hated all controller types But this my preference. It took me too much time to get used to it.
    Another thing, Trophies are so hard to get. And it's just stupid to ask me to play the game at least 3 or 4 times to get a platinum trophy. And yes trophies are    Cool game. Nice story and with nice story telling. I liked Max Payne character. He's kinda funny even when he's totally screwed :).
    I hated all controller types But this my preference. It took me too much time to get used to it.
    Another thing, Trophies are so hard to get. And it's just stupid to ask me to play the game at least 3 or 4 times to get a platinum trophy. And yes trophies are part of my review to any games. It's the only rewarding system to your profile.
    Still being hard to get most of the trophies makes your proud of them But most of them are hard and bronze     … Expand
  3. TheMegaStorm
    Aug 30, 2013
    7
    In a market riddled with bullet time infested shooters, Max Payne 3 shows how to do it properly. The gunplay is very solid, though not without flaws. I must say that being pulled away from my character every 4 seconds to get a close up slow motion view of the poor fellow who I just gave a 9mm lobotomy is quite annoying, as was the feeling that bullet time was something you just used toIn a market riddled with bullet time infested shooters, Max Payne 3 shows how to do it properly. The gunplay is very solid, though not without flaws. I must say that being pulled away from my character every 4 seconds to get a close up slow motion view of the poor fellow who I just gave a 9mm lobotomy is quite annoying, as was the feeling that bullet time was something you just used to quickly adjust your aim. The storyline of the game, while for some maybe a tad too cinematic and dramatic, is true to the franchise.

    The game also features quite a good soundtrack, and they did save the best for last as the final mission of the game features a very tension inducing track to complement your fight. The multiplayer portion of the game was surprisingly well done, though granted nothing that different from the pack it did stand to reason that many of the mechanics they have do give you a reason to try it.

    Overall, a satisfying game that I do recommend playing.    … Expand
  4. GamesBlast
    Jun 25, 2013
    6
    Max payne 3 is like a scripted game just like you're watching a movie The good part is that the graphics are crisp and detailed and the story is spectacular But all of this fails to impress when the controls is taken away from You quite often Sometimes the cutscenes are quite long but it is eventually better than those long loading scenes The multiplayer is good and will make you comeMax payne 3 is like a scripted game just like you're watching a movie The good part is that the graphics are crisp and detailed and the story is spectacular But all of this fails to impress when the controls is taken away from You quite often Sometimes the cutscenes are quite long but it is eventually better than those long loading scenes The multiplayer is good and will make you come back for more Overall the games is good … Expand
  5. TomRoller
    May 19, 2012
    5
    Rockstar mimics successful formula of the original series but eventually fails to capture the charm of the original. Gameplay suffers from shoddy controls and boring levels that offer few tactical choices during shoot-outs. Checkpoints repeatedly put you against a swarm of enemies with barely one cover around . The result is a static encounter or frequent death, the latter resulting inRockstar mimics successful formula of the original series but eventually fails to capture the charm of the original. Gameplay suffers from shoddy controls and boring levels that offer few tactical choices during shoot-outs. Checkpoints repeatedly put you against a swarm of enemies with barely one cover around . The result is a static encounter or frequent death, the latter resulting in tedious backtracking. If there are cutscenes tied to the checkpoint, you will see them again and again without chance to skip.

    Gone is the noir atmosphere and well-penned Marlowesque monologues. New Max is a boring character chasing McGuffins that are difficult to care about. Cutscenes try to evoke the comics-inspired look of the original. The ambitious effort falls short due to poor editing that creates comics panes with random placement at random angles, full of busy effects and senseless dialogue excerpts. An interesting idea ends up feeling pretentious and artificial.

    Despite the sub-par lighting of its in-house Rage engine Rockstar did a good job in making the game visually appealing. The art-direction is tight, cutscenes impress with high-quality mo-cap and Euphoria animation engine makes enemy reaction to your bullets nothing short of spectacular.

    Sadly, the work of programmers, artists and animators has been sabotaged by design and narrative teams. The result is a mediocre shooter that did not manage to replicate the original recipe.

    If you are not familiar with game's predecessors, give it a chance after price drop. Fans of Max Payne and Rockstar's previous work may find themselves thinking that despite the stellar reviews of his clothes this emperor is walking around bare naked.    … Expand
  6. spacedog
    May 29, 2012
    6
    Story - 5
    Design - 6
    Gameplay - 7. Controls - 2. Graphics - 9. Sound - 8 ALL SCORES ARE BASED ON THE PS3 VERSION Max Payne 3 is an alright game, however if you want to get the best experience from it, buy it on the PC. Lets face it, for a game in which the sole mechanic is 3rd person shooting, and who's gameplay relies heavily on using bullet time to aim precisely, Rockstar have severely    Story - 5
    Design - 6
    Gameplay - 7.
    Controls - 2.
    Graphics - 9.
    Sound - 8
    ALL SCORES ARE BASED ON THE PS3 VERSION

    Max Payne 3 is an alright game, however if you want to get the best experience from it, buy it on the PC. Lets face it, for a game in which the sole mechanic is 3rd person shooting, and who's gameplay relies heavily on using bullet time to aim precisely, Rockstar have severely dropped the ball in the controls department. When it comes to the PS3, the controls are just too unresponsive and lack the fluidity needed in a game like this. It feels almost as if it was a port of the GTA control scheme, which is fine for GTA, but not here. In a Max Payne game you need to be able to aim and shoot, and on the PS3 you cant.

    Moreover the control scheme itself is entirely counter intuitive. Not only can you not change the buttons on the controller to suit your play style, you are forced into choosing one of only 4 different control set-ups which don't differ enough to cover all the bases and play styles out there. If you don't believe me try making reload the square button and triangle the button for take cover. It cant be done!

    My other major gripe is the story and art design. Don't get me wrong, the game looks beautiful, and the story line has a great sense of atmosphere and dialogue, setting and characters. The problem is though, that as good as all of this is, it just doesn't seem like a Max Payne game, and ill tell you why. The Max Payne series was always about more than guns, bullet time, crooks and vulnerable women. It was about it's titular character. Max was a cop, a good cop who lost his family in a tragic set of circumstances. Nonetheless he always stayed true to his policeman roots. His role was as protector and detector. He sought out the reasons and causes for what was happening around him and he didn't take no for an answer. It wasn't money that spurned him, but justice and love for what he had lost.

    And then there is the film noir or neo noir genre that gave the series it's look and feel. The story, design, artwork, setting and characters all were born out of and coincidentally added something to that particular genre.

    All of these things however, seem somehow lost on both the creative minds at Rockstar and the game itself. Sao Paulo doesn't lend itself well to the film noir genre with all of its sun and colour, and the criminally minded characters that seem to appear in every Rockstar game don't cut the mustard when compared to the first two games. Most importantly Max goes from a skinny, hard boiled, mild mannered, polite, but tortured policeman with a thing for saving women and cracking down on drugs, to a drug addicted, fat, bald, potty mouth Bruce Willis look-a-like with a penchant for getting women killed. I'm sorry, but do you really expect me to believe that Max got addicted to painkillers despite the fact that his greatest love in life was killed as a result of drug related violence?......I don't think so buddy, not by a long shot.

    I have to admit, Max Payne 3 IS a good game, it's just not the game i was expecting from the Max Payne franchise, nor the one i think is deserving of the Max Payne 3 logo. As a result it is definitely the weakest of the three games and the farthest from the mark.

    Final score is 6/10 - Good, but not great.    … Expand
  7. wesker2012
    Feb 21, 2013
    6
    Boring game. Overrated. Doesn't do anything new. Narrative is lame.
  8. jvidner
    Oct 29, 2012
    5
    A technical masterpiece, but thats it. The mood in the game has changed from a dark noire, to a cheesy Hollywood Action/Comedy. The story is hard to follow, and it's just plain bad. The multiplayer - dont even get me started. Like all of Rockstars games, the multiplayer is just plain boring and completely without depth. But I enjoyed the action, the beautiful graphics and voice acting.A technical masterpiece, but thats it. The mood in the game has changed from a dark noire, to a cheesy Hollywood Action/Comedy. The story is hard to follow, and it's just plain bad. The multiplayer - dont even get me started. Like all of Rockstars games, the multiplayer is just plain boring and completely without depth. But I enjoyed the action, the beautiful graphics and voice acting. Just shooting people in different ways will give you hours of fun.… Expand
  9. mumbles
    Jul 21, 2012
    6
    Waaaay overrated. Metacritic and other reviewers are the reason I keep buying these latest so-called 'AMAZING' Rockstar games and they end up being so simplistic and lacklustre. I was a BIG fan of Max Payne on PC back in the day and I dug the 2nd game just as much... but considering what is possible with today's technology Rockstar has really let me down. They keep adding in gimmicks likeWaaaay overrated. Metacritic and other reviewers are the reason I keep buying these latest so-called 'AMAZING' Rockstar games and they end up being so simplistic and lacklustre. I was a BIG fan of Max Payne on PC back in the day and I dug the 2nd game just as much... but considering what is possible with today's technology Rockstar has really let me down. They keep adding in gimmicks like glitchy special effects, facial effects and whatnot but fail to provide jaw dropping moments. I don't want to compare this to Red Dead Redemption because this seems like an IP they just picked up in lieu of a larger title--or something to make more money before Red Dead Revolution or Grand Theft Auto 5. Considering those two titles are in development I think we know where the talent went. Overall I'm just disappointed. Sure it has slo-mo, painkillers, double guns... but we've seen this before. The only thing we haven't seen is Max in the sun--so If I wanted to see a drunken, middle-aged cop in the sunshine I would turn on Die Hard: With A Vengeance or that terrible take on The Punisher with Thomas Jane (I used to think Max Payne was more like the Punisher--War Zone is probably the closest). He's just SO out of place and the story just isn't interesting because the people you are trying to save have little to no connection to Max personally. In summary, this is one example of another VERY overrated Rockstar title...… Expand
  10. ReaIistiC
    Oct 9, 2012
    5
    Let me just start of by saying Max Payne 1, and 2 where my favorite games of all time and i was so looking forward to the release of this game and got it on release date. I was so disapointed. You don't feel like Max anymore it just feels like a regular old shooter. The shooting is good don't get me wrong, but this game would only be good for people who havent played the old Max paynes. ILet me just start of by saying Max Payne 1, and 2 where my favorite games of all time and i was so looking forward to the release of this game and got it on release date. I was so disapointed. You don't feel like Max anymore it just feels like a regular old shooter. The shooting is good don't get me wrong, but this game would only be good for people who havent played the old Max paynes. I loved in the old games running around dark broken down motels killing people. The game was dark, almost like a thrilled shooter. This game is more like going around shooting up a whole army of people in a country trying to find someone. It reminds me more of the film Taken than Max Payne. overall good shooting realistic game though… Expand
  11. Tylahedras
    May 20, 2012
    6
    Over rated, it's not like it's terrible, but the multi is a worthless joke, and single player is mediocre at best. The only real selling point is that the graphics are pretty good. Blah, just spend your money on something more original.
  12. ArkonBlade
    Oct 3, 2012
    6
    I was a big fan of the first Max Payne game but didn't care much for the second . It's been a long time since we got a new Max Payne game and this is suppose to be the final one one in the series. Well for starters the game graphicaly looks fantastic . It also controls fairly decent and if you dont like the aiming it has a auto lock on mode you can select. The online is a fair bit of goodI was a big fan of the first Max Payne game but didn't care much for the second . It's been a long time since we got a new Max Payne game and this is suppose to be the final one one in the series. Well for starters the game graphicaly looks fantastic . It also controls fairly decent and if you dont like the aiming it has a auto lock on mode you can select. The online is a fair bit of good fun that i enjoyed for a few days till i grew tired of it. The story mode is just where this game falls . lets start with the story thats pretty much stuck up its own Ass and i just didn't give a crap about it. now Max Payne was never a great story game but in this day in age and with Rock Star improving in that area i expected better and what really makes it worse is you can't skip the Cutsceanes you have to sit there and just groan and wach them. I keep finding myself mashing the buttons hoping i can skip past them only to see a still laoding mesage at the bottom of the screen. Then there is the game play and this is where the game takes the biggest hit . Max Payne 3 just doesn't feel all that fun like the first one did infact it does nothing new . It actaully feels like it does less right . i loved jumping through the a door in the first MP in slow mo and gunning down 3 guys as who had no clue i was there . now i feel as if all i am doing is running to one area to the next and just fighting a group of bad guys and rinse and repeat. the game is actaully pretty long around 12hours or so but i found myself getting so bored with it i just wanted it to be over . i mean i actaully wished it was shorter ... which is a wierd thing for me to say about a game . The best thing they did with MP3 was get rid of the platforming which was so horrable in the first MP game. Max payne is not a bad game but i would say rent it or buy it cheap. i got mine for only $20 and i would say pay no more then that for it . For me this series went out with more of a whimper then a bang , which is very unfortunite.… Expand
  13. x420Raptor
    May 19, 2012
    5
    I picked up Max Payne 3 today along with Starhawk, two games i had eagerly anticipated.

    Starhawk, as soon as i picked it up and played it, i felt it was incredible, graphically brilliant, and so different to the normal online shooter. Teamwork really comes into play by providing turrets, transport bays and other little bonuses for your team. Max Payne 3 however, is awful, at least    I picked up Max Payne 3 today along with Starhawk, two games i had eagerly anticipated.

    Starhawk, as soon as i picked it up and played it, i felt it was incredible, graphically brilliant, and so different to the normal online shooter. Teamwork really comes into play by providing turrets, transport bays and other little bonuses for your team. Max Payne 3 however, is awful, at least online... I played it for about a good hour and it just feels horribly sluggish, the aiming system is absolutely atrocious worse than any game ive ever played. Ive played every single Rockstar game and loved them, im a huge GTA fan, and while i didnt come here expecting GTA, i came here expecting a solid reliable game which wont irritate me when playing. The graphics on Max Payne 3 are undeniably brilliant, and i wont contest that the Story may be fantastic too, but as far as online goes, It feels like an old version of modern warfare 2 mixed with a poorly remade RDR aiming system. Whoever said the shooting mechanics on MP3 are great, is a liar, because they are far too slow, especially when looking down your gun.
    Ill keep playing this game to see if it grows on me, but as an avid Rockstar fan and a game that was rated 9/10 by IGN, should it really have to grow on a player? No, Of the two, id rather have spent my money solely on Starhawk    … Expand
  14. dz9
    May 27, 2012
    6
    Despite the medium score, Max Payne is a very fun game. When you first turn the game on, the visuals, the amazing presentation, and how well the Euphoria engine is done grabs you instantly. Let me review the online and offline separately. Online in this game is fast paced and addicting. The problem with it is that the lack of progression with the perks and weapons. You'll have all theDespite the medium score, Max Payne is a very fun game. When you first turn the game on, the visuals, the amazing presentation, and how well the Euphoria engine is done grabs you instantly. Let me review the online and offline separately. Online in this game is fast paced and addicting. The problem with it is that the lack of progression with the perks and weapons. You'll have all the weapons you'll want by level 6 and won't want to unlock anything else until about level 40, that's when the new unlocks finally become useful. But wow... what an absurd time of just grinding from level 6-40. Another main problem with it is the lack of game modes and good maps. There are only about 4 game modes and 3 good maps, and you will be playing on those maps constantly. And only Gang Wars and original Team Deathmatch are worth noting from the game modes. Payne Killer is a boring redundant plethora of lame that must never be played. Despite this, the online is fun.. and what more can you ask for? 7.2/10 for the online. The offline campaign is where this game nose dives into it's own filth. Don't be distracted by its highly stylized presentation, excellent voice acting, and stunning visuals. Hidden underneath this is a repetitive, uninteresting story that shouldn't hold your interest past the initial 3 hours. It starts off interesting enough, but like i stated, after the first 3 hours, you wonder why Max's is even in the game cause he has no motive to continue to murder people, and The plot twists and progression are never fully clear until 2 hours after they are revealed. And get used to the game over screen. In this game, you could have nearly full health but go lights out after an enemy gets a head shot on you spontaneously...sounds cool right? But in a game where enemies appear nearly randomly, this happens way way too often and it's like you have to memorize every wave of enemies so to not die, in my experience through the campaign, i might've spent equal time in the game over menu as the actual gameplay. Despite its flaws, slugging lead into bad guys have never been more fun, theres an excellent sense of accomplishment once you clear a wave of guys and see your bullet cam. But overall, this is just an awful story, it's main problem is that it just seems irrelevant. This game doesn't progress the main story of Max Payne at all and feels like a spin off rather than a true sequel. a 3.8/10 for the campaign.. 5.5/10 for the game as a whole. Only pick this title up if your a hardcore 3rd person shooter fan or your looking for a new online experience to feed your fix of online shooters.… Expand
  15. funkamonkey
    May 18, 2012
    5
    Recently I have started to get bored of the current gen games but I had high hopes for Max Payne 3. Got it this morning, popped it into my PS3 played about 2 hours and guess what, bored.
    It's cut scene, shoot a lot of guys, cut scene, shoot a lot of guys, got bored, turned off.
    This isn't a bad game, just a boring game. The cut scenes are depressing, the movement of Max when not in bullet    Recently I have started to get bored of the current gen games but I had high hopes for Max Payne 3. Got it this morning, popped it into my PS3 played about 2 hours and guess what, bored.
    It's cut scene, shoot a lot of guys, cut scene, shoot a lot of guys, got bored, turned off.
    This isn't a bad game, just a boring game. The cut scenes are depressing, the movement of Max when not in bullet time, makes him look like a really bad dancer. Multiplayer grabbed me for 1 hour, again boring. My advice, wait until until the drop in price, it will be £25 in the next 3 or 4 weeks.
    Hopefully Ghost Recon will be a lot more interesting.    … Expand
  16. Jim_S
    May 27, 2012
    6
    Clumsy controls, unskippable cutscenes, irritating graphic effects, tedious narration, this is a bad movie that lets you play the action scenes. Great looking, decent AI, everything else sucked. I will not drink the Kool aid. And stop comparing this to RDR, that was a near perfect game, this is a very flawed effort.
  17. calum769
    May 25, 2012
    6
    Quite simply, overrated. When we look at how GTA IV was scored by critics it's hardly suprising, a game that took out most of the fun elements from the previously amazing san andreas. So I picked up Max Payne 3 today for £40 assuming that it would be outstanding based on the reviews I've seen, and not quite knowing what to expect. I created an account just to bring some senseQuite simply, overrated. When we look at how GTA IV was scored by critics it's hardly suprising, a game that took out most of the fun elements from the previously amazing san andreas. So I picked up Max Payne 3 today for £40 assuming that it would be outstanding based on the reviews I've seen, and not quite knowing what to expect. I created an account just to bring some sense into the equation. So, problems, where to start... - Gameplay - Is this Max Payne 3 or Uncharted because it's essentially the same game, same shooting mechanics, cover system and in general just the same appearance. Albeit without the puzzles and the more fascinating scenery. Oh and games that don't focus mainly on stealth shouldn't perhaps have stealth at all - apparently shooting a guard with a silencer would alarm an entire base/trigger an instant flare - how could you even include that?

    - Plot - So far having finished part 1 of the story, I have taken out a small army, I don't quite know why but I have. Presumably this is down to the fact that the people I'm working for are about as useful as a chocolate fire guard and have security systems that fail when under attack (what a suprise). Why do they need money (trying to avoid spoiler but you catch my drift) just sell all their frickin speedboats for crying out loud... Plus, the enemy seemingly has enough military power to take on most of europe. The predictability is laughable, me and a friend sat there going "let me guess you have to escape the burning building", "the floor's gonna collapse" etc.

    Difficulty - I play a lot of games, and I mean a lot, therefore I didn't hesitate too much to select hard mode. What a mistake that was, not very generous checkpoints, useless cover that's cardboard-esque in places and the ability to get one shot killed on full health, really? NO REALLY? If you're lucky you can fall in slow mo, trying to take out the guy that shot you to save your own ass, but that's hardly helpful when the cover you're trying to use is in the way for crying out loud! *Controller Put Down*

    Controls - Combine the above difficulty with clumsy controls and character movement and you've got serous problems. What is wrong with square been reload? Huh? Or L1 for aim? Of course square is cover on this game, so everytime I want to reload I leap out of cover and boom! Oh I died again, I'm not suprised look how many soldiers I'm fighting off... Oh and when I want to die I can't because of the slow motion death crap, like when a guard sees you through a wall and you think I'll give up now because I don't have the health nor the ammo for this ****.

    Character - Having not played a Max Payne game before perhaps I've missed out on important character development, but so far I feel nothing for this guy at all. He goes out shoots a load of guys, gets back to his crummy appartment, drinks till he throws up, goes to bed then does it all again, and doesn't stop moaning. Cheer up! You've survived almost certain death on numerous occasions! .This brings us nicely onto...

    Dialogue - The main character Max, really grates on me, as do many of the others when you're looking round in an area for various collectibles and all you can hear is "I was meant to be going after the girl, but I was more concerned about my scotch" or "Come on max geta a move on". Can you please F*** Off!! Jeez.

    So, I suppose you're thinking wow, you'd still give it a 6 though? Well yes, because there's still time for it to improve (I hope) it's not terrible but there's definitely better games out there so be warned. Some elements of the game are ok but so far I've not been wowed, the game's flaws are what seperate it from been considered a PS3 great.    … Expand
  18. MikefromAngus
    Nov 3, 2012
    7
    An excellent shooter, with a story that seems to drag on and on. The most annoying part was with the cut scenes. You play for 10mins and then youre forced to watch a 2 min clip. without the option of skipping it. This would be fine, but it happens way too often.
  19. gamer11
    Jun 19, 2012
    5
    Fun game and good story line. However this game is simply too overrated, the voices are extremely annoying and the control mechanics need much fixing. Disappointing!
  20. numeric
    Jun 9, 2012
    7
    Never played Max Payne before so this was my first. The graphics are unbelievable and the story is engaging. It gets very boring to just basically shoot, run, shoot, duck. Wish I had waited longer for a price drop, but I still enjoyed it. Certainly not Rockstar's best, but even their average games are much better than most.
  21. Pampalini
    Jan 28, 2015
    6
    The story is weak, I wasnt too much interested what is going on. Except little at the end. Action is still okey. Some locations are boring some are pretty nice. This is the weakest part of the serie so far.
  22. djwille88
    Nov 21, 2012
    6
    Sat down to play this about a month ago and couldn't get past the first couple of hours due to pure boredom. It was watch a 5 min cut scene, play, and then watch a another long cut scene. I found it to be boring..
  23. Schuback
    Mar 27, 2016
    5
    Max Payne 3 has all the qualities you'd come to expect from a Rockstar game by now. It has awesome graphics, very fluid combat mechanics. Running, snapping to cover all look and feel very natural. Guns feel real and shots feel impact-ful. But is this game a 10/10 like everyone is saying here? NO! And here are my reasons.

    1. Unlikable main character. In MP3 you are forced to play as this    Max Payne 3 has all the qualities you'd come to expect from a Rockstar game by now. It has awesome graphics, very fluid combat mechanics. Running, snapping to cover all look and feel very natural. Guns feel real and shots feel impact-ful. But is this game a 10/10 like everyone is saying here? NO! And here are my reasons.

    1. Unlikable main character. In MP3 you are forced to play as this alcoholic old man that complains so much about his life. He talks too much and has to self narrate everything he does. Lonely old man that rants too much and complains and complains... hmm....
    2. Not openworld. Story campaign is ultra linear and everything is scripted. The game is holding your hand all the way.
    3. Same thing from start to finish. It's so repetitive. Cutscene, run to cover and shoot, and again cutscene over and over with the occasional turret gun control. Omg boringg..... It's so tedious that I gave up after an hour into the story.... It's just not fun.
    4. Side characters are stereotypical, uninteresting, unfunny, unoriginal..... you just don't give a d@mn about them.

    Online mode is not as bad. Again, no freeroam. But you get the standard Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag that sort of thing. Can be fun at times I suppose.

    Overall, not a terrible game. If you really want to play this, play it online (but I think everyone has moved on to other games by now). Otherwise, don't bother. It's mediocre at best.    … Expand
  24. KillerTomato
    Jun 27, 2012
    7
    If you like shooters, especially in the Rockstar style, you will enjoy this game as I did. However, the quality is not up to the level it should be this far into the console cycle. The animations are quirky, if not herky-jerky, the sound is sometimes out of sync, the loading seems excessive. I've read comparison's to Uncharted and that is half accurate and half insulting to Naughty Dog.If you like shooters, especially in the Rockstar style, you will enjoy this game as I did. However, the quality is not up to the level it should be this far into the console cycle. The animations are quirky, if not herky-jerky, the sound is sometimes out of sync, the loading seems excessive. I've read comparison's to Uncharted and that is half accurate and half insulting to Naughty Dog. The pacing is definitely a direct copy of Uncharted, once you load a level the restarts are immediate like Uncharted, but when cut scenes play the game is loading. It was somewhat confusing to me that these scenes can be paused but not skipped, and that was mildly frustrating. I expect Rockstar to innovate and set bars to new levels. This game is an improvement in the series and Rockstar's most refined shooter to date but it could/should have been more impressive. On 360 I'd give this game a 10. I just expect more from my PS3 games.… Expand
  25. mrnice
    Jun 3, 2014
    6
    A glorified shooting gallery presented with much skill and flair. If you don't mind the type of action where you move from cover to cover while you shoot increasingly tough enemies, then Max Payne 3 delivers on that front. I had hoped for more open-ended, unpredictable action with flow between one style and another.. There are a few of those break-offs, especially a few involving vehicles,A glorified shooting gallery presented with much skill and flair. If you don't mind the type of action where you move from cover to cover while you shoot increasingly tough enemies, then Max Payne 3 delivers on that front. I had hoped for more open-ended, unpredictable action with flow between one style and another.. There are a few of those break-offs, especially a few involving vehicles, but for the large part it's nothing but shooting at guys. Even the few boss-like encounters feel like additional shooting scenes.

    Then there's the story which is sufficiently playful and intelligent to be interesting. Much of it went over my head though, as new characters and groups were introduced with no emphasis on what was important to notice and what was just a quick side-note. It does work well as a making-sense of the varied locations, which I find impressive. Speaking of locations, I find those to be the most worthwhile aspect of the game, since they were presented with similar detail and style as those in GTA V, some of them spectacular locations that are not usually well represented in action games.

    One big drawback is that the shootouts seem designed for auto-aim ('soft lock' works similarly to that in GTA V), a mechanic that takes away a lot of the challenge and interactivity unless you change to 'free aim', which I did. The problem is when a game is designed to be interesting with auto-aim, some scenes become unpolished and unfair for those using free aim. One bit had me replaying it not because I didn't get it, but because I was a bit unlucky every time. (Well it turned out I didn't notice the button for slowmotion-in-cover until the last chapter). The enemy AI is somewhere between chaotic-impulsive and robotic-predictable, so replaying sections felt like I got trolled every time it went wrong, without sufficient variety in AI patterns to keep each attempt fresh. Did I mention I didn't get the story? It states very clearly what happens to who, but I have no idea about why, or the deeper connections between the characters. But maybe I'm just slow-minded.

    Another big drawback is that the tasks/puzzles were so simplified and obvious that they felt like instructions. All the deducing of a good puzzle reduced to "Press triangle to solve x obstacle". I mean, are people really so stupid they can't figure something out for themselves, and yet with capacity to understand a convoluted storyline? If Rockstar had the balls to require the player to infer new things through the gameplay, it would feel as intelligent and cutting-edge to play as its technology is. Instead it ends up expecting as little of the consumer as the tv-shows mocked both in this game and in recent GTAs.

    Online multiplayer has a handful engaging but conservative modes. Deathmatch, Team deathmatch, and a cocktail of modes like capture-the-flag, defuse-the-bomb, last-man-standing thrown together under one point-list and one narrative and presentation changed to a 'gang war' context. It's a cocktail that provides a diverse session that doesn't get boring the first dozen times.

    I've played online for many hours, leveled up half-way to maximum, unlocked a few guns. The combination of classic console action, the auto-aim and the bullet-time made for a more tactic, tense experience than the direct competition on PS3 (Uncharted online). The base game comes with six large levels quite different in mood. I preferred the office (smaller level with corridors) and the bus depot (open areas interspersed with cover and a few accessible buildings).

    I would rate the campaign 6/10 (although presentation is 9/10 gameplay is still the essence of games). Online multiplayer gets 8/10 but the lack of a level editor or any custom content makes for less replay value than the core gameplay deserves.

    I rated GTA V 7/10, and its shooting mechanic is lifted directly from Max Payne 3. Here, you might get a more focused, cinematic experience designed specifically for the path it takes you on. But on the other hand, it lacks the cars and the game world and the radio chatter of GTA V. I cannot say it is as compelling as GTA V. I cannot say that either of them thread much new ground, or keep me addicted to the core gameplay. Both of them are above average, but I only recommend them if you're specifically looking for the gameplay in Max Payne 3, or the game world in GTA V.    … Expand
  26. vixvicco
    Jul 11, 2012
    7
    Decent game, love the graphics-quality is amazing. On the down-side the story was not that interesting and you come to wonder why Max is even there (his narrative is rather depressing). It did feel a bit repetitive but overall worth buying. Even on normal difficulty quite challenging-which is fine if it were not for the uneven spikes in difficulty.
  27. sityoazzdown
    Apr 12, 2013
    5
    shame. first and last max payne game. I love rockstar games gta rdr are two of my favorite games. Even L.A Noire was legit. But there was something missing in this game, whether that be in the gameplay or story; because I played a an hour or so and had no drive to finish this game. The combat was so generic there was nothing new, felt like I was playing a gta shooter game without the openshame. first and last max payne game. I love rockstar games gta rdr are two of my favorite games. Even L.A Noire was legit. But there was something missing in this game, whether that be in the gameplay or story; because I played a an hour or so and had no drive to finish this game. The combat was so generic there was nothing new, felt like I was playing a gta shooter game without the open world sandbox type, and the slow motion thing was just stupid and the game's claim to fame apparently. game was overhyped; but clearly the graphics were the best part of the game; shame, it had potential.… Expand
  28. PaulWi
    Jun 7, 2012
    7
    The first 2 games were not really 'noirish' in a traditional style of a detective politely shuffling around New York. They were noirish in an anything could happen Sin City kind of noirish style. The games were like one long neverending blood trail of not just enemies but graffitied streets and narrow alloyways. Everything- in physicality and values, had been distorted- a church was aThe first 2 games were not really 'noirish' in a traditional style of a detective politely shuffling around New York. They were noirish in an anything could happen Sin City kind of noirish style. The games were like one long neverending blood trail of not just enemies but graffitied streets and narrow alloyways. Everything- in physicality and values, had been distorted- a church was a nightclub, a restaurant was a giant booby trap. Max Payne 3 does not have the same nightmarish spur as the original game's horrific opening. It is far more taxing than ever but it doesn't encourage to hang around, as if it is embarassed that you might spot that it is all gloss, little textures, or something. That might be the locale of the game but it also seems to be the game- it is one trick of diving in and around cover interspersed with cut scenes and quick time events. I didn't finish it during my rental so perhaps it develops a momentum that makes it exhilerating to finish but, even so, I don't necessarily see it staying in your head the same way that the first 2 games did. If you are looking for essentially an glorified on rails shooter with a bit more choice to it, then you may give it an extra point.… Expand
  29. sparky4223
    Dec 18, 2012
    5
    Max Payne 3 is the third game in the famous series and as usual, we play as the titular character Max, who has changed since Max Payne 2, released in 2003. Max is now depressed and addicted to alcohol and painkillers. The story is told through voiceovers and cutscenes. This is where the biggest problem is. While the story is decent, the cutscenes are unskippable and are about 85% of theMax Payne 3 is the third game in the famous series and as usual, we play as the titular character Max, who has changed since Max Payne 2, released in 2003. Max is now depressed and addicted to alcohol and painkillers. The story is told through voiceovers and cutscenes. This is where the biggest problem is. While the story is decent, the cutscenes are unskippable and are about 85% of the game. The gameplay is decent but feels weird that despite the fact story is so gritty, you will be jumping in slowmotion with Max's signature "bullet-time". If you can ignore the fact that the game is pretty much one cutscene with a few interactive parts, you might like it. For the rest, do not buy the game unless you want to watch another MAx Payne movie.… Expand
  30. jrmichael19
    May 31, 2013
    7
    Max Payne is a trigger happy American in São Paulo. Max Payne 3 does not have an open world element to it and that's why Max Payne 3 did not live up to my expectations. The campaign is not something i would play over and over again, i would not even play it again to find the collectibles! but i enjoyed the story and loved the diving and bullet cam mechanics in this game. R* did a fantasticMax Payne is a trigger happy American in São Paulo. Max Payne 3 does not have an open world element to it and that's why Max Payne 3 did not live up to my expectations. The campaign is not something i would play over and over again, i would not even play it again to find the collectibles! but i enjoyed the story and loved the diving and bullet cam mechanics in this game. R* did a fantastic job with this game and deserve an award for the efforts.… Expand
  31. nickyblaze
    Jun 26, 2013
    6
    Great story, great graphics, but more of an interactive series of unskippable cut scenes than a great gaming experience. The game does a great job at recreating a gritty foreign vibe. Max is also as surprisingly, self loathingly charismatic as ever. The sense impact of each weapon and the damage translated is amazing. Seeing each pellet from a Shotgun buck can be pretty dramatic (in a coolGreat story, great graphics, but more of an interactive series of unskippable cut scenes than a great gaming experience. The game does a great job at recreating a gritty foreign vibe. Max is also as surprisingly, self loathingly charismatic as ever. The sense impact of each weapon and the damage translated is amazing. Seeing each pellet from a Shotgun buck can be pretty dramatic (in a cool way). The controls were decent although at times Max felt more like a pistol toting tank than an aging action hero. If you want the real Max Payne vibe, play 1&2.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

#11 Best PS3 Game of 2012
#6 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2012
#11 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. PSX-Sense.nl
    Jul 9, 2012
    90
    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.
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  2. Gamer.no
    Jun 29, 2012
    90
    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.
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  3. Eurogamer Portugal
    Jun 22, 2012
    70
    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.
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