Max Payne 3

cmaMath13

Platinum Member
Feb 16, 2000
2,154
0
60
I just finished Max Payne 3 for the first time. I picked it up a couple of weeks ago when it was on sale for $15. The game stayed true to the others in terms of the game play. The game was very challenging at times, even on normal difficulty. The graphics are good. I had a chance to stress my GeForce GTX 660 Ti with it. One of the better looking games I have. In particular, the first level in the beach-side house looked awesome! All in all, I would give the game a "B" grade. Certainly worth $15!

Note: I realize this game came out last year, so this is probably late for most of you. Perhaps someone still hasn't played it yet.
 

CPA

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
30,322
4
0
Timely post, I just picked it up on Steam last night when it won the player's choice selection. $14.99. Of course, it's still downloading because it's over 10 friggin' Gigs. lol.

I have the same graphics card, so good to see it was able to handle the game well.
 

GrumpyMan

Diamond Member
May 14, 2001
5,778
262
136
I enjoyed the game myself, a lot of cut scenes but the game play was really fun and challenging at times. Worth $15.00
 

sze5003

Lifer
Aug 18, 2012
14,177
622
126
It was a decent game, reminded me of the last game too with the story just as descriptive. After how long it took to come out I thought it would be a little better.
 

cmaMath13

Platinum Member
Feb 16, 2000
2,154
0
60
Timely post, I just picked it up on Steam last night when it won the player's choice selection. $14.99. Of course, it's still downloading because it's over 10 friggin' Gigs. lol.

I have the same graphics card, so good to see it was able to handle the game well.

CPA, looks like we have been on this forum for a while together too. I like the game, but had to take breaks from it quite a bit. Picked it up on Dec 24 and finished it today. I think you will be impressed with how good it looks!

Here are my current settings:
MaxPayne32013-01-0510-58-27-09_zpse03cae1e.png
 

Doppel

Lifer
Feb 5, 2011
13,306
3
0
I thought it was just right on normal except for the final fight, which was made even harder because I did it on a console (no mouse :( ). The final fight was unreasonably difficult on normal, at least the various ways I tried it. The grenade is what kept doing me in, knocking me out of cover.
 

cmaMath13

Platinum Member
Feb 16, 2000
2,154
0
60
I thought it was just right on normal except for the final fight, which was made even harder because I did it on a console (no mouse :( ). The final fight was unreasonably difficult on normal, at least the various ways I tried it. The grenade is what kept doing me in, knocking me out of cover.

Definitely one of the more challenging games I have played. I play mostly 1st-person shooters, so it's an adjustment for me to do 3rd-person.
 

BlueWeasel

Lifer
Jun 2, 2000
15,940
474
126
Kicking myself because I didn't pick it up from Amazon when it was $10 ($14.99 - $5 promo).

I'm hoping Amazon puts it back on sale sometime before the promo codes expire on 1/31.
 

JamesV

Platinum Member
Jul 9, 2011
2,002
2
76
I'm about halfway done I guess, and will finish the game, but I disagree that the game stayed true to the Max Payne franchise. There is one huge thing they got wrong, or was done on purpose so consoles could run it - where the heck is all the particles during a firefight?

In the other games, I played them almost like a Gary's Mod at times - planning my attacks to get great screenshots with so much junk in the air (fire, wallpaper, pieces of furniture, paper, chairs flying, etc). Three has a little of this, but I expected at least as much as the other games, if not alot more.

Small gripe I know, but that particle mechanic added alot to how much I loved the first two games. Sure you get to shoot some glass or models in three, but it seems tame in comparison.
 

KentState

Diamond Member
Oct 19, 2001
8,397
393
126
I'm much on the fence about the game. There are a lot of buggy controls, physics and game mechanics. For example, why is that every cut scene changes the weapon I'm holding to something I don't want to use? Bullet time is great, but I hate jumping in a direction to get quickly snapped backwards because I hit a wall. It's like all surfaces are covered in super bouncing material. I played this on a 7970 Ghz so maybe the lack of physics causes some of the issues. Then there are the cut scenes that occupy 75% of the play time.

Either way, I'm glad I got it for $15 because I was more frustrated that entertained. A second play through will not happen due to the laborious cut scenes.
 

sze5003

Lifer
Aug 18, 2012
14,177
622
126
I'm much on the fence about the game. There are a lot of buggy controls, physics and game mechanics. For example, why is that every cut scene changes the weapon I'm holding to something I don't want to use? Bullet time is great, but I hate jumping in a direction to get quickly snapped backwards because I hit a wall. It's like all surfaces are covered in super bouncing material. I played this on a 7970 Ghz so maybe the lack of physics causes some of the issues. Then there are the cut scenes that occupy 75% of the play time.

Either way, I'm glad I got it for $15 because I was more frustrated that entertained. A second play through will not happen due to the laborious cut scenes.

I also have a 7970ghz and I hated the jerky cover to cover movement. That and while explosions looked ok, it could have used more effects. Maybe something to do with the settings but I just put it on ultra and played through it. Half the time I would be near cover and get shot where I could not react in bullet time.
 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,085
5,618
126
I'm much on the fence about the game. There are a lot of buggy controls, physics and game mechanics. For example, why is that every cut scene changes the weapon I'm holding to something I don't want to use? Bullet time is great, but I hate jumping in a direction to get quickly snapped backwards because I hit a wall. It's like all surfaces are covered in super bouncing material. I played this on a 7970 Ghz so maybe the lack of physics causes some of the issues. Then there are the cut scenes that occupy 75% of the play time.

Either way, I'm glad I got it for $15 because I was more frustrated that entertained. A second play through will not happen due to the laborious cut scenes.

The Weapon changes is my biggest gripe. I also wish the Mousewheel would just switch to Weapon rather than bring up the Menu to switch weapons.

Other than those gripes, I find the game to feel true to the previous MP games. The switch from Comic Strip to Cutscenes didn't take away from the originals.
 

BrightCandle

Diamond Member
Mar 15, 2007
4,762
0
76
I played this on surround and its pretty.

But I didn't like the way cover worked, it was impossible to aim from it. Hated the fact my gun kept swapping and found some of the scenes quite a challenge. Ran nice though, very smooth.
 

supremor

Senior member
Dec 2, 2010
266
0
0
I very muched enjoyed MP3 myself, looks and runs great in Surround (670 SLI). My only real grip with it was the multitude of unskippable cutscenes, it's fine the first once or twice but it gets aggravating later when it just says "still loading". I actually found it a tad on the easy side on normal and I'm currently more than halfway through on a hard diff playthrough and its still reasonably easy while using a mouse with all the aim assist crap turned off.

I also thought they would screw it up but I think they did a good job with this game although personally I prefer NY for the setting. I know it's overused but I really enjoyed his flashback levels in NY.
 

Doppel

Lifer
Feb 5, 2011
13,306
3
0
For example, why is that every cut scene changes the weapon I'm holding to something I don't want to use?
A common complaint for the game, and a very valid one. Was infuriating, actually.
 

bigrash

Lifer
Feb 20, 2001
17,653
28
91
Bought it when it first came out, and I loved it. Very true to the original.
 

fustercluck

Diamond Member
Dec 29, 2002
7,404
0
71
Finished it last night.

Short review: it's alright, but repetitive as hell.

Longer review: Bunch of guys enter a room shooting at you; you hide; pop up and take out a few of them in bullet time; back into cover, pop out and kill the rest; enter the next room; repeat. That's the game. I had 500+ kills in the first 3 friggin hours! No Max Payne game will ever match the perfection of the original Max Payne, but i guess no one would expect that. Rockstar did a good job still. Lots of work went into the game, just wish they focused less on eye candy (which is pretty awesome as far as eye candy goes) and more on gameplay mechanics. Gotta be something they could have done to make it much less repetitive. IT'S SO REPETITIVE.

Also another issue is it's a little bit glitchy/crashy. Often times I'd just play until the game crashed and decide it was as good a time as any to stop playing. Since the game saves a lot, i never lost much progress due to crashing, just kind of annoying. Also, it wasn't too difficult to get stuck in a position while in cover. You'd have 5 people shooting at you and be completely unable to move or shoot, so you just had to wait until you died.

Though, with the sales on the game being really low lately ($9.99 to $15) you can't really lose. Especially if you are a fan of the series. Also graphically it runs really smooth unlike rockstar games/ports in the past that have run like shit. Heard a while back that the multiplayer was actually pretty good, but I would keep my expectations low, might not even try it. I give it 7 toes up! (out of 10)
 

EDUSAN

Golden Member
Apr 4, 2012
1,358
0
0
at the price it came out its not worth it... i picked it up in the last summer at $23 and it was ok... but lately it has been 12-13 and i would totally pick it up at that price.

the game is repetitive, but its fun (there are a lot of repetitive games that are not even fun)
killing people is fun and satisfying and getting killed and seeing your own death animation too.
The game has some quite challenging moments, Max dies pretty fast if he is caught which is perfectly fine.

I even enjoyed the multiplayer for a couple hours, didnt get to play it much though.
 

Molondo

Platinum Member
Sep 6, 2005
2,529
1
0
I found that it had way to many cut scenes, to the point it annoyed the hell out of me.
 

uallas5

Golden Member
Jun 3, 2005
1,409
1,501
136
I definitely enjoyed the game, though i have the same weapon switching gripe as everyone else. I also found the cut scenes a bit surprising at times, .i.e. plan out how to handle a situation, run into room, then have a cut scene start and the gunfight is finished for me in the scene with no participation from me.

I also found one particular thing annoying (I'm putting spoiler on this because it may affect how you play the game):
when in a gunfight with multiple opponents, the last one to die will always die in slow-mo. Once i noticed this it took a lot of the fun/scariness out of them because I might be at low health, ammo, or both and trying to figure how I'm going to make it, then I get the slow-mo. Just seemed to spoil the triumph feeling for me because the game would tell me I'm OK rather than me figuring it out for myself. It's been a few months since I played, but I remember it becoming almost a cheat that i had trouble not wanting to exploit.
 

uallas5

Golden Member
Jun 3, 2005
1,409
1,501
136
edited for weird double post...came up with preview screen minutes after my first post. I brain farted and thought i never left the preview screen.
 

moonbogg

Lifer
Jan 8, 2011
10,635
3,095
136
For $15 or less I might get it on STEAM just to have it to mess with, but I can't see myself actually finishing it. It takes a very special game for me to actually take the time to finish. The gravitational pull of BF3 always seems to drag me away from any other game unless it is really damn awesome. FC3 was good enough to get me through the main story missions. A miracle really for me. Played Witcher 2 for about an hour and almost shot myself in the eyeball, then went back to BF3.