Max Payne 3 - All you need to know

[longy999]

It seems a travesty that we are still two months away from Max Payne 3.

It's... It's just not fair. Well, to help assuage the pain that we are all feeling without Max in our lives right now, here's all the latest information about the game, culled from a fact-sheet provided just moments ago by Rockstar. The game is due to hit shelves May 15th

General Storyline:

We all know at this point that the main thrust of the story is Max failing to protect the lovely younger bride of Rodrigo Branco, an impossibly wealthy real estate mogul, which leads to him heading to Sao Paolo Brazil in pursuit of her and her kidnappers. However, there have been hints at the storyline also including some New York City game play. So while the "present-day" situation is in Brazil, there are events in-game that will remind Max of events that led him there. These memories are played out via NYC levels.


Aiming:

There are multiple ways to set up your aiming. You can go free-aim, which is the most hardcore experience and stays true to the Max Payne roots, or you can choose Soft Lock or Hard Lock. Soft lock will maneuver the reticule to the nearest bone of your target, so you can still get some nice crippling shots in at the extremities or headshots, rather than the center-of-mass aiming that will occur with Hard Lock. You can even fine-tune the aiming setting further, with custom sensitivities, etc. With all of the interactions in Bullet Time or the like, Free Aim will provide the player with the most-visceral experience and best control over their actions.


Difficulty:

There will be several difficulty levels from which to choose, keeping the game accessible to a broad range of players without making it a dumbed-down experience to experienced gamers.


Weapons:

There is a three-weapon carrying capacity for Max this time around. This includes two one-handed weapons like pistols and sub-machine guns, and one two-handed weapon like a rifle or shotgun. Any one-handed weapon can be used in a double-wield combination. The weapon selection will happen with a weapon-wheel not unlike we saw in Red Dead Redemption.


Bullet Time Upgrades:

When you hear "Max Payne" you think Bullet Time. This core game play mechanic has received some attention from the developers. The Shoot-Dodge process is more realistic. You will actually see Max bracing for impact when he is flying into or over obstacles. Furthermore, the Bullet Cams from the prior games are back, and are re-named "Final-Kill" cams. They signify that you have cleared out the final enemy in a particular area or wave of baddies. The player even gets to control the speed of the final bullet in this camera mode, and the cameras are actually dynamic depending on the methodology used to take the shot.


New Mechanic

If Max is delivered a fatal blow but has painkillers in his possession, he will automatically enter Bullet Time and the targeting reticule will start to head towards his attacker. This gives Max the ability to shoot back at his foe and, if he kills him, rewards Max with a bit of health at the expense of a painkiller. Fair trade, I'd say.


Cover:

This is the first Max Payne title to include a cover system. The decision was predicated on giving players the option of run 'n gun game play all the way through or a more calculated approach.


Cutscenes:

Fans of the comic-book style cutscenes, rejoice! They will return in Max's latest adventure. But instead of them being static panels, a motion-comic visual will be used. It takes in-game footage and combines it with text and Max Payne voice actor James McCaffrey's signature vocals. It should be as Noir as you want it to be.


Multiplayer:

The multiplayer mode most-featured is the Gang Wars one. This sets into action a series of matches in which the outcome of a prior match dictates somewhat the goals and objectives of subsequent matches. A couple of examples were given: In one, a team that controls the most territory at the end of the first match might find themselves scrambling around in the next match trying to defuse bombs that have been planted in their copious territories. Or in another example, someone with the highest number of kills might find themselves the target of a hit squad in the next match. Things like this will keep things fresh and interesting for a long time to come.

[Noctis Caelum]

great news loved the first 2 so i know this will be a must buy

[XajNyne]

That's some handy information. Thank you

[CloudStrife7x]

i might get this game when it comes out but still unsure lol