![]() The first two games also had an esoteric, mythical quality, with their references to Norse paganism, and there’s none of that here either. It’s a pretty dry revenge story and, for the most part, grimly self-serious. Rockstar’s writers, however, play it much straighter, and there’s nothing to compare to the surreal Address Unknown theme park or the absurd Dick Justice TV show. Sam Lake’s writing in the first two games is a lot more colourful and tongue-in-cheek-especially in the heavily self-referential second game. My biggest gripe with Max Payne 3 is its lack of humour. I’m glad Rockstar didn’t recast, because I can’t imagine anyone else playing Max. In the first Max Payne it was Remedy’s Sam Lake in the sequel it was actor Timothy Gibbs and in the third game it’s McCaffrey. His performance is a highlight, delivering the ex-cop’s tortured metaphors and hard-boiled film noir monologues with a likeable weariness. One of the strongest pieces of connective tissue between Max Payne 3 and its predecessors is the presence of James McCaffrey, who’s been the voice of Max since the first game in 2001. If you find a copy, dive slowly sideways while dropping it in a bin.” Only a few levels are any good, and the night-time pier section in mission 5 level that instantly kills you for falling into water is a crime. “Max Payne 3 ditches Remedy’s tongue-in-cheek noir pastiche in favour of a try-hard gangster drama delivered through repetitive cutscenes. It's just paynful, according to Tom Senior More developers should recruit bands to compose their scores. I get goosebumps every time I play the airport level and “Tears” starts thundering on the soundtrack. It’s dynamic too, with musical elements fading in and out to mirror the action. It’s all pounding percussion, distorted, reverby guitars, and icy synths, and nothing else sounds like it. It’s an unusual and inspired choice that sets the music apart from pretty much every other game. In a genius move, Rockstar hired Los Angeles noise-rock band Health to write the score. Much of the game’s power lies in its soundtrack. ![]() It wrestles the controls away from you far too often, for stuff you could easily have done yourself. Approach a door and instead of just opening it yourself, a shaky, over-stylised cutscene will play showing Max opening it. The pace is breakneck, and I love the way it transitions seamlessly between locations and times of day by artfully hiding the loading screens with stylish, hyperactive cutscenes. I love the way it transitions seamlessly between locations and times of day by artfully hiding the loading screens with stylish, hyperactive cutscenes. The set-pieces are all wonderfully constructed and choreographed, but occasionally you do wish there was more variation and depth. And the airport is host to a series of brilliantly frenetic, challenging battles with a small army of heavily-armed, and heavily-armoured, corrupt cops. ![]() Nova Esperança is a narrow, twisting meat-grinder with gunmen emerging suddenly from blind spots and firing at you from rooftops. Highlights include a rooftop nightclub where throbbing music and flashing lights provide an intense backdrop for a firefight. São Paulo is as rough, violent, and run-down as New York in places-particularly the Nova Esperança favela-but the overall tone is much less gloomy. The first two games are set entirely at night, while much of this game takes place during the day, giving it a very different atmosphere. And although there are a few flashback chapters in Max Payne 3 that take us back there, replacing that iconic setting with Brazil’s sunshine and palm trees was a brave move. The dark, snowbound streets of New York and New Jersey are a big part of Max Payne’s visual identity. But after a deadly run-in with the hot-headed son of a local mob boss, he leaves the mean streets of New York behind and moves to São Paulo-the largest city in Brazil-to work as private security for the wealthy Branco family. ![]() Max is still depressed, still haunted by the death of his family, and still self-medicating with painkillers and booze. It’s a Rockstar game through and through, with lavish production values, gorgeous world-building, and confident, cinematic direction.
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