Max Payne 3 Xbox 360

Released on 18-May-2012

• Max Payne 3 emerges from the wilderness

  It seems like an age since those first shots emerged but it seems Rockstar is finally ready to reveal more info about the much-anticipated Max Payne 3.

  This month Edge magazine carries an extensive preview of the long-awaited threequel, and perhaps the most shocking sight is that the balding, paunchy Max we seen in early screens has been replaced by one with a more recognisable shock of black hair.

  So which Max is the real Payne? Well, it seems both are, as the game plot follows a non-linear timeline, beginning with a kidnap sequence in Brazil and eventually explaining how Max lost his locks and gained a new appreciation for pies.

  As with the publisher other titles, the game will use the Euphoria engine to render both the motion-captured cutscenes and the third-person action. Max retains his Bullet Time ability with a meter that fills up for every enemy he shoots, and there a radial menu which makes weapon-swapping a doddle. Those that like to make a mess of the environments as well as their enemies will be delighted that much of the scenery is destructible, and it no surprise to see a cover system in play.

  Four of Rockstar studios are collaborating on the game, with staff from London, New England, Toronto and Vancouver offices all involved. No release date is given, but we be shocked if we didn hear more in the next few months.

• Max Payne 3 gearing up for release this year?

  Max Payne, the troubled super-cop, has been away from our TV screens for too long. Back in the day, he pioneered everything from bullet-time, to in-game physics and grown up storytelling. Now, it looks like the latest game in the series it just called Max Payne 3 will be heading to UK shelves. Make a note in your diary for 1st December 2011, according to Eurogamer.

  The games website is saying that the release date came from a couple of game stores, who sent emails to customers that had pre-ordered. RockstarWatch, a fansite for the publisher Rockstar, got hold of one of the emails, and has also spotted entries for Max Payne 3 on new Nvidia graphics card drivers. That certainly means the game getting close to release.

  The game been getting plenty of preview action recently and with a story that hops between young and old incarnations of its hero, it sounds pretty amazing suggesting that the long wait might be over too. That said, the publisher been quiet about the release date so far, so you should probably check back here soon for confirmation.

  Max Payne 3 will be headed for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.
  

• Max Payne 3 confirmed for March 2012 launch

  Rockstar has announced that the eagerly awaited Max Payne 3 will be making its debut in March 2012.

  The long-in-gestation Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC action game is being developed internally by Rockstar and will feature an advanced new physics and graphics engine, making for one of the most dynamic gameplay experiences the series has offered to date.

  Max Payne 3 sees the titular former detective working in Sao Paolo as a private bodyguard when ghosts from his tragic past come back to haunt him, leading him into a vicious gang war.

  The game will offer robust gunplay, an intelligent cover system and refined Bullet Time mechanics, while it will also be the first in the series to include a full-featured multiplayer mode.

  Sam Houser, founder of Rockstar Games, said: "We're excited to show fans a modern version of Max that pulls them back into his dark and twisted story."

  This will be the first new entry in the popular series since the release of Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne all the way back in 2003.

  Published: 09/09/2011

• Max Payne dives towards March 2012 release date

  Hard-boiled bullet-time action hero Max Payne will finally return next March, Rockstar Games has confirmed. The scowl-faced cop was last seen in 2003 sequel Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne. He was also played by the perpetually furious Mark Wahlberg in a rubbish 2008 movie.

  The first two games were created by Alan Wake developer Remedy Entertainment. This third game will be a collaboration between Rockstar's many global studios, and will pick up with Max working in South America as a bodyguard for a wealthy family. Things inevitably turn ugly when gangs target the family, and Max is forced to protect them by diving in slow motion through lots of doorways, shooting with two guns at the same time and going " Aaaaaargh ".

  The game will feature state of the art physics, intelligent cover systems and an overhauled bullet-time effect. Multiplayer will also be included for the first time in the series.

  Rockstar's Sam Houser said: "Max Payne 3 gave us an amazing creative opportunity to evolve one of our most iconic characters. We're excited to show fans a modern version of Max that pulls them back into his dark and twisted story."

  Max Payne 3 will target Xbox 360, PS3 and PC when he dusts off his leather coat in March 2012.

• Max Payne 3 'to offer accurate recreation of Sao Paolo'

  Max Payne 3 'to offer accurate recreation of Sao Paolo'

  Rockstar Games has shared insight into the painstaking research it has put into making its Sao Paolo-set shooter Max Payne 3 as authentic as possible.

  The eagerly-awaited action sequel for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC sees the titular ex-cop taking up a new job as a private security worker in Brazil, prompting Rockstar to throw all its efforts into recreating the famous city realistically.

  Teams from Rockstar Research were dispatched to Sao Paolo to sample the local culture and take thousands of location photos, from opulent districts like Avenida Morumbi to high-crime slums such as Favela Japiacu and Edificio Sao Vito.

  Meanwhile, Paulistanos from various backgrounds - including gang members, local entertainers and law enforcement officers - were interviewed to help provide further background information.

  It means that players can expect all of the sights, sounds, weaponry and atmosphere seen in Max Payne 3 to accurately reflect real-life Sao Paolo culture.

  The game arrives in March 2012, with a special edition packed with collectibles now available for pre-order.

  Published: 11/01/2012

• New Year Revolutions: The games of 2012 that we want to play now

  New Year Revolutions: The games of 2012 that we want to play now

  Towards the end of last year, we saw veritable avalanche of amazing games roll over us, leaving us swamped but happy with top-notch titles such as Modern Warfare 3, Batman: Arkham City, Skyrim, Super Mario Land 3D, Assassin's Creed Revelations, Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Saints Row The Third and, oh, you get the idea.

  Surely that's more than enough new games to leave even the greediest gamer feeling stuffed and satisfied? Well, yes, but don't pretend you can't hear that little voice whispering in the back of your mind. What's next? it says.

  Here's the answer: our guide to the big games of 2012 that we can't wait to play.

  GTA V (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  The genre-busting open-world crime caper makes its long-awaited return, with an all-new tale set in the pseudo-L.A. of Los Santos. Details are limited to one cryptic trailer, but where Rockstar is concerned it's safe to set expectations high.
  

  Mass Effect 3 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  Bioware brings its grand space opera to a cataclysmic finale, as the world-devouring Reapers declare open war on Earth. The game adds optional multiplayer modes, as well as Kinect voice features for Xbox 360.
  

  Halo 4 (Xbox 360)

  Who seriously thought that Halo 3 would be the last we saw of Master Chief? He's back for the start of a brand new trilogy, which will find the Spartan super soldier confronting his own destiny as well as an ancient evil poised to destroy the universe. No pressure then.
  

  Bioshock Infinite (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  Swapping the bottom of the ocean for the top of the world, this continuation of the smartest sci-fi shooter in recent memory casts you as a Pinkerton agent in 1912, trying to escape a dystopian city in the clouds. Expect gorgeous views and gruelling terror in equal measure.
  

  Borderlands 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  Return to Pandora for another round of co-operative role-playing mayhem. The game promises more dynamic quests which will alter the path of the story, as well as smarter enemies and more independent non-player characters. Bring it.
  

  Hitman: Absolution (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  It's been five years since Agent 47 last graced our joypads in Blood Money, and his latest adventure will take full advantage of the updates in technology since. Expect to be able to set up more elaborate assassinations, as well some form of multiplayer.
  

  Max Payne 3 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  Rockstar's other big game for 2012 finds the dual-wielding anti-hero cop disgraced and working as a bodyguard in Brazil. Of course, it all kicks off when the family he's guarding are targeted by gangsters, and slow-motion shooty-diving is the only way to settle the score.
  

  The Last Guardian (PS3)

  The latest game from Ico and Shadow of the Colossus creator Fumito Ueda follows a young boy attempting to escape from a grim castle with some help from his friend, a giant griffin-creature called Trico. Action, puzzles and beautiful loveliness ensue.
  

  Tomb Raider (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  After drifting out of the spotlight, the first lady of gaming returns with this series reboot which follows a more vulnerable teenage Lara Croft, as she grows into the confident adventurer we all know and love.
  

  PlayStation Vita

  Sony's incredibly powerful handheld drops in February, bringing next-gen muscle to the portable gaming market. With 3G and Wifi-enabled models available - and boasting exclusive Uncharted, Wipeout and Call of Duty games - it's the console to watch in 2012.
  
  

• Rockstar "considering" LA Noire 2

  A sequel to last year's acclaimed detect-em-up may be in the offing according to a Rockstar spokesperson, but don't expect it any time soon.

  "Don't count out the possibility of a new game in the L.A. Noire franchise in the future," was the reply posted on Rockstar's forum after a fan enquired whether we'd be seeing more period detective action. "We simply have not decided anything," continued the post. "We're all very pleased with how that game turned out and are considering what the future may hold for L.A. Noire as a series."

  Despite healthy sales and critical acclaim, LA Noire developer Team Bondi flew to pieces shortly after release, amid accusations of unpleasant working conditions. Rockstar owns the series, however, and may decide to continue with a sequel in its own style.

  The publisher won't be hurrying a Part 2 onto shelves for the sake of a fast buck, however. "We don't always rush to make sequels, but that does not mean we won't get to them eventually - see Max and Red Dead for evidence of that - we have so many games we want to make and the issue is always one of bandwidth and timing."

  Rockstar is certainly busy at the moment. As well as the upcoming Max Payne 3, due in the UK on May 18th, there's also the small matter of Grand Theft Auto V, announced last November. Details on that game are still scarce, but Rockstar plans to start dishing the dirt soon.

  "We know that there are a ton of questions you all have about the game, including release date and lots else," is the official line. "Right now, we are very hard at work on the game and are excited as well to show and tell you more as development progresses - expect that we'll be talking much more about GTAV starting at some point in a few months' time."

  Published: 14/02/2012

• Max Payne 3 multiplayer 'will be a distinctive experience'

  Rockstar Games has assured fans of the Max Payne series that the introduction of online multiplayer in Max Payne 3 will be executed in a very unique way.

  Chatting to GamesRadar, Rockstar's Charlie Bewsher said the team always wanted to have a multiplayer component in the new Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC title, but needed to find a way to make it feel like "something really special".

  As such, Max Payne 3 will feature a story-driven online mode that expands on the gang war setting of the main campaign, while preserving the same cinematic third-person action style that defines the series.

  Great thought has been put into how to include the iconic Max Payne Bullet Time mechanic into multiplayer, with the team eventually devising a system that allows the slow-motion feature to work via line of sight.

  It means that players who trigger Bullet Time will place themselves and anyone they can see in slow motion, but only the player who activated the effect will be able to fire and reload at normal speed.

  Max Payne 3 will be released in May 2012, with a feature-packed special edition available to preorder now.
  

  Published: 20/03/2012

• Rockstar puts Max Payne fans in the game

  Everyone likes customising game characters to make them look as much (or as little) like themselves as possible, but Rockstar has gone one better for Max Payne 3, its upcoming sequel to the cult third-person shooter series.

  Eight fans were picked in a Twitter competition and have now been scanned, digitised and put into the finished game as playable multiplayer characters. All they had to do was follow the Rockstar Games Twitter account, and retweet the #maxpayne3 hashtag. And now they'll be famous, rampaging across consoles around the world. Bet you wish you'd made the effort now, hmm?

  Max Payne was originally created by Remedy Entertainment, now best known for the Alan Wake games. Rockstar's sequel picks up with our hard-boiled hero working in South America as a bodyguard for hire. Things go predictably awry, and Max is forced to battle against thugs and mercenaries when the family he's supposed to protect gets kidnapped. Cue slow motion diving, two-handed gunplay and lots of growly dialogue.

  Max Payne 3 is out in May for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

• The Games We're Excited About!

  
  

  There are lots and lots of great games heading your way in the next few months, and here at gamestation HQ we're as excited as you lot are to give them a go.

  So, we went round the digital team with a prodding stick to find out just what games the team here are really itching to play...

  

  Ali - Queen of the Internet

  I am looking forward to LEGO Batman 2. My brother and I worked our way through the original LEGO Batman with a considered method of "shoot everything in the room first, think about the situation later" and it was amazing. It's also the only game where if you die you can still enjoy seeing Robin explode which I did on many occasions as Player 2. I can't wait to see what LEGO Batman 2 has in store!

  
  

  

  Louis - Merchandising Meddler

  Definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, Max Payne 3.

  After playing through 1 and 2 - which gripped me to the very end - I cannot honestly wait for 3.

  Max Payne's method of storytelling is awesome. The comic book cut scenes are stylish and effective, and are not afraid to poke fun at other, outrageous works of fiction (as well as itself). The noir style and twists and turns throughout provide a flourish of love which even the most dedicated of storytellers fail to keep up with. The ingredients are simple, but it's a recipe which works.

  The gameplay might not necessarily be innovative, but it will be intuitive. It might not change the way we think about games, but I know it's going to be a game through and through; fun, accessible and welcoming to noobs and veterans alike. Max Payne 3 is going to rock. Add online multiplayer to the mix, and I can safely say that I'm looking forward to blasting my way into June!

  (My second choice would be Aliens: Colonial Marines, but that's almost too far away to get excited about yet!)

  Kate - Affiliate Assassin

  Bioshock Infinite - Because of the amazing animation and design of the game. Oh, and Limbo 2 - if/when it comes!

  

  Jamie - Builder of Digital Dreamscapes

  I am looking forward to...

  Grand Theft Auto V: Obviously no one really knows exactly when this game is coming out but I cant wait! Seriously excited about a new GTA! Although I hope it is all of San Andreas and not just Los Santos.

  Madden 13: I always get Madden, and it was pretty much the game that made me buy my first proper games console (the SEGA Mega Drive). I'm particularly looking forward to this year's one as I'm hoping they have taken more of the good stuff out of NCAA12... and also because I can't wait for Madden on the PS Vita.

  Retro City Rampage: This is an indie game that just looks AMAZING! Kind of like a funny GTA but all totally 80s styled. It's gonna be on Xbox LIVE and PSN and I like the fact it looks like you might be able to get this digitally to play on your PS Vita too; it seems like the kind of game you could just lose hours in messing about!

  

  Carl - Design Doodler

  Halo 4. Why? Because it's the best freaking game there is! I'm a massive Halo fan and I'm really looking forward to the next instalment. And really looking forward to seeing Master Chief again. And now we know the release date i know what week to book off work!

  
  

  Aaron - Social Butterfly

  I almost squealed for joy when Luigi's Mansion 2 was announced (Okay, I actually did squeal...). The original Luigi's Mansion was the first game I got on launch day with my Gamecube. It was ALL about Luigi, sucking up ghosts with his Poltergust 3000. The sequel has me itching to play, it will have multiple mansions, a new Poltergust, new ghosts, new story AND it will all be in beautiful 3D. The Nintendo savvy amongst us will know that Nintendo originally planned to release Luigi's Mansion in 3D on the Gamecube but decided the 3D panel was ahead of its time!

  Who ya gonna call? Ghostb-- No, no wait, let's just get the Green hat-wearing Italian plumber from the Mushroom Kingdom instead. No danger of crossing the streams.

  

  Damien - Good Word Writing Man

  I'm actually really looking forward to Lollipop Chainsaw. I'm a big Buffy fan, so the concept of a blonde cheerleader fighting supernatural beasties is one that very much appeals to me. It just looks like it's gonna be oodles of OTT fun. Plus, y'know, the boyfriend's head just kicking around. What's not to like?

  As a stark contrast, I'm also a bit excited by Spec Ops: The Line. I don't usually get on with shooters, but having seen the trailer with the bodies-on-poles imagery, plus the obvious Heart of Darkness influence and the sense of "killing people may actually affect you", I really want to try this one out. I mean, who isn't at least intrigued by what appears to be an anti-war third-person shooter?

  

  James - Captain Category

  Diablo III.

   

   

  Because I've been waiting twelve years for it!

  
  

  So there we have it. These are the games we want to play - what about you? What forthcoming titles have got you so pant-wettingly excited to pre-order and play?

• Heroes Reborn!

  
  

  2012 sees the return of four iconic heroes to our screens - Master Chief in Halo 4, Lara Croft in Tomb Raider, Agent 47 in Hitman: Absolution, and Max Payne in, er, Max Payne 3. But why is this exciting? Read on...

  

  Max Payne

  
  

  In a nutshell: Vengeful cop turned vengeful vigilante.
  Last seen in: Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (2003)
  Returns in: Max Payne 3 (May 18th 2012) on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC

  Why this excites us: The man who really puts the "Homicide" into "Homicide Detective", Max has been missing in action for nearly a decade (unless you count the Mark Wahlberg movie. We don't). The series was famed for its film noir elements and its use of bullet time action, and for Max's own increasing inner darkness.

  When he returns in Max Payne 3 he's still just as miserable; the years have not been good to Max, who's now working private security for a less than scrutable employer in South America. Needless to say, a certain substance soon hits the fan and Max finds himself smack in the middle of criminal wars, teaching them all a lesson in his own brand of angry justice. And we couldn't be happier.

  

  Agent 47

  
  

  In a nutshell: Bald-and-barcoded clone built for assassination
  Last seen in: Hitman: Blood Money (2006)
  Returns in: Hitman: Absolution (TBC 2012) on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC

  Why this excites us: Gaming's best-dressed killer has always been cool, calm and genetically superior, and this year he's back to remind everyone just how this assassin thing is done. He's famed for his increasingly ingenious methods of eliminating his targets, from poisoning punch, to pushing off balconies, to sneaking about in disguise, to plain old shooting, with a real emphasis on tactics, planning and skill.

  Betrayed by the agency who built him, and those he's gone on to trust, Hitman: Absolution sees 47 on the run once more and at the heart of a dark conspiracy, and on a journey that's more personal than professional. The developers are promising big technological advancements to enhance your instincts and abilities - and those around you, too. Just remember, it's not just about killing, but killing outside the box!

  

  Master Chief

  
  

  In a nutshell: Silent Spartan super-soldier. John-117 to his mates.
  Last seen in: Halo 3 (2007)
  Returns in: Halo 4 (6th November 2012) on Xbox 360

  Why this excites us: The UNSC may not like him, but we sure do. It didn't matter that he didn't really get a personality until Halo 3, this intergalactic badass has been doing his job and saving the Earth from alien conquests (with no showboating or stopping for, ahem, conquests of his own) since the launch of the Xbox. The responses to Halo: ODST and Halo: Reach showed that it was really the Chief that we wanted to see, and Cortana's cry of "I need you! Wake up John! Chief!" in the Halo 4 trailer echoed the sentiment of Halo gamers the world over.

  Halo 4 promises to delve further into who Chief is and what makes him tick, as well as his relationship with Cortana. Getting to know the Chief a little better can only further our relationship with him, especially as his new armour seems to only further his relationship with badassery. November can't come soon enough.

  

  Lara Croft

  
  

  In a nutshell: Posh British adventuress with enormous... skills
  Last seen in: Tomb Raider: Underworld (2008)
  Returns in: Tomb Raider (TBC 2012) on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC

  Why this excites us: Lara Croft is one of THE icons of modern gaming. She arrived in time to launch the original PlayStation and drew mainstream press to gaming like none before her. Since 1996 she's raided many a tomb, fought tigers, sharks and dinosaurs, and survived more than one reboot - as well as more than one subpar movie. But now she's back, younger than ever in a Batman Begins-style reboot (minus, we hope, the gravelly voice).

  In this year's new Tomb Raider Lara is 21, fresh out of "the academy" and shipwrecked on an island. This game promises not only a back-to-basics setting but more challenging gameplay than recent outings, with the stress on exploration to survive over exploration for kicks. A reboot like this is a little risky - and we'll miss Keeley Hawes' voice acting - but Lara has certainly proved she can endure pretty much anything.
  

• Max Payne 3 - Review

  
  

  

  Return of the Max

  Whether it's Halo's Master Chief, Gears of War's Marcus Fenix, or even Super Mario, most of the biggest video game heroes are driven by a desire to save the world from some unspeakable evil. If not, then like Nathan Drake from Uncharted or Grand Theft Auto IV's Niko Bellic, they're probably trying to make good for themselves, and will save something of the world in the process.

  Not so Max Payne. He's already tried and failed to save himself and others over the course of two PC-focused action games released around a decade ago. Resurrected by Rockstar Games for the latest generation of games consoles and PC owners, these days he's a washed-up ex-cop working as a gun-for-hire protecting a rich Brazilian businessman and his family, but he mostly just stands around drinking scotch and musing about the emptiness of the people around him. His journey through Max Payne 3 changes him, but there's no real hope of redemption.

  

  Number Three With a Bullet

  In theory, Max Payne 3 isn't your average action game, then, but it doesn't take long before you realise it actually is your average action game. Max's signature move 10 years ago was a slow-motion dive through the air, inspired by The Matrix, which allowed him to fill his enemies with bullets before they had time to react - looking amazingly stylish in the process. Max's signature move 10 years later is the same.

  It still looks amazingly stylish, and the game is best when it's emphasising this style of play: diving through windows in nightclubs, or diving down stairwells at football stadiums, or sliding down rooftops on top of a skyscraper, firing all the way and watching bad guys explode with gore and then crumple to the floor when things return to real time. The locations are brilliantly detailed - studiously assembled visions of a Sao Paolo favela, or the guts of a huge sports venue, or the inside of a rotting hotel that's been converted into a giant torture chamber - and as long as Max is diving around them in slow motion you should be having fun.

  The problem is that for the most part you're crouching behind cover - Max Payne 3's one big concession to modern-day gameplay - and trying to avoid taking bullets from hordes of enemies. You can engage slow motion without a dive by clicking the right stick, at which point you can pop out of cover and return fire, but it's less stylish and more just sluggish. It feels like Gears of War in treacle and isn't much fun. Plus, you take loads of bullets and quickly run out of your painkiller health packs.

  

  Pleasure and Payne

  That's on the normal difficulty level. If you drop the game down to 'easy' then it's more palatable, although there are still a few sticky situations and unsympathetic checkpoints. However, there's very little gameplay variation within any of this: Max Payne 3 is mostly 10-12 hours of doing what I've just described over and over again. The only relief is the admittedly stunning in-game cut-scenes that advance the plot and chart Max's hero's journey toward whatever grisly conclusion awaits him, and Max's cynical internal monologue, which makes even the grimmest scene interesting and often amusing.

  Beyond the single-player campaign, multiplayer plays a bit like a third-person Call of Duty, with lots of violent deaths and variations on standard game modes like capture-the-flag, team deathmatch and capture-and-hold. Some of it feeds back into the campaign in interesting ways, but while it's the best multiplayer game Rockstar has made to date, it still feels like it's there out of obligation rather than passion.

  Overall, Max Payne 3 is a fun game, and its bleak world-view and sobering outcomes are certainly an interesting counterpoint to the goody-two-shoes shooters we're all used to playing, but your enjoyment of it will definitely depend on your tolerance for doing the same thing over a long period. If you like the idea of cover-shooting through intricately detailed environments and occasionally diving around in slow motion and having to ponder the nature of Max's existence, then you'll have a good time. Other gamers may prefer to stick with the better blend of gameplay ideas, spectacle and storytelling skill in the Uncharted series.

  Our Verdict

  What's Good?

  • Fascinating protagonist with great one-liners.
    
  • Fantastic cinematics and world design.
    
  • Diving around in slow motion is still awesome.

  What's Bad?

  • Very repetitive.
    
  • Checkpointing and difficulty spikes are frustrating.
    
  • Multiplayer is a bit throwaway.

• Rockstar has a cunning plan for Max Payne 3 cheaters

  Never a company to take the boring and obvious route, GTA creator Rockstar has unveiled a wickedly clever plan to deal with anyone caught using hacks, cheats or edited save files when playing the multiplayer portion of its blistering Brazilian shooter, Max Payne 3.

  Players found guilty of cheating won't be banned from playing �they'll just be forced to play against each other.

  "Anyone found to have used hacked saves, modded games, or other exploits to gain an unfair advantage in Max Payne 3 Multiplayer, or to circumvent the leaderboards will be quarantined from all other players into a 'Cheaters Pool', where they'll only be able to compete in multiplayer matches with other confirmed miscreants," read a post on the official Rockstar blog.

  The blog continued: "In the event we decide to absolve any of these cheaters for their past transgressions they may re-enter play with the general public, however a second offense will result in their indefinite banishment. In either case, we will be removing invalid leaderboard entries to ensure that the players at the top of the charts have earned their spots fairly."

  This, of course, will keep the game nice and fair for all the honest players enjoying its robust slow-motion two-fisted guns-blazing action.

  Max Payne 3 is out now for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

• Max Payne 3 Review

  
  

  

  Return of the Max

  Whether it's Halo's Master Chief, Gears of War's Marcus Fenix, or even Super Mario, most of the biggest video game heroes are driven by a desire to save the world from some unspeakable evil. If not, then like Nathan Drake from Uncharted or Grand Theft Auto IV's Niko Bellic, they're probably trying to make good for themselves, and will save something of the world in the process.

  Not so Max Payne. He's already tried and failed to save himself and others over the course of two PC-focused action games released around a decade ago. Resurrected by Rockstar Games for the latest generation of games consoles and PC owners, these days he's a washed-up ex-cop working as a gun-for-hire protecting a rich Brazilian businessman and his family, but he mostly just stands around drinking scotch and musing about the emptiness of the people around him. His journey through Max Payne 3 changes him, but there's no real hope of redemption.

  

  Number Three With a Bullet

  In theory, Max Payne 3 isn't your average action game, then, but it doesn't take long before you realise it actually is your average action game. Max's signature move 10 years ago was a slow-motion dive through the air, inspired by The Matrix, which allowed him to fill his enemies with bullets before they had time to react - looking amazingly stylish in the process. Max's signature move 10 years later is the same.

  It still looks amazingly stylish, and the game is best when it's emphasising this style of play: diving through windows in nightclubs, or diving down stairwells at football stadiums, or sliding down rooftops on top of a skyscraper, firing all the way and watching bad guys explode with gore and then crumple to the floor when things return to real time. The locations are brilliantly detailed - studiously assembled visions of a Sao Paolo favela, or the guts of a huge sports venue, or the inside of a rotting hotel that's been converted into a giant torture chamber - and as long as Max is diving around them in slow motion you should be having fun.

  The problem is that for the most part you're crouching behind cover - Max Payne 3's one big concession to modern-day gameplay - and trying to avoid taking bullets from hordes of enemies. You can engage slow motion without a dive by clicking the right stick, at which point you can pop out of cover and return fire, but it's less stylish and more just sluggish. It feels like Gears of War in treacle and isn't much fun. Plus, you take loads of bullets and quickly run out of your painkiller health packs.

  

  Pleasure and Payne

  That's on the normal difficulty level. If you drop the game down to 'easy' then it's more palatable, although there are still a few sticky situations and unsympathetic checkpoints. However, there's very little gameplay variation within any of this: Max Payne 3 is mostly 10-12 hours of doing what I've just described over and over again. The only relief is the admittedly stunning in-game cut-scenes that advance the plot and chart Max's hero's journey toward whatever grisly conclusion awaits him, and Max's cynical internal monologue, which makes even the grimmest scene interesting and often amusing.

  Beyond the single-player campaign, multiplayer plays a bit like a third-person Call of Duty, with lots of violent deaths and variations on standard game modes like capture-the-flag, team deathmatch and capture-and-hold. Some of it feeds back into the campaign in interesting ways, but while it's the best multiplayer game Rockstar has made to date, it still feels like it's there out of obligation rather than passion.

  Overall, Max Payne 3 is a fun game, and its bleak world-view and sobering outcomes are certainly an interesting counterpoint to the goody-two-shoes shooters we're all used to playing, but your enjoyment of it will definitely depend on your tolerance for doing the same thing over a long period. If you like the idea of cover-shooting through intricately detailed environments and occasionally diving around in slow motion and having to ponder the nature of Max's existence, then you'll have a good time. Other gamers may prefer to stick with the better blend of gameplay ideas, spectacle and storytelling skill in the Uncharted series.

  Our Verdict

  What's Good?

  • Fascinating protagonist with great one-liners.
    
  • Fantastic cinematics and world design.
    
  • Diving around in slow motion is still awesome.

  What's Bad?

  • Very repetitive.
    
  • Checkpointing and difficulty spikes are frustrating.
    
  • Multiplayer is a bit throwaway.

  Published: 23/05/2012

• The Games We're Excited About!

  
  

  There are lots and lots of great games heading your way in the next few months, and here at GAME HQ we're as excited as you lot are to give them a go.

  So, we went round the digital team with a prodding stick to find out just what games the team here are really itching to play...

  

  Ali - Queen of the Internet

  I am looking forward to LEGO Batman 2. My brother and I worked our way through the original LEGO Batman with a considered method of "shoot everything in the room first, think about the situation later" and it was amazing. It's also the only game where if you die you can still enjoy seeing Robin explode which I did on many occasions as Player 2. I can't wait to see what LEGO Batman 2 has in store!

  
  

  

  Louis - Merchandising Meddler

  Definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, Max Payne 3.

  After playing through 1 and 2 - which gripped me to the very end - I cannot honestly wait for 3.

  Max Payne's method of storytelling is awesome. The comic book cut scenes are stylish and effective, and are not afraid to poke fun at other, outrageous works of fiction (as well as itself). The noir style and twists and turns throughout provide a flourish of love which even the most dedicated of storytellers fail to keep up with. The ingredients are simple, but it's a recipe which works.

  The gameplay might not necessarily be innovative, but it will be intuitive. It might not change the way we think about games, but I know it's going to be a game through and through; fun, accessible and welcoming to noobs and veterans alike. Max Payne 3 is going to rock. Add online multiplayer to the mix, and I can safely say that I'm looking forward to blasting my way into June!

  (My second choice would be Aliens: Colonial Marines, but that's almost too far away to get excited about yet!)

  Kate - Affiliate Assassin

  Bioshock Infinite - Because of the amazing animation and design of the game. Oh, and Limbo 2 - if/when it comes!

  

  Jamie - Builder of Digital Dreamscapes

  I am looking forward to...

  Grand Theft Auto V: Obviously no one really knows exactly when this game is coming out but I cant wait! Seriously excited about a new GTA! Although I hope it is all of San Andreas and not just Los Santos.

  Madden 13: I always get Madden, and it was pretty much the game that made me buy my first proper games console (the SEGA Mega Drive). I'm particularly looking forward to this year's one as I'm hoping they have taken more of the good stuff out of NCAA12.

  Retro City Rampage: This is an indie game that just looks AMAZING! Kind of like a funny GTA but all totally 80s styled. It's gonna be on Xbox LIVE and PSN and I like the fact it looks like you might be able to get this digitally to play on your PS Vita too; it seems like the kind of game you could just lose hours in messing about!

  

  Carl - Design Doodler

  Halo 4. Why? Because it's the best freaking game there is! I'm a massive Halo fan and I'm really looking forward to the next instalment. And really looking forward to seeing Master Chief again. And now we know the release date I know what week to book off work!

  
  

  Aaron - Social Butterfly

  I almost squealed for joy when Luigi's Mansion 2 was announced (Okay, I actually did squeal...). The original Luigi's Mansion was the first game I got on launch day with my Gamecube. It was ALL about Luigi, sucking up ghosts with his Poltergust 3000. The sequel has me itching to play, it will have multiple mansions, a new Poltergust, new ghosts, new story AND it will all be in beautiful 3D. The Nintendo savvy amongst us will know that Nintendo originally planned to release Luigi's Mansion in 3D on the Gamecube but decided the 3D panel was ahead of its time!

  Who ya gonna call? Ghostb-- No, no wait, let's just get the Green hat-wearing Italian plumber from the Mushroom Kingdom instead. No danger of crossing the streams.

  

  Damien - Good Word Writing Man

  I'm actually really looking forward to Lollipop Chainsaw. I'm a big Buffy fan, so the concept of a blonde cheerleader fighting supernatural beasties is one that very much appeals to me. It just looks like it's gonna be oodles of OTT fun. Plus, y'know, the boyfriend's head just kicking around. What's not to like?

  As a stark contrast, I'm also a bit excited by Spec Ops: The Line. I don't usually get on with shooters, but having seen the trailer with the bodies-on-poles imagery, plus the obvious Heart of Darkness influence and the sense of "killing people may actually affect you", I really want to try this one out. I mean, who isn't at least intrigued by what appears to be an anti-war third-person shooter?

  

  James - Captain Category

  Diablo III.

   

   

  Because I've been waiting twelve years for it!

  
  

  So there we have it. These are the games we want to play - what about you? What forthcoming titles have got you so pant-wettingly excited to pre-order and play?

  Published: 17/04/2012

• New Year Revolutions: The games of 2012 that we want to play now

  
  

  New Year Revolutions: The games of 2012 that we want to play now

  Towards the end of last year, we saw veritable avalanche of amazing games roll over us, leaving us swamped but happy with top-notch titles such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Batman: Arkham City, Skyrim, Super Mario Land 3D, Assassin's Creed Revelations, Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Saints Row The Third and, oh, you get the idea.

  Surely that's more than enough new games to leave even the greediest gamer feeling stuffed and satisfied? Well, yes, but don't pretend you can't hear that little voice whispering in the back of your mind. What's next? it says.

  Here's the answer: our guide to the big games of 2012 that we can't wait to play.

  

  GTA V

  The genre-busting open-world crime caper makes its long-awaited return, with an all-new tale set in the pseudo-L.A. of Los Santos. Details are limited to one cryptic trailer, but where Rockstar is concerned it's safe to set expectations high.

  
  

  

  Mass Effect 3 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  Bioware brings its grand space opera to a cataclysmic finale, as the world-devouring Reapers declare open war on Earth. The game adds optional multiplayer modes, as well as Kinect voice features for Xbox 360.

  
  

  

  Halo 4 (Xbox 360)

  Who seriously thought that Halo 3 would be the last we saw of Master Chief? He's back for the start of a brand new trilogy, which will find the Spartan super soldier confronting his own destiny as well as an ancient evil poised to destroy the universe. No pressure then.

  
  

  

  Bioshock Infinite (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  Swapping the bottom of the ocean for the top of the world, this continuation of the smartest sci-fi shooter in recent memory casts you as a Pinkerton agent in 1912, trying to escape a dystopian city in the clouds. Expect gorgeous views and gruelling terror in equal measure.

  
  

  

  Borderlands 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  Return to Pandora for another round of co-operative role-playing mayhem. The game promises more dynamic quests which will alter the path of the story, as well as smarter enemies and more independent non-player characters. Bring it.

  
  

  

  Hitman: Absolution (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  It's been five years since Agent 47 last graced our joypads in Blood Money, and his latest adventure will take full advantage of the updates in technology since. Expect to be able to set up more elaborate assassinations, as well some form of multiplayer.

  
  

  

  Max Payne 3 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  Rockstar's other big game for 2012 finds the dual-wielding anti-hero cop disgraced and working as a bodyguard in Brazil. Of course, it all kicks off when the family he's guarding are targeted by gangsters, and slow-motion shooty-diving is the only way to settle the score.

  
  

  

  Tomb Raider (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  After drifting out of the spotlight, the first lady of gaming returns with this series reboot which follows a more vulnerable teenage Lara Croft, as she grows into the confident adventurer we all know and love.

  
  

  

  PlayStation Vita

  Sony's incredibly powerful handheld drops in February, bringing next-gen muscle to the portable gaming market. With 3G and Wifi-enabled models available - and boasting exclusive Uncharted, Wipeout and Call of Duty games - it's the console to watch in 2012.

  Published: 19/01/2012

As a valued customer we now offer you the facility to sign up to email price alerts. Please enter the price you want to be, or below, and if drops to that level we will let you know...