CoffeeExpress
Member
Loved it. I want a remaster of 3 and part 4.
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Did you like max Payne 3 and possibilties of 4
- Thread starter Thewonandonly
- Start date
I hate saying this as you can play the game however you like since you paid for it, but you played it wrong if you were hiding behind cover. It's way more difficult if you play it as a cover based shooter. You get killed faster, bullet time makes it way easier, I learned this halfway through my play through, makes the game that much better. Then went up a difficulty and the game was much easier and fun. Best third person shooter imo.
Screaming Meat
Unconfirmed Member
I didn't find that, personally. Cover was there to top up bullet-time, which increased as you were shot at. If you stayed in cover on the higher difficulties, you'd get murdered: the AI were too aggressive to hide from. You were constantly forced to relocate and the only sensible way to do that was to use BT, Dives and parts of the environment between cover to do so. The rhythm for me was:
Run & Shoot > BT & Shoot > Dive to Cover > Re-up BT > Repeat.
It had the gritty fits-and-starts feel of a modern cinematic gunfight, which I really liked. It was a pretty sweet dance once you got the moves down.
I didn't feel it was nearly as good as Max Payne 2's GOAT Bullet Time system though, which kept giving you slower and longer BT for every headshot, even whilst you were using it (as well as the awesome spinning reload which let you strategically scan the room mid-flow and carry on murder-dancing). I think I managed 30 minutes on one of the Dead Man Walking levels and that was spent constantly in Bullet Time.
However, it was definitely a step up from MP1 which, at times, was a constant struggle to keep the BT gauge topped up. As I recall, you could only gain BT by killing people outside of it, so you'd often find yourself in overwhelming situations where you really needed a full bar to progress, desperately trying to top up. Unless you were consistently on the ball in terms of gauge management, it really fucked with the flow at points, hence why they changed it so drastically in MP2.
Eolz
Member
I absolutely loved Max Payne 3 and think it's one of the best TPS ever, despite the level design being relatively only "alright", and not being great like in Max Payne 2.
I'm ok with the series still taking a long rest or not coming back at all, can't really see where they could go with Max after that.
Also, MP3 multiplayer was a mistake.
I'm ok with the series still taking a long rest or not coming back at all, can't really see where they could go with Max after that.
Also, MP3 multiplayer was a mistake.
Adored MP2. Slill one of my all time favourites to this day. Epic, brutal violence, edgy environments, cool story, great soundtrack, lovely m&kb controls and of course Mona.
1 I wasn't so keen on and 3 I haven't played. It's been on my Steam list for the past year or so but my PC is ANCIENT and isn't worthy of playing it scaled down. I have heard it's quite a departure from the two earlier games so that worries me somewhat too.
Give us a MP4 with GTAV ultra setting graphics and set it more along the lines of MP2 and I'll gladly fork out for a hefty new gfx card, cpu, mainboard and ram!
1 I wasn't so keen on and 3 I haven't played. It's been on my Steam list for the past year or so but my PC is ANCIENT and isn't worthy of playing it scaled down. I have heard it's quite a departure from the two earlier games so that worries me somewhat too.
Give us a MP4 with GTAV ultra setting graphics and set it more along the lines of MP2 and I'll gladly fork out for a hefty new gfx card, cpu, mainboard and ram!
Discotheque
Banned
I hated how often those Tony Scott cutscenes would occur. Really fucked with the flow of gameplay where after a few minutes of running or shooting you were in a cutscene and then out of it and then back in after another minute of gunplay....terrible decision.
But god damn was the gameplay best-of-series. Actually scratch that, not just best of the series but imo the best third person gunplay in any game (from a western studio). >> Uncharted, Gears etc. gameplay imo.
And I loved the soundtrack from HEALTH. bring Max Payne back and bring them back too.
But god damn was the gameplay best-of-series. Actually scratch that, not just best of the series but imo the best third person gunplay in any game (from a western studio). >> Uncharted, Gears etc. gameplay imo.
And I loved the soundtrack from HEALTH. bring Max Payne back and bring them back too.
OrlanisWorks
Banned
I felt it was the most fun to play in the series. Such fantastic slow mo action and Health kicked ass with the soundtrack. I'll probably never play through it again. I want a sequel, but the dev needs to manage their files properly because those load times were so goddamn unbelievable.
SmartWaffles
Member
Obligatory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYR3K10qGN8
EvilKatarn
Member
Max Payne 3 is up there with Vanquish as the best third person shooter of last gen.
I'd like another one of those from Rockstar but I don't think you can do much more with Max's character. Mona Sax prequel or something.
I'd like another one of those from Rockstar but I don't think you can do much more with Max's character. Mona Sax prequel or something.
The point I'm making is that I reverted to playing it as a cover shooter because it punished me for playing it like a 'Max Payne' game. Any more than say, three enemies in a room and you'd get hammered. The AI had ridiculously tight aim, pop out of cover for more than a second or two and you were taking damage. Get caught in the open without BT and you were stuffed too. I played on Normal, didn't enjoy it enough to play through again on a higher difficulty.
I'd use it to move between cover, or when popping out of cover to get the headshots. That's not what Max Payne is about, to me anyway. It's not about playing conservatively. It's balls to the wall. against all odds type stuff... I SHOULD be able to run into a room with fifteen guys in it and come out on top. That's the whole point! 'Stranglehold' was a better 'Max Payne' game than 'Max Payne 3'.
I remember feeling at the time, that if I'd not come directly off of the first two I'd have enjoyed it more. My fresh familiarity only served to highlight what was missing, not what they'd built on. Again, I didn't dislike 'Max Payne 3' but it broke my heart.
matrix-cat
Member
Incredible gameplay, but one of the most frustrating games I've ever played because of how hard it tries not to let you play it. Constant, constant interruptions not just for cutscenes, but just to watch Max walk across a room or open a door or just make a face. I honestly can't think of another game that takes control away from the player more often than Max Payne 3 does.
And they're all unskippable, which makes it a hundred times worse. Constant interruptions are terrible, but at least if you could skip them the game would have incredible replay value. Hell, the game has an Arcade Mode, which you'd think would be exactly that, but it still plays all the cutscenes when you pick that option. It's just baffling. Totally saps my will to just go in and shoot guys for the fun of it, because there's no escaping those cutscenes.
Even when you do get to play, so much of the game is set in narrow corridors with very little room for getting creative, and it feels like half your playtime is made up of railshooting sections anyway. There's a setpiece in a soccer stadium where Max sets up with a sniper rifle, where you're locked into the sniper scope and the game will actually point it at bad guys for you. It'll drag your view over to where the bad guys are spawning, let you shoot them, then take control away from you again to point to the next bad guys. I remember sitting there completely dumbstruck that this was the exciting gameplay that Max Payne 3 had in store for me. I literally had to keep wiggling the mouse to know when I was allowed to play the game again. Like, why not just have the game play itself at that point?
Story, writing and tone-wise, MP3 doesn't stand up to Remedy's games at all. I smiled at the line where Max says he has a "hole in his second favourite drinking arm", but everything else is just noir-by-numbers that shows no real understanding of the character or the world Remedy created.
And they're all unskippable, which makes it a hundred times worse. Constant interruptions are terrible, but at least if you could skip them the game would have incredible replay value. Hell, the game has an Arcade Mode, which you'd think would be exactly that, but it still plays all the cutscenes when you pick that option. It's just baffling. Totally saps my will to just go in and shoot guys for the fun of it, because there's no escaping those cutscenes.
Even when you do get to play, so much of the game is set in narrow corridors with very little room for getting creative, and it feels like half your playtime is made up of railshooting sections anyway. There's a setpiece in a soccer stadium where Max sets up with a sniper rifle, where you're locked into the sniper scope and the game will actually point it at bad guys for you. It'll drag your view over to where the bad guys are spawning, let you shoot them, then take control away from you again to point to the next bad guys. I remember sitting there completely dumbstruck that this was the exciting gameplay that Max Payne 3 had in store for me. I literally had to keep wiggling the mouse to know when I was allowed to play the game again. Like, why not just have the game play itself at that point?
Story, writing and tone-wise, MP3 doesn't stand up to Remedy's games at all. I smiled at the line where Max says he has a "hole in his second favourite drinking arm", but everything else is just noir-by-numbers that shows no real understanding of the character or the world Remedy created.
SmartWaffles
Member
Watch the video I posted above, textbook showing of how to play MP3 like a boss.
Spring-Loaded
Member
It absolutely needs a direct sequel as far as gameplay is concerned. 3 did some core things so right, but there was room for refinement. The cutscenes used to mask loading, whether justified aside, were too invasive on better hardware, that wouldn't be such a problem.
I liked 3's gameplay as it was a true John Woo HK movie-like experience, something many games have attempted, but few have gotten as close (not even the actual John Woo-branded game got it right). I appreciated the departure from past games thematically and only found the dialogue and some scenario writing clunky.
Edit: I never cared for Remedy's games much, and I'm sure the game would never have been as ambitious in the same ways had it been made by them, but I'd still would've likedfor non-Houser dialogue, but with the same overall story.
I liked 3's gameplay as it was a true John Woo HK movie-like experience, something many games have attempted, but few have gotten as close (not even the actual John Woo-branded game got it right). I appreciated the departure from past games thematically and only found the dialogue and some scenario writing clunky.
Edit: I never cared for Remedy's games much, and I'm sure the game would never have been as ambitious in the same ways had it been made by them, but I'd still would've likedfor non-Houser dialogue, but with the same overall story.
Fantastic game. I loved the presentation and particularly the music. There was a few badly designed enemy encounters, and a few ridiculous bullet sponges, but I throughout enjoyed it for the most part.
I'm not too sure we'll get another one any time soon, but I would like it. Even just a remaster of 3 on the new consoles would be nice.
If they did another one, my biggest feature request would be to beef up the physics system so that you don't have to stand up to "reset" the animation. The diving physics were incredible, but I hated how if you dived close to, or even right next to, a piece of cover, you have to fully stand up (into enemy fire) before you can enter cover. I understand that this was a limitation of how they implemented the physics, and it still was incredibly impressive despite this limitation, but it would have been next level if you could dive in-between cover in a more cinematic and strategically sound manner.
I didn't really get on with either of the first two games, so I can't particularly comment on how good of a sequel it was, but I did enjoy it on it's own merit.
I'm not too sure we'll get another one any time soon, but I would like it. Even just a remaster of 3 on the new consoles would be nice.
If they did another one, my biggest feature request would be to beef up the physics system so that you don't have to stand up to "reset" the animation. The diving physics were incredible, but I hated how if you dived close to, or even right next to, a piece of cover, you have to fully stand up (into enemy fire) before you can enter cover. I understand that this was a limitation of how they implemented the physics, and it still was incredibly impressive despite this limitation, but it would have been next level if you could dive in-between cover in a more cinematic and strategically sound manner.
I didn't really get on with either of the first two games, so I can't particularly comment on how good of a sequel it was, but I did enjoy it on it's own merit.
I dunno. All I remember was constantly bumping into objects which would take me out of bullet time, then die because Max takes a while to get up, and having to constantly reload a section at the airport because Max would bug out and stick to the cover behind the trolley and you couldn't move him at all. Literally had to restart 5 times because of it. It soured my opinion on the game honestly. Remedy again, please.
I just did after I posted! I wish the game felt like that to non high-level players. That's what I wanted. It was kind of what Max Payne was all about, making even new players feel untouchable.
Man, this is awesome. That euphoria engine and that gore with the bullet wounds make the gunplay so amazing.
SmartWaffles
Member
The key is memorizing enemy locations, and abuse combat roll like he did in the video.
Yeah, I noticed the rolling, I seem to remember it had invincibility frames in it.
There's this bit on a boat in the third game, you have to run outside the boat between rooms with people shooting at you from the dock. It's too long a stretch to bullet-time it door to door and there'd no real cover because they're higher than you. I cheesed it by rolling one end to the other.
Screaming Meat
Unconfirmed Member
Do you think that might be a slight exaggeration (I don't mean to be rude here)? I've not come across a situation where 3 enemies on Normal would require the use of cover. You can take 3 people out in one Shoot-Dodge, easily. That's literally the first shooting situation in the game.
When you're out in the open with no BT, hip-fire keeps you moving fast and is pretty accurate (like the old games). Firing in the general direction of enemies makes them flinch which stops them shooting briefly (which is a great addition). Plus, if I recall correctly, Shoot-Dodging always goes into BT, regardless of your bar being full or not. It's a great way to get into cover if you find yourself out in the open too long.
I wouldn't describe that flow as conservative. The idea is you use cover to re-up bullet time and assess the situation to spend as much time as possible out in the open and moving, which is where you get the majority of the kills. It's similar gameplay to MP1 but in shorter bursts. Like you said, popping shots out from behind cover gets you whacked (enemy accuracy when you're out of BT and not moving is higher, I believe), so I only used it for crowd control.
I really don't think you can survive a fifteen man fight in MP1 without using some cover. Did you play the hidden level? It's insane. XD
Fair enough, man. Sorry to hear that.
I mean, I'm talking personally here. I'm not disputing that the game felt like it forced you to play like that, I'm just explaining why I didn't feel like it from my perspective
Welp, now I know what to watch for a few hours.
Omnii-chan
Member
I just finished the whole trilogy for the first time.
I started my run through of the first game a couple weeks ago and just finished the third game literally half an hour ago, so good timing with this thread. Great games, 3 is especially satisfying in game play and soundtrack.
For the next game I'd like a return to "classic noire" style in Max Payne 4, like in the first two games.
I also miss the poetry of Max's monologues from the first and second game.
However the only real complaint about 3 I have in game play terms is the cut scenes almost every time he goes through a door, it really killed the momentum when playing the game for me.
I started my run through of the first game a couple weeks ago and just finished the third game literally half an hour ago, so good timing with this thread. Great games, 3 is especially satisfying in game play and soundtrack.
For the next game I'd like a return to "classic noire" style in Max Payne 4, like in the first two games.
I also miss the poetry of Max's monologues from the first and second game.
However the only real complaint about 3 I have in game play terms is the cut scenes almost every time he goes through a door, it really killed the momentum when playing the game for me.
Yeah, I absolutely loved the game. Outside of Vanquish, it had the best TPS mechanics of all time. It was so gruesome and beautiful how enemy bodies would react to getting hit with a barrage of billets. Bodies stumbled back, bullet holes were left in limbs, HEALTH played in the background during everything - I was in heaven.
I liked pieces of the story - the cutscenes didn't bother me except when replaying levels in Chapter mode because it definitely disrupted flow. Best character skins ever. And the multiplayer was a ton of fun for me.
I've been playing a lot of Payne Evolution the last couple days and it does make me miss the original noir set pieces. Also, I didn't like how Rockstar glossed over Mona Sax like she was some sort of afterthought. Give me a new Payne title, with Mona Sax as the lead.
I liked pieces of the story - the cutscenes didn't bother me except when replaying levels in Chapter mode because it definitely disrupted flow. Best character skins ever. And the multiplayer was a ton of fun for me.
I've been playing a lot of Payne Evolution the last couple days and it does make me miss the original noir set pieces. Also, I didn't like how Rockstar glossed over Mona Sax like she was some sort of afterthought. Give me a new Payne title, with Mona Sax as the lead.
"more than say three" to me, would mean four and up. Hip-fire is handy as you say, but if you get caught on the floor or mid jump it's over. There's a lot of pressure to move cover with the enemy being as aggressive as it is. It would have been nicer to have a bit more time to allow BT to replenish. I suppose I could have switched it to easy.
Any fire while Max is downed is filling up the meter enough to get a head shot then repeat until the room is empty I suppose, But it's ruining the flow.
Perhaps not conservative in and of itself, but can you appreciate how it could feel that way after coming directly off the first two games? (which are very forgiving in combat terms)
I'm being a little facetious for the sake of making a point here.
Fair enough, man. Sorry to hear that.
I mean, I'm talking personally here. I'm not disputing that the game felt like it forced you to play like that, I'm just explaining why I didn't feel like it from my perspective
I glad you enjoyed it, really. I realised that my problems with it are of my own making. I don't think it' a bad game or anything.
SliChillax
Member
Never played the first two Max Payne games. I tried playing the first one last year but it felt too dated and I couldn't get into it. Meanwhile Max Payne 3 was and still is one of my favorite TPS ever. Would definitely love a sequel.
Cave Johnson
Member
Played MP3 on hard mode because I was excited of the euphoria features and bullet time. Turns out I ended up cover shooting most of the time since bullet time did shit all to my style.
This is more prevalent in the last sequence which really boggles my mind. It was the perfect setting for those bullet time fights. But after dying constantly I defaulted back to cover shooting because it is the only optimal way to play. Shame because I tend to skip the normal modes because of the challenge but this is the one shooter where I just hated througout the campaign.
This is more prevalent in the last sequence which really boggles my mind. It was the perfect setting for those bullet time fights. But after dying constantly I defaulted back to cover shooting because it is the only optimal way to play. Shame because I tend to skip the normal modes because of the challenge but this is the one shooter where I just hated througout the campaign.
Reckless Onion
Member
the thing about rockstar games is that the rage engine on console introduces so much input lag.
A game like this really shines with super responsive controls / 60fps.
A game like this really shines with super responsive controls / 60fps.
Screaming Meat
Unconfirmed Member
Yeah, totally appreciate that.
MP2 is a Top Three game for me and something I dive into (sorry) to this day. I definitely see the differences but I can see the similarities too.
MP2 is a game where, if you can position yourself on the fly and have any BT whatsoever, you can clean up for the most part, regardless of the numbers you're up against. MP3 is a bit more broken up in terms of taking out a room and topping up BT but still relies on similarly smart positioning.
Actually, the gameplay flow reminds me of the first few seconds of the prison break scene from Inglorious Basterds, repeated over and over. A little bit, anyway.
Oh god, yeah. last two sequences are fucking atrocious, especially coming off the back of the (series highlight) Police Station level and the (HEALTH!) Airport lobby run. They seem tacked on.
Jack The Nipper
Banned
Good but not nearly as good as the first two.
Would rather have the old games running on ps4 as is is ok
If they do 4, needs to be closer to those games
Would rather have the old games running on ps4 as is is ok
If they do 4, needs to be closer to those games
I liked it, but I didn't love it. I replayed both the previous Max Payne games right before, and while 3 is definitely a technically competent game that probably should be better than the others, it just doesn't feel all that fun to play. The older games just felt like a joy to play, while Max Payne 3 felt like a generic third person shooter by a developer that really doesn't know how to make a good action game. In fact, as Alan Wake came out around the same time on PC it was fresh on my mind at the time and I really couldn't shake the feeling that I enjoyed the action in that game far more.
Prisoner KSC2-303
Member
I enjoyed it, and the final shoot out to Tears by Health remains one of my favourite gaming moments of all time, but the cut-scenes and the writing definitely lacked finesse.
I remain hopeful that it was something of an exorcism for the character, taking him out of his usual setting and getting the last remnants of repetitive self pity out of him, before a return to the noir gumshoes shtick of New York for MP4.
I remain hopeful that it was something of an exorcism for the character, taking him out of his usual setting and getting the last remnants of repetitive self pity out of him, before a return to the noir gumshoes shtick of New York for MP4.
Net_Wrecker
Member
One of the most poorly paced/structured games I've ever played that completely ruins it's own flow and potential with hours of boring, often unnecessary cutscenes
Also some of the best and most detailed gunplay ever, and one of my top 3 favorite soundtracks in games, period.
If there ever a sequel or spiritual successor to this game, my only hope is that they create more interesting and interconnected environments that propel you through an action story with proper pacing featuring LONG stretches of uninterrupted player driven gameplay. MP3 is designed like it never actually wants the player in control at any point. Overbearing as hell.
Also some of the best and most detailed gunplay ever, and one of my top 3 favorite soundtracks in games, period.
If there ever a sequel or spiritual successor to this game, my only hope is that they create more interesting and interconnected environments that propel you through an action story with proper pacing featuring LONG stretches of uninterrupted player driven gameplay. MP3 is designed like it never actually wants the player in control at any point. Overbearing as hell.
guitarguy316
Member
Is this game backwards compatible in XBO?
thecosmicfly
Banned
Mentioned this in the OT but it hurts how there are next to no mods for MP3.
I've been playing Max Payne wrong. Now I seriously want to try this.
Magic Mushroom
Member
Best gunplay in any game ever.
As a huge fan of John Woo, this was the closest thing we ever got to a playable version of that.
I'd love a Max Payne 4, but it's probably not gonna happen.
As a huge fan of John Woo, this was the closest thing we ever got to a playable version of that.
I'd love a Max Payne 4, but it's probably not gonna happen.
TylerDurden4321
Member
I played Max Payne 3 - like the other Max Payne games - with mouse and keyboard on PC and had the feeling that it controlled terrible. Max had way too much mass/momentum. Initially I feared I wouldn't like the "rockstar" infusion of my beloved Max Payne series... turned out I was absolute ok with it, freshened things up a little, grit was still there and the satire wasn't too rockstar'ish. Couldn't forgive the controls though.
Always wondered if this was a 60fps + mouse & keyboard phenomenon and the people who thought it felt good had either never played another Max Payne game or played on console with a controller (where the stick-acceleration prevents too fast movement changes and aiming anyway).
Minus the slow "inertial mass" of Max Payne's body in 3 (and less emphasis on cover or just triggering bullet time while running and shooting without dodging maneuvers), I'd be totally up for a Max Payne 4, no matter if it's from Rockstar or Remedy. I would also be up for a Mona Sax story or Rubi Malone, ...if it controls well, I liked the character and style of Wet.
Always wondered if this was a 60fps + mouse & keyboard phenomenon and the people who thought it felt good had either never played another Max Payne game or played on console with a controller (where the stick-acceleration prevents too fast movement changes and aiming anyway).
Minus the slow "inertial mass" of Max Payne's body in 3 (and less emphasis on cover or just triggering bullet time while running and shooting without dodging maneuvers), I'd be totally up for a Max Payne 4, no matter if it's from Rockstar or Remedy. I would also be up for a Mona Sax story or Rubi Malone, ...if it controls well, I liked the character and style of Wet.