same.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Max Payne 3 is a bad game [very long rant]
- Thread starter Messofanego
- Start date
same.
Depends on the type of gamer you are. If you want your hand held, are easily dazzled by flashing pixels and have to work as least as possible - sounds like this is your game. If you like to actually play your video games, aren't easily impressed and enjoy tight gameplay - this is not the game for you.
In short:
Gamer? Nope.
Average Joe? Yep.
N
NinjaFridge
Unconfirmed Member
It wasn't that great imo. It felt like real chore at times and the unskippable cutscenes means I probably won't be replaying it. I felt that the animations, while very well done, got in the way of the gameplay. Shooting at some guys and I decide to take cover and it's like Max just slows down to show me this awesome animation which leaves me getting shot at.
It's an ok game for me. Not very especial not varied enough to grab me, but certainly polished.
FaintDeftone
Junior Member
Max Payne 3 is a game I can understand why somebody did not like it, but I still feel like it is a good game. There are many gameplay elements that frustrated the hell out of me, yet the story and the experience are the elements that kept me going. By the end, it is greater than the sum of it's parts, but it is heavily flawed.
My biggest problem is that the cover system is horrible and the game forces you to use it so much that bullet time is basically useless in most situations. I barely used the greatest element of the series. Bullet time just wasn't fun anymore.
My biggest problem is that the cover system is horrible and the game forces you to use it so much that bullet time is basically useless in most situations. I barely used the greatest element of the series. Bullet time just wasn't fun anymore.
I have yet to encounter something that doesn´t work flawless, completed the game 4 times.
Don´t know what you´re talking about i can kill every enemy in the game that doesn´t wear a bulletproof vest with about two shots in the chest. I can aim for the head, for the arms, the side, the legs or even their junk. Everything works.
Cover is just another option in MP3 and i had pretty much zero problems when i used it.
The game is not build around it though and it shouldn´t be.
Alan Wakes combat is as simple (and boring) as it can get. Use light, shoot, occasionally pull a flare. The enemies are not smart they just appear and charge you like braindead zombies.
MP3 has the best physics and animation i have seen in any game so far, they are realistic but thats adds to the fun. Some people won´t like it but that´s hardly a flaw of the game.
Alan moves like Max Payne 8 years ago.
MP moves realistically and it takes a few minutes until yo get used to it, but then it plays smooth like butter.
You either like the cutscenes or you don´t, the big flaw of the game is that you can´t interrupt them after the first playthrough. Has nothing to do woth the gameplay though.
What? That's not true- countless levels begin with you in the middle of a firefight. That one brothel shootout the day after you go sober has a bunch of those (grabbing the chain and flying upward, etc). You start a fair amount of sections in cover... but that only makes sense. Every tps does that so you don't die instantly when a level starts.
Eh, I played Wet and have to disagree there. Wet's bullet time didn't feel or work anywhere near as well. Bullet time and shoot dodging need proper physics, animations, environments, and gunplay in order to feel amazing when slowed down.
Yeah, honestly. Max Payne 3 isn't gears or even Uncharted. Watch any tech demo video for the game and you almost never see people staying in cover long. Shoot dodging, rolling in bullet time, and strafing are 100x funner and more exciting.
Bought, played and finished upon seeing this thread.
Game reminds me of last gen; gotten so used to games just ending at what seems like 2/3s through. This game, I got to 2/3s (handily it passes you an achievemeny for reaching that stage) - and suprised me that it had more to give.
10 hour single player. Fuck yes, and it was solid and fun.
Game reminds me of last gen; gotten so used to games just ending at what seems like 2/3s through. This game, I got to 2/3s (handily it passes you an achievemeny for reaching that stage) - and suprised me that it had more to give.
10 hour single player. Fuck yes, and it was solid and fun.
I actually think MP3 is the longest one in the series too. Max Payne 2 was particularly short.
Quality over quantity.
I'm really struggling to figure out how to have fun in this game. Would appreciate an instruction manual or helpful tips for locating and utilising the fun. The storytelling interests me but the gameplay acts as a deterrent from progress. It reminds me of GTAIV in that respect.
Dick Justice
Banned
Max Payne 3 is a game that involves playing.
And yeah, sticking to cover is a bad idea a lot of the time. The office level has a lot of destructible cover, making you roll around and dive to avoid getting shot. Fucking love that mission.
Man, the transition into the shootout there was mint. Running at that door, kicking it open, slowing down, taking out the guy behind the glass and shoot dodging behind those cubicles... what a rush.
Max Payne 3 has both.
Ok? My experience varied from yours.
The optimal strategy is to always go for a head shot. You have bullet time and head shots are the easiest solution in nearly every encounter. Also, there are a LOT of guys in MP3 who wear body armor.
I had problems, and I didn't use it all that much. I've also completed the game around 4 (maybe 5) times and have beaten it on old school (I guess I must kind of hate myself, but this isn't about that).
It's exciting, addictive, and I really enjoy it. There's much more to the combat than you're suggesting, and the enemies pretty much act like braindead zombies as that's kind of what they are. By the way, have you actually played American Nightmare, or just Alan Wake?
Can't argue with the best physics and animation, but I don't come to Max Payne for Dark Souls with Guns. IMO the animation priority in MP3 is a flaw, it's a TPS that already uses bullet time, Max doesn't need to be any slower.
Exactly
But no, he doesn't really, his movement is much better.
No, it doesn't. It remains slow and clunky regardless of how skilled you become at the game.
They kind of break up the flow of combat, which really has a lot to do with the gameplay. MP3 obstructs the player from actually playing it as often as it can, for seemingly no reason.
Net_Wrecker
Member
I, and many others in these MP3 threads, have called it a mediocre experience due to the intrusive presentation but it just so happens to have amazing gunplay. That's not "okay" but it's also not a "hate it or love it" situation. Maybe "hate the story execution, love the gameplay" is more appropriate. I find it to be a huge disappointment solely due to how the cutscenes kill the game, but it's not totally awful.
Hari Seldon
Member
I am probably 3-4 hours in via steam sale, and I am enjoying it. But yeah, movement and the controls are clunky as shit. I am definitely glad I didn't pay full price.
Totally agreed. Max Payne 3 constantly gets in the way of your enjoyment of its strengths. It's just fucking annoying. And no, it's not that I'd rather watch long loading screens (which is basically an oxymoron on PC in this day and age), I'd just rather not watch anything. You know, like any other shitty game in existence? Even the Metal Gear series shows more respect for your time, Max Payne 3 is just insulting.
There's no reason to play this instead of the first two.
Spring-Loaded
Member
dayum, for real?
Net_Wrecker
Member
I'd probably agree only because the experience as presented in Max Payne 3 is a step down in playability from Max Payne 2, but that's 100% my personal opinion due to my dislike of the cutscene laden design.
On the other hand, I think any fan of shooters is doing themselves a disservice by not getting their hands on this game, even if it's a rent, for the sake of comparison and discussion with future shooters.
Spring-Loaded
Member
Oh, OK. That was close; I almost took to heart another hyperbolic statement there and retroactively hated everything I experienced with the game because there was no reason to play it over MP/MP2.
BadAss2961
Member
The trick is to use bullet time while aiming from cover. You should also get the hang of turning it off after you kill your target or get the upper hand on him to keep the meter up.
But a lot of people don't get that the most effective way to play the game is still shoot dodging all over the place.
Spring-Loaded
Member
That suggests that the shooting mechanics, the physics and use of Euphoria brings nothing new to the table. I'd go so far as to say ever last game involving shooting should emulate this game's enemy hit-reactions; there are far too many games out today that feature enemies who don't react to getting shot until they're dead which in turn puts a damper on the overall feel of the shooting.
mickcenary
Member
Yep. The controls never hit their stride. Aiming sensitivity is all over the joint and Max floats around stupidly as if he were rehabilitated by NES-era Mario. Whether this is worse than the cutscene issue is debatable, but there's no doubt that these are the two leading criticisms.
I could see where you're coming from with the aiming, as popping heads without bullettime, with a controller, is not the easiest of tasks, though aiming with the pad is shitty in almost anything i've played, unless there's a shitload of aim-assistance; but i really like the weight of the movement, i don't think every game should abide to the same standards of snappiness of Ninja Gaiden, Vanquish or whatever.
Of course it's a balance, and each person may end up liking it or not, depending on his tastes and shenanigans.
For example i do think GTA4 was excessively slow and unresponsive, to the point of frustration, but Max Payne 3, after a few minutes to get the hang of it, i had no problem whatsoever with it.
The big thing is that stuff feels a bit more weighty and real and while I agree it's pretty cool and when it works it's great, but it's just not enough to carry the rest of the game, the atrocious pacing, the terrible, terrible writing, how they turned Max Payne into an old grumpy guy no one can like (aka the Rockstar trademark), etc.
edit: I don't have a problem with cover, even if it's a pretty bad one as far as cover systems go, but "last stand" is really really bad
I beat Bayonetta like three times before I realized I could skip the cutscenes, because at least they were goofy and ridiculous and the gameplay was so great I just didn't care.
No such luck with MP3.
MP2 doesn't insult your time by forcing you to watch the cutscenes, if you don't like them. And the gameplay is still amazing, without all the 100 million dollars Euphoria tech. And you feel like you're in control, because you can actually walk through a door to open it.
Really, if they added a wave survival mode to MP3 that could've change things drastically. If they manage not to put any dialogue in it, anyways.
mickcenary
Member
There is no bigger proponent for weightiness than I. I love a good sense of momentum and presence, but MP3 doesn't nail it. Shoot-dodges feel great, but that's about in terms of movement. It's reminiscent of Drake's movement in UC3. I never felt in control. Max would just feel off-kilter and imprecise, drifting into walls or sporadically altering his trajectory down a straight hallway... It wasn't confidence inspiring.
Spring-Loaded
Member
The pacing itself in the game is actually quite good, but only because the game is so restrictive, which on subsequent playthroughs is annoying, even if you enjoyed the first. There's no real flow though since you're being railroaded along to the next shootout, which, on the initial playthrough isn't bad.
I can't stress enough that whether the use of Euphoria is good/enough to carry the game depends entirely on what the player wants. I honestly never intend to replay Max Payne or Max Payne 2 after beating each once because there was so little that interested me about the game world, and more importantly, nothing about the shooting I found compelling.
I don't mind MP3 being as linear as it is because within that linear path, there's a fair deal of dynamism that comes from it the use of Euphoria; the problem I have is the overabundance of cutscenes and how you are pushed along that path without allowing for any flow. When the game opens up, it's even better and the emphasis on believable physics is what I want in a non-fantasy shooter. I like the core gameplay enough to deal with all the other negatives about the game. there are others who would share my sentiments, some of whom haven't played it. It's only fair to them to keep in mind some people will like this and others won't, rather than just calling it bad.
You're right about the survival mode thing. The combat itself is the greatest accomplishment in this game and a mode that showcases that would be a godsend.
If you get the chance to, try the multiplayer in both UC3 and MP3. They both feature movement that's generally more smooth than their single-player counterparts. I have no problem personally with the single-player physics for each, but there are differences that might better suit your needs.
Well it's animation driven, kind of like Riddick (Fear too, i think) and it does remove a bit of control and therefore confidence, but again, i don't think it's inherently bad.
I mean i can't convince you to like it of course, but i am sincere when i say that, after a few minutes of playtime, I wasn't even noticing it, and it all felt very natural.
In this sense i liked it because it gave characterization without exposition, something the rest of the game should learn to do.
I play MP1 regularly so I do like it a lot, I really enjoy how you walk at your own pace, how every bit of information feels like a reward instead of an annoyance, how encounters feel a lot more freeform (more variety in weapons, grenades, no chest-high walls to block your movement and more open environments, overall speed), and I really appreciate Remedy's style.
And yeah, I don't add a "my opinion is that..." because I figure that it's a given that I'm giving my opinion, which you can of course ignore. But even then I mean that not only that I disliked the story, but that I find it to be objectively bad (if this is possible is debatable, but what I mean is that I think its objective qualities are bad from a less personal perspective, as in, these characters are horrible and no one likes them and Max is the most contrived fall guy ever imagined).
Snacks the sober sea lion
Member
I finally started it.
Controls are working pretty well. I heard the game had mouse acceleration problems, but maybe it was patched, because I haven't had mouse control issues. The shooting is really solid, you can shoot somebody in the leg and actually expect them to go down. Feels right.
The game is strangely unforgiving. I've never had more than 3 pills on me, and the game has no problem throwing a slow-mo sequence at you where you have to take out 5 dudes.
The cutscenes are a pain. I always liked the first Max Payne's personality, where he made one-liners and weird metaphors and similes, but really had the A LOOSE CANNON COP WITH NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE feeling. Max Payne 2 stepped away from that and into really weird monologues, and now Max is an alcoholic who stumbles around and swears. The atmosphere of some of the cutscenes is kinda cool, and the Hoboken sequence was great. But the "still loading" and not even being able to skip cutscenes like "Max wraps bandages on his arm and chugs pills" really makes no sense. And it hurts the game pretty damn badly. When I replay games like this, I usually want to just skip the cutscenes before anybody can finish a word. But this game, you can be sitting and doing nothing for over a minute. There is no way a PC game takes over a minute to load. And why is the game 30GB? Wasn't it something about not compressing files?
Controls are working pretty well. I heard the game had mouse acceleration problems, but maybe it was patched, because I haven't had mouse control issues. The shooting is really solid, you can shoot somebody in the leg and actually expect them to go down. Feels right.
The game is strangely unforgiving. I've never had more than 3 pills on me, and the game has no problem throwing a slow-mo sequence at you where you have to take out 5 dudes.
The cutscenes are a pain. I always liked the first Max Payne's personality, where he made one-liners and weird metaphors and similes, but really had the A LOOSE CANNON COP WITH NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE feeling. Max Payne 2 stepped away from that and into really weird monologues, and now Max is an alcoholic who stumbles around and swears. The atmosphere of some of the cutscenes is kinda cool, and the Hoboken sequence was great. But the "still loading" and not even being able to skip cutscenes like "Max wraps bandages on his arm and chugs pills" really makes no sense. And it hurts the game pretty damn badly. When I replay games like this, I usually want to just skip the cutscenes before anybody can finish a word. But this game, you can be sitting and doing nothing for over a minute. There is no way a PC game takes over a minute to load. And why is the game 30GB? Wasn't it something about not compressing files?
IcyRhythms
Member
I can't agree with the OP. I loved it and it's one of R* better efforts IMHO.
DangerStepp
Member
LTTP on Max Payne 3 and couldn't agree with the OP more.
This game doesn't know what it wants to be (both gameplay and storyline wise) and is more a Rockstar game than it is a faithful entry in the Max Payne series.
I remember folks pulling pud over the fact that GTAV's shooting would be so great because of Max Payne 3....Max Payne 3's shooting is poor.
Very disappointing.
This game doesn't know what it wants to be (both gameplay and storyline wise) and is more a Rockstar game than it is a faithful entry in the Max Payne series.
I remember folks pulling pud over the fact that GTAV's shooting would be so great because of Max Payne 3....Max Payne 3's shooting is poor.
Very disappointing.
hardcastlemccormick
Banned
I generally agree with the OP, though I would be more charitable to the combat.
Level design is haphazard and the cutscenes cause mental anguish.
Level design is haphazard and the cutscenes cause mental anguish.
Freaky Fred
Banned
Yeah this game's pretty bad, not terrible, just bad. I really disliked the shooting mechanics, the ridiculous amounts of overacting paired with super cheesy dialog/plot, and the online was piss poor to boot. I had fun with my first play through, but I doubt I'll ever play it again.
DangerStepp
Member
The cover mechanics are half-assed. The game doesn't know if it's a cover based shooter or a Max Payne shoot-a-rama.
Enemies rush you when you're behind cover and rain bullets on you if you blind fire to protect your place. What the fuck does it want me to do?
I wouldn't be so frustrated if the reticle was readily available for me to aim at the enemies...Christ. They rush me and I'm basically blind firing at what's right in front of me because I don't have a mark.
I would probably excuse everything above if the damned checkpoints weren't despicable and allowed me to quicksave, which to be fair, was a saving grace of the older Payne games.
Enemies rush you when you're behind cover and rain bullets on you if you blind fire to protect your place. What the fuck does it want me to do?
I wouldn't be so frustrated if the reticle was readily available for me to aim at the enemies...Christ. They rush me and I'm basically blind firing at what's right in front of me because I don't have a mark.
I would probably excuse everything above if the damned checkpoints weren't despicable and allowed me to quicksave, which to be fair, was a saving grace of the older Payne games.
SmoothRunningGun
Member
Loved Max Payne 3. I wish the gun-play had made it into GTA 5.
Wonderful gameplay. Terrible story.
This thread reminded me of a blog post I wrote a while back discussing why the story failed:
http://gameonce-over.blogspot.com/2013/08/not-for-remption-everything-wrong-with.html
This thread reminded me of a blog post I wrote a while back discussing why the story failed:
http://gameonce-over.blogspot.com/2013/08/not-for-remption-everything-wrong-with.html