In Max Payne 3, time moves forward, and nothing changes.
Max Payne is a mess. Booze, pills, violence and memories of his shattered past have left him a broken man. Not even the slums of Sao Paulo, half a world away from the demons of New York City, affords him escape. Hell travels with him.
Probably the biggest worry about Max Payne 3 centers of the new setting and what appeared at first to be a near-complete transformation of Max from a struggling New York cop to a train-wreck slob in a wifebeater. But the more I see, the more I think that Rockstar may have got it right, and that in spite of the focus on multiplayer and cutting-edge graphics, the cinematic elements and overwrought pathos that made the first two games such memorable experiences are alive and well and killing people in Brazil.
It’s interesting that the launch trailer isn’t all action and explosions. People get shot and smacked around and kicked in the face, but the focus is very clearly on Max, who seems to be having some trouble overcoming his personal issues. Not that I enjoy watching a man hit rock bottom, but this is the kind of thing that really gives me hope that maybe – just maybe – this might be the real deal.
Max Payne 3 comes out on May 15 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and May 29 for the PC.
