Over a decade after its release, Max Payne 3 remains one of the greatest games in Rockstar’s back catalog. Red Dead Redemption is the classic western epic. Grand Theft Auto 5 has basically taken over the world. And GTA 6 looks extremely promising. But the slow-motion, third-person shooter with tons of style and endless flair remains Rockstar’s best if most underloved masterwork. And now its yours for less than $6. Max Payne, min price (sorry).
Grand Theft Auto 5 has been at the forefront of gaming for the past decade, Red Dead Redemption 2 gave us one of the greatest solo adventures of all-time, and the upcoming GTA 6 release date is already whetting our appetite, but there is one Rockstar game that stands above the rest. Released in 2012, Max Payne 3 is not only the definitive action-adventure game, but the most spectacular, tightly choreographed, and expertly designed game that Rockstar has ever produced.
The game follows its titular character nine years after the events of Max Payne 2. Our perenially unlucky detective has retired from the NYPD. Suffering from alcohol and painkiller addictions, Max Payne takes a private security job in South America, working for the wealthy Branco family. After putting a stop to one kidnapping attempt in true Max Payne style (that soundtrack by Health just never, ever gets old), the bad guys manage to make off with one of the Branco family on their second try. With a $3 million bounty on her head, Max is thrust into a world of Sau Paulo, shootouts, and slow-motion super style to try and put matters right.
Max Payne 3 was the first in the series to introduce a cover system, so you can blend Max’s trademark cavaliar run and gunning with a more moderate approach. The dialogue, soundtrack, and cutscenes create the most cinematic experience ever seen in a Max Payne game, while the ‘last stand’ mechanic, whereby if you manage to kill the enemy who shot you, before you hit the ground, you get to come back to life, creates a truly pulse-pounding and desperate type of shooter.
Max Payne 3 maintains the thrilling gunplay from the first two games in the series, but sets a new bar when it comes to enthralling storytelling and escapism. All these years later, it still feels new, fresh, and intensely playable.
And now Max Payne 3 is available on Steam for the bargain price of just $5.99 / £5.39. If you want the perfect shooter while we wait on GTA 6, get Max Payne 3 right here.
Alternatively, you might want to try some other great single-player games, or maybe you want a blast from the past with the best old games on PC.
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