A full console generation, a new developer, and almost a decade has passed since Max Payne's last moody outing. Now that he's finally returning in Max Payne 3, the series has plenty of expectations riding on it, while attempting to preserve its noir tone and signature style. The game certainly pays homage to the most iconic elements of the series, but it might lean on them a little too much.
In a hands-on demo at PAX East 2012, I played through a mission on the docks, attempting to rescue the trophy wife of Max's client, Rodrigo Branco. It was a dirty, dreary place soaked in rain and sweat. The settings were fairly tight and contained, but that allowed an impressive level of detail on props. Anyone paying attention to the trailers and screenshots has noticed how visually striking the game is, and playing it for myself confirmed that beauty holds together.
Rockstar is setting out to make a cinematic experience, and they're certainly succeeding on that front. The docks were only one location, but the world breathed with believable life. Buildings were unique, enemies moved and behaved realistically, and in a particularly nice touch, characters who speak in another language aren't translated through subtitles. Max wouldn't know what they're saying, so it was determined that the player shouldn't either.
