GOTY 2012 #02 - Max Payne 3

Max is a one of the most celebrated modern characters in the industry.

So close now! What game just fell narrowly short of being crowned the best game of 2012? Well that title belongs to none other than Rockstar’s Max Payne 3.

When I heard Max Payne was being remade my ears perked up and I was ready to listen – I was intrigued, I wanted to know what was going to happen to one of my most beloved childhood franchises. Upon learning that Rockstar took development under their wing I immediately felt a sigh of relief and I did nothing more than wait for what was undoubtedly going to be a special game in 2012.

Battling his demons and kicking ass, all in a days work.

So what made Max Payne 3 so special that it sits higher than so many games on this list? Let’s begin by looking at the story and narrative, something that traditionally Rockstar are renown for. When someone asks me “what was the best video game story of 2012?” my immediate response is Max Payne 3. Rockstar did the most incredible job bringing a thought provoking and intriguing story to life as Max Payne battled his demons and overcame the hardships of his past life. You’re literally put into the shoes of Max, seeing what he sees and listening to what he thinks about the people around him and the society they live in. His prehistoric look on modern society is amusing and simultaneously sad as you feel like an aging dinosaur is no longer welcome in this modern world.

Fortunately things go from bad to well, downright terrible for Max and the chaos is where unfortunately he finds himself most at home. When the action begins and the boozing stops, Max goes on a hunt for revenge that slowly re-awakens the demons Max was trying so desperately to hide. This unraveling story is a joy to behold and even more fun to experience first-hand. Rockstar wanted this to be a new chapter in Max Payne’s life and the first hour or so almost have you believing that despite the alcoholism, Max is living in the present with his new job far away from New York City, however when trouble comes knocking, Max simply can’t stay away.

Is there anything more fun than Bullet Time?

In typical Rockstar fashion, this phenomenal storyline is intertwined with fantastic third-person shooting action that sees Max acquire a host of cool weapons and blast his way through hordes of enemies. Bullet Time makes a triumphant return giving Max an edge on the battlefield where he constantly finds himself outmanned and outgunned. Some fantastic set-piece scenarios are spread across an engaging and challenging campaign mode that will certainly provide hours of entertainment and fun.

I think ultimately it’s just a testament to how good Rockstar are as a development team. Their games are of the highest quality and it wouldn’t have taken a rocket scientist to at least guess Max Payne 3 was going to be at minimum, a very good game. What we didn’t see coming was an almost perfect combination of story-telling and gameplay that merged together to form 2012’s most engaging narrative, one that was almost impossible to stop playing through. Let Max Payne 3 reel you in because you’ll be in for an absolute treat. Max Payne 3 is deservedly the second best game of 2012. 

Nostalgia overload.