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The Sleeper Hold – Episode 1

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July 8, 2012

Something new we’ve been mulling over for some time at EGMNOW.com is to look at professional wrestling. All of us here in the office are huge fans of the WWE brand and often we get into arguments over how plotlines are developing, who should and shouldn’t be getting put over, and just how much power John Cena gets from his trademark jorts. In that vein, we hope to give you a brief overview of our thoughts on what is transpiring each week and maybe even entertain some of you in the process.

Main Plot Overview: The big overarching plot of June 11th’s Monday Night RAW, which came to us live from Hartford, CT (gives Mick Foley thumbs up), was whether or not John “Big Johnny” Laurenitis would finally be fired, as Vince McMahon would step back into the squared circle for the first time in nearly nine months and re-take the reigns of his company. Giving Laurenitis one last chance, McMahon wanted Big Johnny to put on the card of a lifetime in a special 3-hour edition of RAW (really a test run for the expanded format starting July 23rd, which I’m all for because it will allow a lot of wrestlers and the lesser belts to be put back into the spotlight on a regular basis).

Laurenitis would seemingly fail at this task though, and at the end, when he was about to be fired in classic McMahon fashion, Big Show would storm the ring to side with Big Johnny, soon followed by John Cena who would side with McMahon. This would lead to a scrum (of course) and the stipulation that Cena vs Show at No Way Out, this coming Sunday’s PPV, would have Laurenitis’ job on the line (again).

Match of the Night: A decent subplot that emerged from last night came really from the fact that Alberto Del Rio was injured once again in his last match. This left the number one contendership for the World Heavyweight Championship wide open and so an impromptu Fatal 4-Way Elimination match was signed between Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, Christian, and the Great Khali.

Once Khali was quickly eliminated (his continued presence after all is only there for the obligatory Indian audience demographic bump), the match really did a great job of impressing. Swagger, Ziggler, and Christian are three of the better in-ring tacticians the WWE roster has right now and when it came down to Christian versus Ziggler, the crowd couldn’t get enough of it.

Ziggler was going to get the obvious bump when it was down to them though since Chrisitian is already the IC champ, and many more expected it would’ve been Ziggler vs Swagger in the end anyway since both are in such desperate need of a bump, but to see the Show-Off walk away as number one contender was the right move and may make the PPV Sunday actually watchable.

Promo of the Night: Vince’s return to the ring was a great moment and his banter with Laurenitis to open the show was comical and necessary, but this award goes to CM Punk and Daniel Bryan in preparation for Sunday’s Triple Threat WWE Championship match. And not just because these two know how to drop pipe bombs that always push the right buttons with the crowd, but because when the third participant in that match, Kane, came to the ring, it added a nuance to the “I’m better than you” angle that Punk and Bryan have going with each other right now.

What really put this over the top was AJ though. Aside from being insanely hot (she’s a pro wrestler and a fellow geek…yes, I am in love), her crazy chick motif got the biggest rise out of the crowd during this segment and the jokes that King and Cole were cracking about her was probably their best moment of the night as well. From her gushing over Punk, to saying how D-Bryan has her first love, and that like the tin man, Kane actually has a heart, this love quadrangle train wreck kept everyone talking long after it was over.

Shocker of the Night: Although some people are still shocked that John Cena has finally won the crowd completely back over to his side by pitting him against some great heels in Big Show and Laurenitis, the shocker came in the glorified handicap match that was D-Bryan and Kane vs CM Punk and AJ, which was a result of their aforementioned promo.

Mind you, it wasn’t the match itself, but how it was won. By AJ planting a 30-second kiss on Kane that took the Big Red Machine completely out of the match. And yes, it was literally a 30-second kiss, with just Kane standing there, looking completely dumbfounded, and AJ going to town while having her legs wrapped around his waist. The crowd started cheering…and the kiss was so long that the cheers turned to leers as we all just couldn’t help but watch this unfold in the ring. Did I mention that I love AJ?

Cheap Pop of the Night: It was revealed late in the show that Vince had brought with him a classic wrestler from RAW’s past to help ring in the event in a few weeks that will be the 1000th episode, that he was to be in action that night, and that his opponent was to be Heath Slater.

And when we all found out who it was, the crowd went absolutely nuts. Because it was time. It was time. IT WAS VADER TIME! That’s right, the Mastadon himself, looking much slimmer than during his prime, so much so that his mask didn’t even fit right, came storming down to the ring and everyone threw up the V’s with their fingers in a salute to this legend.

And to his credit, even in his late 50s now, Vader put on a solid show. Part of this I think was also Slater doing a solid job of taking bumps and selling everything, including the patented Vader bomb, but Vader got around the ring very well and showed he was still in decent wrestling shape. It wasn’t a long match by any means, but the crowd went absolutely bonkers for it and admittedly, as a long time Vader fan, it was great to see him in action one last time.

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E3 2012: Can Injustice Build on Mortal Kombat’s Momentum?

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The Big Question: Can Injustice: Gods Among Us deliver a quality fighter using DC Comics characters?

The last time we saw our favorite heroes from the DCU mix it up in a classic-style fighting game, it was 2008 and it was one of Midway Games’ final projects: DC Universe vs. Mortal Kombat. Those who were able to look past the spectacle of seeing our favorite heroes mix it up with magical ninjas and underworld wizards though saw the game was flawed from the get go and so it was quickly swept under the rug.

Last year then, one of Midway’s key franchises in Mortal Kombat, now under the new banner of Netherrealm Studios and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, saw a renaissance with parallel dimensions, a slimmed down roster, and a bevy of new modes to offer replay-ability rarely seen in any fighting game of that nature. The positive response and new look at how to do an old-school fighting game got the folks at Netherrealm thinking that maybe doing a fighting game with DC Heroes wasn’t such a stretch after all. And with Warner Bros.’ backing, as they also have all the rights to the DC characters, it should be much easier than last time to consult and push out a higher quality product that appeals to both comic book and fighting game fans.

So legendary game maker Ed Boon unveiled to us at E3 2012 Injustice: Gods Among Us. This brand new fighting game takes place entirely in the DCU and uses a modified version of last year’s Mortal Kombat engine. Injustice will feature 20-30 characters, including the already revealed Harley Quinn, Solomon Grundy, Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, and the Flash, and capitalize on the larger-than-life personalities at their disposal with massive arenas to do battle in and even more massive finishing and special maneuvers inspired by the spandex-clad superheroes’ most impressive moments. For example, Superman can actually fly his opponent up into orbit before then slamming them back to the Earth below to do massive damage.

One nagging problem that could hold this game back though is the same thing that crept into the story mode of DCU vs MK and that is how will Netherrealm level the playing field between humans like Batman and near-omnipotent beings like Superman? We’ve been assured that the story will work this all out for us, but it was supposed to back in 2008 as well. Maybe the interactive environments allowing you to fire missiles out of the Batmobile at your opponent or slam them through a skyscraper will allow us to overlook the story though as long as it makes a reasonable amount of sense. And you hope it does because with the great visuals we saw, tight looking game play, and over-the-top action, this fighter is surely shaping up to be a contender to be reckoned with.

Are you folks excited for this game? Does the thought of 2008’s MK vs DCU still make you worry about Injustice? What characters do you want to see make it into the title? Let us know your thoughts with comments below!

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E3 2012: Quick Quotes: Enemy Front

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A little less Private Ryan, a little more Inglourious Basterds

“We wanted to get back to a bit more of the rock ‘n’ roll spirit. To do that, we wanted to get you off the front lines, stop being a grunt, and doing the same old Normandy-to-Berlin run.”

—Stuart Black, creative director, Enemy Front

When asked how City Interactive’s WWII first-person shooter, Enemy Front, would differ from WWII games we’ve seen in the past, Stuart Black, veteran of Black and Viking: Battle for Asgard, talked candidly about just wanting to kick ass and take names—and he’s made a few design decisions in order to ensure just that. As insinuated in the quote, the path your characters will take through Nazi-occupied Europe doesn’t end on Berlin’s doorstep. Instead, you’ll start in Dunkirk sneaking behind enemy lines during an Allied retreat, move on to Poland to help the resistance and assault a Hitler think tank, and then take on a secret base in Norway at the game’s climax, wreaking havoc on the Nazi war machine all along the way.

Black’s story is also moving away from the drama and relationships of soldiers in a unit serving on the front lines. Plenty of war movies served as inspiration for this game—but Saving Private Ryan wasn’t one of them. Instead, your character’s an old-school badass in the vein of vintage Clint Eastwood. Just one man taking down entire platoons of Nazis all by himself…and getting the hot French chick in the end after doing it.

But it wouldn’t be a Stuart Black game if you didn’t get great feedback on the chaos you’re creating. Destructible environments—filled with tons of exploding barrels, of course—and different, more obscure weapons than you’d typically see in a WWII shooter will help make this a bang-up confrontation of the Axis versus the Allies. And, yeah, even though we all know how WWII ends, Enemy Front looks to bring fresh experiences to our grandfathers’ war. All I know is that with all the “future war” games currently in vogue, it’s nice to see a developer remember their roots—and remind us of them as well.

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E3 2012: The Big Question: WWE ’13

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Will the return of the Attitude Era in WWE ’13 finally allow wrestling fans to let go of WWF: No Mercy?

When you talk to fans of wrestling videogames, many still claim—to this day—that the N64’s WWF: No Mercy, released in November 2000, is the best wrestling game they’ve ever played. Whether it was the storyline dynamics the game introduced, the massive roster and customization features it boasted, or the unavoidable truth that the game released during the most popular wrestling era in history, one fact is clear: Players just refuse to let go of this game.

Flash forward 12 years later—so long, in fact, that the WWF’s now been the WWE for 10 years—and take a quick look at the current wrestling scene. CM Punk’s currently the most popular personality the WWE has—and it all started last summer when the straight-edge superstar went allegedly “off script” in a rant that shook the company to its very core. His feud with John Cena—and, ultimately, the WWE brand itself—led Punk to walk out of his hometown of Chicago as the WWE Champion, but supposedly no longer under contract. All this did was rile up fan support for Punk even more. He was this generation’s Stone Cold Steve Austin. Someone you couldn’t censor, couldn’t predict—and, most importantly, couldn’t stop.

So, naturally, Punk needed to be the cover wrestler for WWE ’13, as the momentum he started in 2011 hasn’t slowed down at all. But Punk isn’t just the most popular wrestler of this era; he also hearkens back to the nostalgic time of WWF: No Mercy—the Attitude Era. The late ’90s were dominated by D-Generation X, Stone Cold versus the Rock, and Mick Foley and that damn stinky Mr. Socko. CM Punk reminds a lot of wrestling fans of those larger-than-life personalities from that era—the ones that helped make WWF: No Mercy so great.

So, in order to strengthen the bridge between now and then, WWE ’13 is introducing a new option called “Attitude Era” mode, where you’ll get to play through eight classic storylines from that era all over again. Whether it’ll have the branching paths of No Mercy is yet to be seen, but the idea of being able to play through those classic storylines with those legendary wrestlers—but with a modern gaming engine—might be too good to be true. We also have no word on just who these classic eight might be, but I think I made a few decent suggestions in the previous paragraph!

When you combine that homage to the past with an even beefier WWE Universe mode, refined Predator animation technology, the new WWE Live system that features “Spectacular Moments” like ring breaks and barricade crashes, and a brand-new audio system, the only question that remains is this: Will the Rock’s storyline end with him in the midst of a mediocre movie career? That, and where the f*** are our ice-cream bars?!

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EGM Review: Batman: Arkham City—Harley Quinn’s Revenge

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June 2, 2012

Ever seen a clown cry?

SPOILER WARNING: If you haven’t finished Batman: Arkham City, major plot spoilers follow.

After the amazing ending of Batman: Arkham City, fans everywhere were left wondering just what would happen now in the dark, gritty, urban nightmare the boys at Rocksteady had cooked up—and had comic fanboys ranting and raving for months. Well, with the new Harley Quinn’s Revenge DLC, players will get a little more light shed on the endgame situation as they once again don the cape and cowl of the Caped Crusader.

Set several days after the end of the main game, Harley Quinn’s Revenge revolves around the Joker’s No. 1 girl looking for vengeance on the man she blames for slaughtering her poor ‘Mistah J’: the Batman. Using the GCPD as bait, Harley hunkers down in the Joker’s hideout from the main game—the Sionis Steel Mill—gives it a feminine flair, and dares Batman to rescue the Gotham pigs from the fryer. Things don’t quite go according to plan for the Dark Knight, though, and Harley manages to get the jump on Bats, leaving it up to Robin to rescue Batman, bring down Harley, and shut down the last villainous bastion of Arkham City once and for all.

Harley Quinn’s Revenge succeeds in doing a lot of things right, and fans of the main Arkham City campaign will immediately be able to jump right in. The DLC maintains the tone and pacing of the main game very well and gives everything a special Harley flair, as you see her thugs dressed in garb to match her traditional red-and-black playing-card jumpsuit; meanwhile, Harley gives herself a slight redesign by dyeing her hair black and donning a widow’s mourning veil.

The story also gives a bit of closure to Harley as a character. Though the DLC’s only two to three hours in length, it does a great job of providing her motivation—and possible future motivation—as well as confirming that the Joker, at least for now, has indeed passed on. It also gives an interesting look at how the Joker’s death is actually affecting Batman—and, in turn, the rest of the Bat-family, planting seeds for some interesting future plotlines.

Plus, Harley Quinn’s Revenge gives Batfans what they’ve wanted for a while—and that’s some gameplay with Robin. In fact, half the DLC sees you controlling the Boy Wonder, and he definitely feels much different than Batman. Aside from a different array of gadgets, Robin’s also a lot quicker than the Caped Crusader, but he also needs to land more hits to take down foes. His bo staff definitely helps even the odds when it comes to ranged attacks, and his bullet shield (which I’d like to think is a small homage to the Adam West/Burt Ward Bullet Shield) provides a novel aspect to working past armed thugs.

The biggest problem with this DLC, though—and it’s most evident when playing as Robin—is the lack of an option to go back out into the glorious open world which most of the main game took place in. The entire DLC is set in and around the Sionis Steel Mill, and you have almost no opportunities to go back and explore, making it feel very linear—and like a completely separate entity from Arkham City. I would’ve loved to have seen some objectives scattered about the city, just to see what Arkham looks like a week after the endgame chaos, but instead, you’re just moving through a small dungeon and typically have to go back over the same areas, as the story forces you to switch back and forth between Batman and Robin as the latter follows the former’s trail.

Still, Harley Quinn’s Revenge does a great job of bringing players back into the universe of Rocksteady’s Batman. The story and characters are just as compelling as before, the combat’s still amazingly tight, and the limited view of the world you get still looks and feels great. The only problem really lies within the linearity of the story, which makes you feel like you’ve taken a step backward and are playing a level from Arkham Asylum instead of Arkham City. Despite this, Batman fans of all shapes and sizes should get this DLC—and revel in Harley’s short time in the spotlight as the main villainess.

SUMMARY:  Harley Quinn’s Revenge is limited in scope compared to the main campaign, but fans of Arkham City should still jump at the chance to play this DLC, which adds two to three hours of original gameplay in Rocksteady’s gorgeously gothic world.

  • THE GOOD: Combat and story are just as tight as if they shipped with the main game.
  • THE BAD: Lacks the open-world feel of Arkham City.
  • THE UGLY: Harley dying her hair black while mourning.

SCORE: 9.0

Batman: Arkham City—Harley Quinn’s Revenge DLC is available on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. Primary version reviewed was on Xbox 360.

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Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Pre-Order Exclusives Announced

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As has become the standard for major releases nowadays, Activision has announced a pair of exclusive retail offers today in regards to the August 28th release of Transformers: Fall of Cybertron.

Fans who pre-order the game at Amazon will get a unique code for the G2 Bruticus skin that you can use during his single-player campaign mission and that should instantly be recognizable by his iconic hodgepodge color scheme.

Fans who pre-order the game at GameStop will get the bigger bundle though as they get the full G1 Retro Pack that features G1 weapon designs for Megatron to be used in the single player campaign and full G1 Optimus Prime skins that can be used in both the single player and multiplayer modes so you can transform and rollout in classic retro style.

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G.I. JOE 2 Delayed Until 2013

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NO JOE?!

Children of the 80s will have to wait a while longer to see Cobra Commander in the White House as G.I. Joe: Retaliation has shockingly vacated its prime June 29th summertime blockbuster slot.

Paramount Pictures is claiming that the action-flick, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Bruce Willis, is being pushed because they found an opportunity to add 3D in post-production and with that becoming more prominent in populous overseas countries, the studio feels they can garner a larger international box office by sending the movie back into the editing room. Unfortunately, Paramount has already dropped huge truckloads of money on advertising for the movie and it was even a point of contention between The Rock and John Cena leading up to their Wrestlemania 28 match in April.

Now slated for March 29th, 2013, (also just before Wrestlemania 29) Paramount is confident that, as proven by The Hunger Games this past March, that March can still be a huge money making month. Others agree that the move could work out for G.I, Joe: Retaliation, but mostly because there is sure to be less competition around it making it seem more like the idea of going up against The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises in the weeks shortly after the original release date is what really helped prompt this move.

Moving into its spot is Seth MacFarlane’s highly-touted movie Ted about a foul-mouthed teddy bear, which is happy to be around for what looks to be a massive July 4th weekend this year.

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EGM Review: Sorcery

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Some mediocre abracadabra

Everyone loves the allure of magic and believing in the unbelievable. Typically, we know that it’s all really just illusion, but games give us a chance to suspend our disbelief a little further with fantastical characters and by immersing us in stories based in myth and legend. Well, Sony hopes that even after countless delays, that by putting a ‘wand’ in your hand with Sorcery and the PS Move, that you’ll be able to immerse yourself just a little bit further than ever before.

You play as Finn, an orphan taken in by a sorcerer named Dash and his cat familiar, Erline. When Dash goes off on some errands, Finn decides its time to have a little bit of fun of his own and breaks into Dash’s storehouse. There, he finds an enchanted wand and soon after the real antics ensue as what starts off as some simple childish hijinx, like turning sheep into pigs and pots into fishbowls, quickly turns into an epic quest to protect Erline, as she is not who she really seems to be.

I admit that Sorcery shocked me in a lot of ways. It’s very easy to just write off a lot of these motion-control gimmick based games as we’ve had a steady stream of disappointment from most every one of them for quite some time. But Sorcery succeeds in crafting a highly detailed world with interesting, well-acted characters and a bevy of ‘out of this world’ powers that can appeal to gamers of all ages and providing some actual depth. Even after the game’s countless delays since the PS Move’s launch though, there are still some serious problems with execution.

Although the game’s lack of a targeting reticule or lock-on system is intended to give you a sense of freedom in the somewhat linear world before you, all it does is lead to constant frustration. It is far too easy to mishandle your wand and fire off magical bolts of various natures in the complete opposite direction of your intended targets, even after later learning how to weave your elemental spells to create a volcanic wall of fire or an electrical storm. Often instead you’ll find yourself just running around in circles on the battlefield as you try to finally get the PS Eye to pick up your wrist movement just right in order to smack your enemies with some of these devastating spells. And when you add in that some enemies have rejuvenating lifebars, the fun can get sucked out of this game more quickly than you can say ‘hocus pocus’ due to poor controls.

When all is said and done though, Sorcery is easily one of the better PS Move games. But this is still not saying much and when placed side-by-side with various traditionally controlled RPGs or action-adventure games, Sorcery, like many gimmicky motion-based games, simply falls short due to the gimmicks that gave the game inspiration in the first place. If you’re desperate to shake the dust off of your PS Move or have children that won’t easily lose patience with the controls, Sorcery does provide an entertaining, although predictable, story for gamers to play through, but otherwise shouldn’t cause any money to magically disappear from your wallet in order to purchase this title.

SUMMARY:  The gimmick driven combat system holds Sorcery back, as fun quickly turns to frustration after each misfire from your wand. And this is a shame given the predictable, but charming story that Sorcery tries to tell through vibrant characters and the beautiful world they occupy.

  • THE GOOD: One of the more well-rounded PS Move games available
  • THE BAD: Too many basic short comings and control glitches to be anything of real note
  • THE UGLY: Talking cats just ain’t right

SCORE: 6.0

Sorcery is a PS3 exclusive.     

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EGM Review: Dragon’s Lair – XBLA

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The Groundhog Day of Video Games

Dragon’s Lair is considered by many to be one of the most important early arcade games. Only one of three games to be featured permanently in the Smithsonian along with Pong and Pac-Man, Dragon’s Lair marked a lot of firsts for the gaming world back in 1983. It marked the first time anything but a sprite was used as the main character in a game, courtesy of the game’s creator, former Disney animator Don Bluth. It was the first arcade game to cost 50 cents instead of just a quarter. And it was the advent of the quicktime event.

The entire basis of the game was to guide Dirk the Daring through a random assortment of rooms where he would have to dodge using the four points of a d-pad or attack with his sword and press them at the proper time. If successful enough times (or after enough quarters), Dirk would rescue the very lovely Princess Daphne from the dastardly dragon, Singe and they’d live happily ever after.

Flash forward nearly three decades later and the game has been ported literally dozens of times and has been on nearly every system imaginable. So it was destined I suppose that this arcade classic was to make its way to the Xbox 360. In the hopes of giving this relic a little bounce to its step though, the game has also been made compatible for the Kinect, marking another first for Dragon’s Lair as it is the first downloadable XBLA game where you can play the entire thing through either via the Kinect or a controller like in the old days.

But, after playing through the game with both control methods, I can say with total confidence that as historic as Dragon’s Lair may be, it does not stand the test of time. The original Don Bluth animation is still stunning, but there are various glitches abound that were never smoothed out due to the game’s format. It is also alarmingly simple and should not take you more than 30 minutes to work your way through on even the hardest difficulty levels now that you have to pay $10 up front instead of worrying about feeding quarters into a machine.

The game still holds some of its charm with the princess constantly calling for you to save her and the humorous ways Dirk can die if not quick enough with your button presses, but nostalgia can only do so much. And if you want to give kids a history lesson in games, there are surely better ways. The Kinect controls are also, as usual, absolutely unnecessary and if you really want to get the best experience from this game, you have to use the controller all the way. Jumping left, right, forward, and back to dodge doesn’t immerse you as much as I’m sure the additions were intended to.

All in all, Dragon’s Lair was a significant note in gaming history back in 1983. But now, in 2012, it just can’t stand up to the games that we are used to seeing today and I don’t see it being worth $10 just to have a history lesson on your Xbox 360. Nostalgia can only do so much folks and at in the end, it isn’t enough to make Dragon’s Lair really worthwhile.

SUMMARY:  There is a lot of historical gravitas that Dragon’s Lair carries, but with over five dozen ports since its 1983 arcade launch, the game lacks punch, especially on modern consoles. There may be a nostalgia factor here for some, and it might be a good history lesson for others, but the game really doesn’t stand the test of time.

  • THE GOOD: Few games carry as much historical weight
  • THE BAD: Short, simple, and lacks modern appeal
  • THE UGLY:  Definitely not Princess Daphne! Hellloooooo princess!

SCORE: 3.0

Dragon’s Lair is available on Nintendo 3DS, PSN (PS3), PS Vita, PC, iOS, and XBLA (Xbox 360). Primary version reviewed was for XBLA (Xbox 360).    

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EGM Review: Max Payne 3

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No Payne, No Gain

It’s been more than ten years since Max Payne burst onto the scene with his gritty urban nightmare of corruption, betrayal, and sweet bullet time mechanics. A long time has passed for both us and Max, and a lot has changed in that time, but some things, like watching a bullet bore its way through a thug’s eye socket in slow-mo, never gets old.

In Max Payne 3, we see Max has moved from the familiar streets of New Jersey and NYC to Sao Paulo. There, he is a bodyguard for one of the wealthiest men in the city. And although his job title may be different, there is a seedy underbelly just teeming with nasty lowlifes who want to make Max’s life more difficult, even if he doesn’t have the emotional ties to the new people he finds himself rubbing elbows with. And things are only harder for Max now as he is older and not much wiser as his diet consists mostly of cocktails comprised of hard liquor and painkillers, constantly weighed down by the crippling depression of the events that happened in the first two games.

Max Payne 3 continues in the footsteps of its predecessors by telling an enthralling story with one of the most dynamic characters we’ve ever had the pleasure of controlling. Max’s dedication to the people around him, even if he has quit on himself, is admirable and pitiful at the same time and the brilliant voice acting by all those involved, including the returning James McCaffrey as Max, can’t help but pull you in. Not to mention the game looks great and the new physics system takes into consideration every bullet you fire and move you make. If you dive into a wall, expect Max to be jerked out of bullet time and into real time as he crumples up and if you shoot an enemy in the kneecap while he’s balancing on a high ledge, there’s a really good chance he’s going to go splat.

There are some flaws to Max Payne 3 though that also rattle you right back out of the immersive illusion the game creates. The most notable is the pacing of the story. A lot of mid-level cut scenes seem to pop up out of nowhere just as you really start to get into a groove with the action and bullet time. It’s great to be the person triggering the special scene as you fill a South American gang member full of SMG bullets, but it seemed like every time you moved into a new room, a short scene was triggered that almost always put you at a disadvantage at the start of the ensuing gunfight. And if you die, the game’s haphazard checkpoint system could send you a lot further back than you’d prefer, forcing you to do over some frustrating sequences multiple times and sucking you not only out of the story, but the fun out of the action.

Max Payne 3 also suffers with its cover mechanics. Clunky and slow moving, Max rarely seems to be in a rush to get down behind some boxes or against a wall, even with a hail of gunfire aimed for his face fast approaching. When compared to the premiere third-person shooters out there, this is one mechanic that Max definitely falls flat on.

If you can get past these few blemishes though, there is a lot to bring you back to Max Payne 3. Aside from the golden gun and clue collectibles in each single player level, there is also an arcade version of the campaign and the multiplayer is something that fans will easily get into. Forcing your friends to slow down whenever you initiate your bullet time as you line up that perfect head shot is satisfying, especially if you’re like me and prefer the Free Aim controls option. And with a bevy of modes ranging from your standard Team Deathmatch to some interesting takes on Capture the Leader, and the ability to create your own crew that gives you special bonuses, there is more than enough there to keep third-person shooter fans coming back for a long time.

When all is said and done, if you can get past the couple of control blemishes and don’t mind the trial and error feel to some of the action sequences, Max Payne 3 is a story chock full of action that both old fans and newcomers to the franchise should enjoy.

SUMMARY:  The unique storytelling and charismatic narration will pull you into an enthralling experience, but glitchy cover mechanics, poor checkpoint management, and off-putting pacing will rattle you out of your gaming reverie more often than you’d like.

  • THE GOOD: Dark, gritty, and action-packed
  • THE BAD: Glitchy cover mechanics, questionable story pacing
  • THE UGLY: Bald Max Payne looks like Bryan Cranston from Breaking Bad

SCORE: 8.0

Max Payne 3 is available on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. Primary version reviewed was on the Xbox 360.

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