Post-Play: Looking back on the Max Payne trilogy

The Max Payne trilogy has sat at an intersection between the most popular AAA games and the more underrated titles in the industry; the franchise itself is relatively short at three main games plus a feature film but it has nevertheless been able to maintain its strong critical reputation with a central character and his losses pushed to the forefront of each individual game. I played the first two titles on PC through Steam (an easy task given how old the games are) and the third on PlayStation 3.

Originally conceived by Remedy Entertainment (Who most recently made Quantum Break), Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne were both dark, grim delves into criminal underworlds and they were also the first games to incorporate bullet time; initially introduced by The Matrix in 1999, the visual flair offered up by slow motion has been constantly replicated in movies but it was Max Payne that stamped it onto the gaming scene. All those slow-mo breach sequences we see in modern first person shooters nowadays owe their existence to Remedy’s original games. The first game is unapologetically gloomy, wearing its neo-noir style on its sleeve; the dreary streets of New York appearing desolate and mostly empty. It’s as much a part of the tone as it is a design constraint and serves a strong backdrop for Max’s dive into the seedy underworld of drug use. The presentation of the story, a set of comic book panels ground the game in a crime drama atmosphere; it draws the player into its story at a time where other games used pre-rendered cut scenes. The only real blemish on the first game’s look is the cheesy looking grin plastered across Max’s face (Courtesy of writer Sam Lake) throughout the entire game; 3D animation clearly shows its age here as it contrasts sharply with all the gritty action.

Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne was a very strong sequel in 2003, bringing in countless refinements to a game that was somewhat limited in its scope. The presentation of both the in-game action and the story was vastly improved with Max tumbling even deeper into depravity. With this came a stronger variety of environments including a strangely proportioned funhouse and extravagant mansions. The greater role of Mona Sax added a greater dimension to the central story as Max trudged to further betrayal and loss. The game itself was far more versatile than before with Max now having a melee attack and more over-the-top moves to compliment the original’s bullet time mechanics. Max Payne 2 did not sell very well which prompted Take-Two Interactive to readjust their sales forecasts. Remedy would not return to the franchise, instead moving to make Alan Wake in 2010; development would eventually be passed to Rockstar Studios, creators of the Grand Theft Auto series.

Then there was the dreaded 2008 film adaptation starring Mark Wahlberg and directed by John Moore, who also made the awful A Good Day to Die Hard in 2013. Much like many video game movies, the adaptation was a colossal misfire with many fans arguing that it outright ruined the source material it was based on. Because of this I have no urge to watch the film but based on what little footage I’ve seen, the general thought was that someone at the production studio had been watching too much Constantine when making the film as it constantly dipped into confusing clusters of drug induced apocalyptic visions.

It would take nine years for the third (And at this stage final) title in the franchise and this long gap is an initial indicator that the third Max Payne game is very different from its predecessors, most notably from an aesthetic standpoint; the cold and harsh backdrop of Manhattan is replaced with the bustling sweat of Sau Paulo Brazil. The comic book style of the first two games is gone, replaced with flickering lights and emphasised words; despite not being consistent with the series it’s a very unique presentational style which manages to set itself apart from other modern games. In Max Payne 3 the central character is out of his element which fuels his own path of vengeance against the corruption that plagues the country. Max becomes more tormented than ever and as a whole the third game is a solid continuation of the story, though the overall conclusion left something to be desired. Max goes through most of the game at his lowest point, drinking and addicted to painkillers; once the final action sequence ends however, he merely walks off into the sunset in Bahia having finally found some solace. I was hoping for a scene where he moves on from his personal demons or at least a point when he throws away the painkillers and alcohol. It’s a little disappointing to have the trilogy end on such a simplistic conclusion but the ride taken was still worth playing through.

Ultimately the Max Payne series has served its time well, delivering some of the most explosive, action packed gameplay you can find outside of first person shooters. Unlike many action games though, it backs this up with a strong central character that completes an arc over the course of the three games. As far as refinement goes, Max Payne 3 is easily the best of the three but I wouldn’t discount the first two games either; I recommend playing through all three (or reading the graphic novels) to get the complete story.

Max Payne 3 Game Review

Released: May 18th 2012 (Europe)

Developer: Rockstar Studios

Publisher: Rockstar Games

Certificate: 18

Formats: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC

Played on: PS3

Back in 2001, the original Max Payne set a high standard for action games while also refusing to shy away from its gritty yet absorbing story. After nearly a decade of absence, the Max Payne franchise has returned, this time under the highly popular Rockstar Games; while it may move away from the franchise’s original tone, the game is still just as flashy and enjoyable as ever.

Sometime after the events of Max Payne 2, the titular hero has left New York behind him as he takes up bodyguard work for a wealthy family in Sau Paulo, Brazil with his close friend Raul Passos. But it seems Max can never find time to settle as the family are quickly attacked by a group of terrorists who appear to be after their vast riches. As things spiral out of control, Max is once again pressed into a one man investigation against a network of corruption and organised crime. Just like the previous games, Max Payne is about the central character; Max’s past losses weigh down on him heavily here and there are times where he questions he own intentions and why he even carries on. If you’ve played the previous games, there are oodles of intrigue as to how this final chapter will play out and the returning James McCafferey does a fantastic job of selling the character. The game’s story takes place over fourteen chapters, occasionally dipping into flashbacks to fill in the blanks between games. Just as before, constant narrations from Max litter the proceedings, but Max Payne 3 is also a marked shift from previous titles in that it drops the dark noir look of New York for a boiled, tropical grind look that matches its exotic setting. Despite this change, things are still suitably grim, especially as Max begins to uncover the true motives behind the local corruption and you’ll want to push through to see how it all pans out.

Max Payne’s main single player component takes place across fourteen chapters, during which you’ll move between action scenes and snappy in-game cutscenes, mixed with narrations from the central character. It’s plain and straightforward just like the previous two games, keeping the pacing on a consistent forward momentum. Occasionally there are a few on-rails sections firing from vehicles and you’ll also shoot your way through faithful New York flashbacks as Max takes on a disgruntled set of mobsters to escape the city. Despite taking place in a single country, there’s plenty of variety to the environments; Max will head from rich playboy settings to the lowliest poverty stricken favelas and back again.

Throughout each mission Max can carry two one handed and a single two handed weapon and a quick roll will pick up any weapon enemies drop. Once the single player game is over after about twelve hours, there’s plenty of replayability; multiple difficulty settings as well as arcade and time trial modes which adds a point based style to the main game. Then there’s multiplayer for up to 16 players; it offers everything you’d expect including levelling up, unlocking items and clan support. In the context of multiplayer, Max Payne’s shooting isn’t quite as satisfying as the campaign but it has a few interesting features such as the ability to place vendettas and bounties on enemy players during a match.

With modern platforms comes a more refined set of controls and it’s easily the most impactful and free-flowing combat system that Rockstar has ever developed. From a third person perspective, activating the series patented bullet time is as easy as clicking the right stick and this can be combined with a dive move triggered by R1, allowing Max to dodge incoming fire while also landing those critical hits. Health is displayed in the bottom right corner of the screen with sound echoing when Max is close to dying; popping some painkillers will remove the damage but it’s worth conserving these for the tougher encounters later on. The game is incredibly challenging, particularly towards the end when Max starts taking on fully armoured foes with more powerful weapons; in many cases the series has played along a similar trial and error approach with the memorisation of enemy placement. In another major update from the first two games, Max Payne 3 has a fully-fledged cover system which you’ll need to use sparingly to avoid death. The only hiccup to the gameplay here is that there’s no option to dive or roll into cover; when Max falls into a last stand moment, or dives across the screen to dodge bullets, there’s a brief moment where he’s left vulnerable and this gives enemies a chance to get some easy damage in. On higher difficulties this can be a pain as you can unavoidably take damage when it would be much more efficient for Max to crawl back into cover after a dive. The aforementioned last stand mechanic occurs if Max is on the verge of death you can take out a specific enemy to save yourself (so long as you have a set of painkillers available). Max Payne 3 adds plenty of depth to the already established formula, making the base gameplay that much more engaging.

For a game released towards the end of the seventh console generation, Max Payne 3 looks brilliant; the setting of Sao Paulo is a varied and detailed backdrop for the story mode and this is accompanied by a great lighting system that hangs over every blood-soaked level. The presentation of its story is a clouded haze of flickering lights, signifying Max’s descent into painkiller fuelled addiction; this, alongside the emphasis of specific words in the narrative adds further depth to Max’s personal struggle. If there’s one game that can make gunfights tremendously visceral, it’s Max Payne 3, which utilises modern hardware to great effect. Contrary to all the shooting in games recently, the gunfights here are absolutely brutal; bullets rip and tear into enemies, blood splatters all over the place and the last kill in every group of enemies is marked with a grisly slow motion finish. It really is one of the most detailed shooting systems in gaming history, with enemies tumbling left and right, reacting to every piece of shrapnel. Of course the game is at its most extravagant when bullet time comes into play, with bullets whistling past Max as he flies through the air with parts of the environment being torn up by the destructive battles. Above all else though it’s consistent with the series formula and ensures that the seemingly endless gunfights throughout the game never lose their impact. The music is a mixture of sombre violin threads (Particularly the returning Max Payne theme) and pumping electronic pieces. On top of all that, Max Payne 3 runs incredibly well too, only having a few brief pauses during cut scenes which maintain the player’s investment.

There are a few moments where the core gameplay becomes frustrating and the multiplayer could have been a bit more ambitious but as a fitting end to a trilogy that started over a decade ago, Max Payne 3 makes the most of modern tech to deliver an unrelenting and vicious action rollercoaster.

Rating: 8.5/10 

Top 5 Guilty Pleasures in Film

As a reviewer of films, I like to think I’ve become more specific and refined in my criticism of the medium over the last three years on this blog. For this countdown (Which I hope to turn into a series every twenty five posts) I thought I’d take a step back; there are many films out there which were received poorly by both critics and audiences yet when you look back on personal experience of when you first watched the film, there is still a kind of mindless enjoyment to be found. The following five films all have numerous problems, but I’m still able to look past them and view them for what they are; simple entertainment.

5. The Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions (2003)

A vast majority of audiences disregard the Matrix sequels as vastly inferior to the original 1999 film and even though they both throw out both philosophical ambiguity and plot coherency in favour of pure action, they can still stand as enjoyable films to me. The action sequences (particularly the burly brawl in Reloaded and final battle in Revolutions) are still dazzling to watch, maintaining that flair that the series is known for. The overall presentation and look of the sequels are also spectacular, particularly as we see the machines and the utter destruction they cause to Zion towards the end of Revolutions. Above all else though, Reloaded and Revolutions succeed at adding to and eventually completing the story established in the original 1999 film.

4. Jurassic Park III (2001)

Jurassic Park III is constantly referred to as the weakest of the saga and the naysayers are certainly correct. The motivations for going to Isla Sorna are completely screwed up from the offset and the characters are some of the most annoying I’ve ever seen in a film (especially the grating William H. Macy and Tea Leoni). Despite all this though, the dinosaur action scenes still deliver; I’ve always enjoyed the raptor chase and the struggle with the Pteranodons in the bird cage. Perhaps the most controversial thing I can say is that I don’t mind the Spinosaurus taking out the T-Rex at the end of the first act; if anything it was a pretty intense battle, two titans of the prehistoric era going head to head. It’s also the shortest film in the series, meaning we don’t have to put up with the bad acting for too long.

3. 2012 (2009)

Yes it’s mind-numbingly stupid and the characters are incredibly stereotypical, but as pure entertainment this disaster film delivers. It’s as if Roland Emmerich decided to roll every disaster movie ever made into one gargantuan package and in this sense it really works. Running off the basic premise of the Mayans predicting the end of the world; we’re treated to meteor storms, huge earthquakes, structural collapses and raging floods all in the same film. In terms of sheer silly spectacle, 2012 is unsurpassed; it crams the whole suite of disaster tropes into one film and through some solid special effects it manages to make the race to safety surprisingly engaging if you’re willing to go along with its many wild scenarios.

2. Godzilla (1998)

The American version of Godzilla had a sizeable amount of hype attached to it and when it finally arrived there was plenty of disappointment to go around. The critics really didn’t like it and the fans were unhappy with the monster design but I just don’t feel the same way about Godzilla 1998; I first saw the film when I was about six and I really enjoyed the scene where “Zilla” first arrives in New York. It’s hopelessly derivative of other films and the acting from the human characters is pretty atrocious but that’s not really what you look for in a movie like this. It gives you some explosive action sequences and a pretty manic chase at the end, delivering that basic popcorn entertainment. Most of all though, it’s not an absolute tease like the 2014 version was; it understands that Godzilla is supposed to be the central focus whenever he’s on screen, rather than constantly cutting away to the boring humans.

1. Wild Hogs (2007)

Wild Hogs is a movie that is despised by a vast majority of critics who called it idiotic, unfunny and tired. Shockingly enough, I still get some enjoyment out of it. I saw it with family and we were laughing our heads off all the way through. If you look at it critically, there’s plenty to complain about; the film is awash with stereotypes, many of the jokes quickly wear out their welcome and the film as a whole is pretty dumb. Yet as far as harmless family comedy goes, it’s still one of the most quotable films out there. Even now whenever I see a band of hoggers heading down the motorway my little brother is always reminded of the film. That’s how funny and memorable it was for us when we first saw it; it’s the ultimate guilty pleasure for me as it stands in near complete opposition to the film’s overall consensus.

Fargo Series Review (Season 2)

Released: July 13th 2016

Created by: Noah Hawley

Number of episodes: 10

Where to watch: Netflix (UK and United States)

Starring: Patrick Wilson, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Jean Smart and Ted Danson

Twenty years have passed since the Coen Brothers released what some consider their best film which has recently found new life as a superbly enjoyable small screen experience. As a prequel to both the original 1996 film and season 1, the second season of Fargo hardly puts a foot wrong, providing us with another enticing blend of crime, conflict and light comedy.

It all begins (Completely at random of course) in 1979 with a couple accidentally running down a member of the ruthless Gerhardt crime family; Peggy and Ed (Played by Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons respectively) take desperate measures to cover up their involvement in the crime while also pursuing their own ends of moving up in life. Meanwhile State Trooper Lou Solverson (Patrick Wilson) takes up the case, but between an approaching visit from Presidential candidate Ronald Reagan (Played effortlessly well by Bruce Campbell), multiple gang wars and an incognito hitman lurking around, the concerned copper has his work cut out for him. Once again, we have a set of varied and interesting characters caught up in a web of intrigue. While it contains several key links to the first season For the most part, season 2 of Fargo is its own story and it’s vastly unpredictable, with the warring parties taking steps to further their own ends. Motivations change, authority gets in the way and desperate measures come into force; it all comes together to create another rich narrative that’s difficult to pull away from.

Just as before, Fargo season 2 creates an intriguing collection of characters that you’ll want to stick with; Lou Solverson is a decent trooper through and through with a sense a moral responsibility to uncover the crimes, but it’s his relationships with his family and father-in-law Hank Larsson that really anchors him as the season’s central protagonist. As you learn more about his past you really do care for him and his family, just as you did with Molly and Gus Grimly in the original season. The Gerhardt’s themselves have an interesting hierarchal structure to them; on the one hand they’re increasingly violent but then you have the more considered approaches by the family’s leader Floyd (Jean Smart); the way the family members play off one another throughout the season is one of its most interesting components and despite their questionable goals, you’re still invested in what will happen to them by the end. Finally there’s the elusive hitman (Zahn McClarnon) with more than a few secrets and parallels to Billy Bob Thornton’s Lorne Malvo from the original season; another sinister character that won’t fail at casting unease on the audience.

Fargo’s presentational techniques are back in full swing for Season 2, this time adopting a more vintage style to reflect the time period; this is personified mostly by the typewriter opening credits that mark each of the ten episodes. The cinematography makes a great use of wide shots to show the scale of the setting and often times the action will split the screen into two perspectives to track the characters, keeping the visual flair high. As a period piece, Fargo also does incredibly well from a design standpoint. Costuming, scenery, a selection of classic rock, the old fashioned cars and town settings; outside of the often nasty events that transpire in the season, it’s a real treat to be transported back to the seventies.

Season 2 of Fargo really isn’t all that different from the original (outside of the time period) but it hasn’t lost one bit of what made it so deliciously captivating. Just like its predecessors it will pull you in and never let go until the final scene has concluded.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

War Dogs Movie Review

Released: August 19th 2016 (United States)

Length: 114 Minutes

Certificate: 15

Director: Todd Phillips

Starring: Jonah Hill, Miles Teller, Ana De Armas and Bradley Cooper

The trading of arms and weaponry is a considerably shady business in today’s world and the War Dogs arrives as the latest portrayal of the issue. It’s a seemingly over-the-top one sided film that ends up having a lot more to it under the surface if you look at the way it is presented.

War Dogs is loosely based on the Rolling Stone article “Arms and the dudes” by Guy Lawson and follows two fraudulent arms dealers Efraim Diveroli (Jonah Hill) and David Packouz (Miles Teller) who made it big by taking advantage of public bids on US arms and defence contracts. With sly impersonations mixed with sneaky business tactics, the two amass quite the fortunes. But for Efraim, there’s never enough money to go around and the two soon find themselves growing more and more unethical and relentless in their efforts to secure the biggest deals. As the film opens, the audience is treated to a set of statistics regarding the cost of outfitting soldiers in modern warfare, an intriguing piece of background that snags attention. From here the story unfolds over chapters as Packouz narrates the rise and eventual fall of their company AEY. The biggest component in the War Dogs lies with its contrasting tones; these are intentional in that as the story unfolds from the viewpoint of the two main characters, the audience is put into their perspective. In the eyes of Efraim and David, they’re making millions and living it up without ever having to deal with the consequences or understand the impact of their actions, so there’s a sense of glamour which hangs over their moral-free business ethics. But once it all comes unravelling and the duo gets too deeply involved, the film becomes more serious as the law begins to catch up with their deeds. The final third of the film is particularly engrossing as tempers flare and things spiral for the two main characters.

The two actors at the centre of War Dogs both keep the spotlight and both make their specific characteristics known. Efraim’s presence and self-absorbed mannerisms make up a big portion of the film; Jonah Hill plays the arrogant, self-indulged businessman with a charismatic glee, though occasionally he crosses the line into becoming annoying which distracts from the otherwise intriguing proceedings. By contrast, Teller is much more grounded as David’s family life with his girlfriend Iz (Ana de Armas) creeping into his dealings, creating a more considered element to his character. Much of the dialogue in War Dogs has an outrageous, over-the-top flair to it, emphasizing how taken aback and carefree the arms dealers are by their illegal successes; at times it reminded me of 2013’s The Wolf of Wall Street. Beneath all the partying and celebrations lie two characters that are profiting off conflict and human misery and this clashes with their own viewpoints which are consistently pushes to the forefront.

Taking place in between 2005 and 2008, War Dogs contains several mentions of the Iraq War and it creates a fairly believable picture of the business. Scenes in both the Middle East and Albania create a more solemn atmosphere of looming tension and danger, another major contrast with the environment the dealers do their business from. The music is a mixture of wild party songs that reflect the extravagance of the dealers business, adding another layer to the film’s perspective based tones. In War Dogs a straightforward filming style takes a back seat to the portrayal of real world issues and it’s definitely the right way to go, further immersing the audience in the issue at the film’s centre.

War Dogs draws you in with its narrative, subverts it with tonal shifts and creates two memorable (if mostly unlikeable) characters. It takes some consideration to understand where the film is coming from, but behind its massively controversial and troubling subject matter you’ll find an incredibly entertaining and engaging dramatization.

Rating: 4/5 Stars