There is always unease and a certain amount of skepticism when a beloved franchise that has long since closed it's doors is uprooted for one last ride. Perhaps that unease comes from the reasoning that a sequel can't possibly hope to do the series justice or in this specific case, a brand new developer takes the reins from the original creators of the franchise. Here we have Rockstar Games, best known for their work on the Grand Theft Auto franchise and most recently Red Dead Redemption,taking over for Remedy. Remedy, best known for the Max Payne games and the critically acclaimed Alan Wake, have passed on the torch to Rockstar for this overdue and possibly unneeded sequel.

Now comes the skepticism. As already evident, Rockstar is best known for their open world, crime based thrillers that allow the player almost absolute freedom to act whichever way they want in the sprawling sandbox that they're given. Long-time fans of the Max Payne series curiously questioned how such a developer would make the transition from a massive world to a more linear adventure with a more restricted sense of freedom. As time went on, Remedy revealed their blessings to the sequel and that they were fully confident in Rockstar's capabilities. Were they correct in trusting them? Keep reading to find out.

Max Payne 3 doesn't exactly pick up right where the second game left off. Nine years have passed since the passing of Max's wife and he has since then retired from the NYPD. As the game starts, we're shown that Max has spent those years wallowing away, drowning his life in alcohol and painkillers in hope of ridding himself of the past in his little apartment in Hoboken, New Jersey. The game jumps between two settings during the course of the game.; a present setting following the current events of Max's life and the second being a series of flashbacks following his adventures leading up to current events and how he got himself stuck in his current predicament and job employment.

In current events, Max and Pasos, a friend who he was once attended Police Academy with, both are in the employ for a powerful family in Brazil named the Bronco's. They work as "high level" personal security guards and usually accompany the youngest brother, Marcelo, and his friends to the most prestigious of parties and clubs in Sao Paulo. The eldest brother owns the entirety of the family heritage and the middle child is a politician in Brazil which puts the family usually on a high target list for the criminal underworld of Brazil. Certain circumstances go awry and Rodrigo's(eldest brother) wife, her sister and Marcelo get kidnapped and Max and Pasos are forced to track down the gangs through the dangerous, unfriendly streets of Brazil and rescue them.

The flashback sequences play homage to the previous Max Payne game in that it takes place almost entirely in New Jersey and on the streets and rooftops that fans of the series are familiar of and have grown to love. It's here where we're introduced to Pasos and the main reason Max has found himself stuck in Brazil working for the corrupt Bronco's as a mere body-guard. There's even a few tributes paid to the past few games that will leave fans shedding a tear for Max and his past life. Without revealing too much, Max sparks an all-out war with the local mob boss and he and Pasos are forced to flee for their life amongst the dirty and snow covered rooftops of New Jersey.

Rockstar tells Max's story brilliantly through beautifully rendered cinematics that have a sort of a multi-framed, jumpy feel to them. Even specific moments of dialogue pop up on screen that pertain to the story and add for effect. Max still retains his monologue speeches in between intense action scenes and every one of his actions is spoken in a discrete and sometimes regretful narrative. The language and tone of the game leaves no room for the weak and easily disturbed. There are dark, twisted scenes that depict real life situations that have occurred in under-developed countries such as Brazil and Rockstar doesn't pull their punches when displaying the brutality of the Brazilian slums. Graphically, Max Payne 3 is a jewel to look at. Character models are brilliantly modelled and the environments and colours simply vibrate off the screen. Simply put, the game is gorgeous but not without it's share of problems. There's the rare dip in frame-rate and occasional screen tear but thankfully, this is all forgettable and most definitely not a game-breaker.

The famed "bullet time" mechanic makes an explosive comeback in Max Payne 3 and even with several games attempting to replicate the system, it still feels fresh and a joy to slowly pull off head-shots as it once was in the original games. Due to the recent over-exposure in recent third person shooters, a new cover mechanic has been introduced to the Max Payne series for the first time, allowing for a slower and easier pace for gamers unfamiliar with a time without cover mechanics. The shooting and movement are in line with Rockstar's previous games but you still get that Max Payne vibe from duel-wielding pistols and only being able to carry a single heavy weapon when coinciding with a smaller firearm. The shooting feels tight and controlled, even though most people will still decide to stick with an assisted lock-on system over the free-aim system. Besides an outline of Max's body indicating your health which is replenished by painkillers, there is no visible HUD in the game. A problem that some gamers might experience is the occasional spike's in difficulty. Painkillers are spread out thin even in the easier game modes and one good shot could drop if not careful. The game doesn't bother to hold your hand and this might be a turn-off for casual gamers.

Alongside the main campaign, Max Payne 3 offers two additional modes to choose from to give a second play-through a little more flair. The first is merely Score Attack. You are matched up to fellow friends on Xbox Live and various leader boards to see who can attain the highest score possible throughout the story. Each kill grants you points and you'll receive even more for stylish and creative kills. The other mode that will familiar to long time fans of the series is New York Minute. A clock is constantly ticking down as you make your way through each chapter and each kill will garner you extra time on the clock. The fastest time's get clocked into leader boards to compete against your friends. In addition, Max Payne offers an intriguing selection of collectibles to find. One set being important clues that pertain to the story and the other being scattered pieces of Golden guns that when collected, are allowed to be selected.

The biggest addition that Rockstar has introduced into the Max Payne franchise is multiplayer. It's garnered it's fair share of criticism with the most common belief being that multiplayer will retain irrelevance among a story centric game such as Max Payne. Thankfully, Rockstar's previous success with GTA 4 and Red Dead Redemption carries over into Max Payne 3 and the result is different yet a joy to experience. There are your typical team death-match and objective-based game modes to choose from but those aren't even the most interesting additions to the game. A new system called Social Clubs Crews, allows you to create a persistant team and compete against rival gangs online. There's a standard levelling system that is commonly seen in most shooters and basic load-out options that are fleshed out even further with the game's generous rewards system.

Rockstar Games managed to riskfully revive Max Payne in the modern age while both paying respects to the world and character that Remedy created and creatively adding some of their own trademark flair to the series. With a gratifying and lengthy story coupled with a frantic and chaotic online multiplayer, Max Payne 3 earns it's place amongst it's prequels and even the top shooters of it's genre.

Final Score: 9.25