Long before I got to actually play any of these games, I remember seeing an image online of a bargain bin with an entire stack of used copies of Max Payne 3 being right in the middle of it, and because I was only vaguely familiar with the titular character's name at the time, it made me curious to see why that game in particular was apparently so controversial. As I became a bigger fan of the series by playing through and loving the first two games, my intrigue towards playing Max Payne 3 only grew due to how divisive it apparently was in the fanbase, but hearing about how the game was made by Rockstar this time around rather than Remedy gave me the feeling that the game was in good hands. While Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne improved on everything the previous game had established, Max Payne 3 ended up feeling like a total evolution of what made the series so special to me, as it struck a great balance between retaining the soul of the previous two games and revamping the gameplay and presentation in ways that ended up making this game my favorite in the trilogy.

One of the most noticeable and controversial additions to the gameplay in Max Payne 3 would be that of the cover system, and while I do kind of understand why people were coming from (especially with how the game industry was horrendously oversaturated with third-person cover shooters at the time), I felt that it ended up working alongside the John Woo-inspired bullet time and shootdodge mechanics that made the series iconic rather than against them. Thanks to the reduced amount of painkillers, weightier physics engine, and limited weapon slots that have a built-in risk-reward system, the gunfights in Max Payne 3 ended up being so much more dynamic, intense, and engaging than the ones in the previous two games, as you're given more freedom to approach each encounter while still being effectively punished for being too reckless or not having a plan. In both Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, I killed pretty much all of the enemies in my way by dodging to the side in slow motion and holding on R1 until they died, but here in Max Payne 3, I would pull off stunts like dive off of a railing, headshot as many enemies as possible before landing on the ground, staying on the ground to pick off anyone I missed, and then rolling into cover to blind fire at the new enemies arriving in the area, and having those strategies go well felt incredibly satisfying. Although you can find optional clues in each mission to help make sense of what's going on, a lot of the detective work and especially the platforming from the previous two games were toned down in favor of focusing on the shootouts and cutscenes, but since the moment-to-moment gameplay is so fun and rewarding to experiment with (especially thanks to how good these guns feel to handle and how cruel the violence ends up being), it doesn't end up feeling like a loss at all.

Even before I got the chance to actually play Max Payne 3, I was well aware of its visual style (so much so that I remember referencing it in at least one of my movie reviews), but I not only felt that it was a perfect fit for the story and its themes, but I also thought that it was even more appealing to my own tastes than the presentation of the rest of the series. If Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne took cues from the noir genre, then Max Payne 3 did the same with neo-noir, as the comic panel cutscenes and grimy New York apartments were replaced with a sun-baked, yet sleazy São Paulo setting, an incredible soundtrack by HEALTH, and a barrage of woozy, hyperactive flourishes that feel straight out of digital-era Tony Scott films like Man on Fire and Domino. Max was literally never able to catch a break in any of the three games, but what he goes through here in Max Payne 3 felt outright depressing, as his intense and debilitating addictions to alcohol and painkillers added another layer of tragedy to a story and plot that are significantly darker and bleaker than the first two games. The game starts with Payne hitting rock bottom before having him somehow ruin every worst case scenario he finds himself in, and as the twists and betrayals stack up on top of each other, the fog of failure and self-hatred that clouds his judgement thickens right alongside it. James McCaffrey's performances in Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne were already brilliant, but he absolutely nailed it here in Max Payne 3, as he conveys just how beaten-down, exhausted, and bitter Payne has become with every line. Max Payne 3 was a phenomenal conclusion to what is easily my favorite video game trilogy (although I'd still consider Metal Gear to be my favorite overall franchise in gaming), and since Rockstar's focus has shifted towards making open world games over the past decade, I can't imagine them making something like this ever again.