A massive improvement over 2, and definitely my favourite in the series. Combat is faster and less frustrating, the story is less intrusive, and the set pieces are actually a lot of fun this time around.
Some of the levels don't really work: the boat level is slow enough to feel boring, and the train level similarly feels too easy as there's not really much going on. Other than this, I loved the road trip feel of this one, with the levels actually feeling like you are making progress toward New York. The final section of the game is some of the strongest gameplay in the series, and I think it wraps up well.
The gunplay is also more fun, with the weapon wheel back from 1 giving you more choice. The enemies are less annoying, with the invisible 1-shot kill enemies a thing of the past. I feel like they got the balance right with this one. It takes everything that worked from the first two and actually stands alone as a decent shooter. If this had been the first game, I think maybe the series would have done a little better.
Some of the levels don't really work: the boat level is slow enough to feel boring, and the train level similarly feels too easy as there's not really much going on. Other than this, I loved the road trip feel of this one, with the levels actually feeling like you are making progress toward New York. The final section of the game is some of the strongest gameplay in the series, and I think it wraps up well.
The gunplay is also more fun, with the weapon wheel back from 1 giving you more choice. The enemies are less annoying, with the invisible 1-shot kill enemies a thing of the past. I feel like they got the balance right with this one. It takes everything that worked from the first two and actually stands alone as a decent shooter. If this had been the first game, I think maybe the series would have done a little better.