didn't expect to enjoy this as much as i did - even as a fan on the previous 2 games. i know that the left-turns this takes in terms of story, setting and tone had put many people off when it came out.
one of my expectations was that it would all be in service of its aesthetic but to be honest there's so much more care gone into this than that. which isn't to say that the aesthetic isn't rad - the nauseous Tony Scott/music video style has aged really well. in the ever-raging debate about games narratives, this isn't one that WANTS to be a movie so much as it co-opts the language and look of specific movies to tell quite a game-y story.
where the other 2 games, for all their virtues, were a bit of a jumble of influences, there is a coherent, singular vision driving this. i don't think it's against the spirit of the 'noir' tone of the last two games at all - i think that contrasting Max's cynicism with the sun-soaked, drug-fuelled debauchery of Brazil is a really good way of showing how the world has changed and become even more corrupt around him.
shooting mechanics are tight (if a little difficult with a controller) - the 'soft lock' option is a good compromise for some of those genuinely tooth-grinding set pieces toward the end.
don't know what else to say, enjoyed this much more than i expected.