There's really no such thing as a "perfect game". And usually, what people like and dislike is totally subjective. Sure Max Payne had its flaws but name one game that doesn't have flaws?
I like to believe that joshofalltrades wasn't saying it like it was a bad thing.
Nah, it's lighthearted ribbing, really
But I really wasn't joking about the dream sequences, not only were they overly long and annoying, the fact that you can die in real life by falling down an invisible bottomless pit if you slip up at all in your dream made no goddamn sense
And they got in the way of me jumping back and forth, guns blazing
Yeah, that was just strange. I mean you could construe "dying" in the hallucination to be an abstraction of Max succumbing to the overdose, and his heart stopping or his sanity slipping, but they didn't actually say anything like that
I'm assuming the dying aspect of the dream sequences was basically sloppy/lazy design where your avatar is still susceptible to death without any context or reason. An explanation like edcrab's would have made it somewhat excusable, but they should have just made it a purely cinematic experience like the MP2 dreams. I actually liked the isolated and creepy atmosphere of the first game's dreams, but having to navigate the arbitrary mazes was pretty unnecessary.
Also MP 1 & 2 own, and i'm totally looking forward to 3; I may not have the hardware to play it at launch though (and don't feel like getting back into consoles).
I like to believe that joshofalltrades wasn't saying it like it was a bad thing.
Nah, it's lighthearted ribbing, really
But I really wasn't joking about the dream sequences, not only were they overly long and annoying, the fact that you can die in real life by falling down an invisible bottomless pit if you slip up at all in your dream made no goddamn sense
And they got in the way of me jumping back and forth, guns blazing
Yeah, that was just strange. I mean you could construe "dying" in the hallucination to be an abstraction of Max succumbing to the overdose, and his heart stopping or his sanity slipping, but they didn't actually say anything like that
I always associated it with him succumbing to the overdose. How much more clear a metaphor did it have to be with him walking a tightrope in his own mind to avoid falling into darkness?
I guess they could have had the sound of his heart stopping or flash a big, garish piece of text across the screen to spell it out but I was fine with those stages from a story perspective. They were tense and eerie and way better than a lesser studio that might simply have you mash A/X/space bar to wake up.
I sort of only halfheartedly meant it, and it makes for a dull conversation. Certainly, a lot of the most interesting games have (big) flaws, and most of my favourites do ... but even if you make the argument that all of the best games have flaws, it's pretty trite, because all games have flaws.
So yes, the Max Payne games have lots of flaws and yes, they are also some of the finest games.
I find it interesting that so many people had trouble with the blood maze. It's dumb, sure, but with quicksaving it's really short, and not even that frustrating to navigate.
Yeah, that was just strange. I mean you could construe "dying" in the hallucination to be an abstraction of Max succumbing to the overdose, and his heart stopping or his sanity slipping, but they didn't actually say anything like that
I always associated it with him succumbing to the overdose. How much more clear a metaphor did it have to be with him walking a tightrope in his own mind to avoid falling into darkness?
I guess they could have had the sound of his heart stopping or flash a big, garish piece of text across the screen to spell it out but I was fine with those stages from a story perspective. They were tense and eerie and way better than a lesser studio that might simply have you mash A/X/space bar to wake up.
is that not due to... i guess the term would be "uncanny gameplay"?
as in, the closer you get to the perfect representation of the human face, the more humans, who are specially adapted to recognise human faces, get picky about the details. the further away you get, the more forgiving they are and more willing to make sense of abstractions.
ditto, the closer you are to really great satistfying gameplay, the more the flaws stand out. the rougher games ake you forgive their weaknesses to accept their strengths. the original mass effect is a pile of shit in comparison to the second in many ways, but i loved that game in spite of so many technical failings and gameplay shortcomings.
Also the dream sequences where you can fall off the path and actually die can fuck right off
I seem to recall some bullshit stealth section in those bits as well where you have to kill dudes with guns with only a bat and they can still somehow detect you when they have no line of sight? I'm pretty sure I never finished the first one because of those dream sequences.
But with I'm sure what'll be a short length and multi that I don't really care about, I think I'm just not gonna bother picking this up right away
Eh, I'm okay with a short game so long as it's fun. Replayability is a big thing for me, and the idea of a game being a fun afternoon rather than a full-on marathon every time is what helps me to come back again and again.
Any one gotten this game yet? I'm curious what the reactions are. As a fan of Max from the original game on PC, especially the writing style and the dark, stylized visuals with the mythological allusions strewn throughout the plot, I'm very curious how this one...feels. Does it feel like a new chapter? Or does it feel like a story they could have used any character in, they just happened to use Max for it.
"Hiding in plain sight." PSN/XBL: Marikir
0
Johnny ChopsockyScootaloo! We have to cook!Grillin' HaysenburgersRegistered Userregular
My impressions going into Chapter 9: I gotta give Rockstar credit, they've pulled it off.
This game is stylish as hell. Like a Michael Mann riff on 'Man On Fire' with David Cronenburg supplying the Violence (yes, with a capital V. I haven't cringed so much at bullet damage to a body in a game since the 'Soldier of Fortune' games) and some snippets from the 'Drive' soundtrack mixed in. I love how seemless everything is. Except for loading the game for the first time in a session, you won't see a loading screen. Cutscenes transition directly to the action, which is a great mixture of cover, diving and slow motion craziness. Even dying doesn't have a load screen, which is good because you might be dying quite a bit even on Normal. Enemies don't mess around and Max isn't bulletproof (even though some enemies are, with vests and helmets that you can actually see the bullets flatten themselves against and fall off). Rockstar's engine acquits itself well, most likely because it doesn't have to load huge open worlds here. Guns feel nice, sound nice and Free Aiming works even with the sticks.
As for the story, there's less 4th-wall breaking and mythology and more cynicism and sarcasm from Max. McCaffrey's got his A-game going here. There's some great call-backs to the previous games as well.
Going to have to get some multiplayer going later.
Initial thoughts: if the kitsch of 1 and 2 appealed to you, it sorta exists in Max's monologue but sensibly, Max is written like a long passage of time has occured
Johnny ChopsockyScootaloo! We have to cook!Grillin' HaysenburgersRegistered Userregular
edited May 2012
James McCaffrey is a goddamn king in this game. I'm pretty sure that, being just a hair into the third act, there's already more scripted and situational Max dialog in this game than there was in all of MP1&2.
Posts
Mega Race
Yeah, that was just strange. I mean you could construe "dying" in the hallucination to be an abstraction of Max succumbing to the overdose, and his heart stopping or his sanity slipping, but they didn't actually say anything like that
Also MP 1 & 2 own, and i'm totally looking forward to 3; I may not have the hardware to play it at launch though (and don't feel like getting back into consoles).
I always associated it with him succumbing to the overdose. How much more clear a metaphor did it have to be with him walking a tightrope in his own mind to avoid falling into darkness?
I guess they could have had the sound of his heart stopping or flash a big, garish piece of text across the screen to spell it out but I was fine with those stages from a story perspective. They were tense and eerie and way better than a lesser studio that might simply have you mash A/X/space bar to wake up.
I actually agree a lot with this.
So yes, the Max Payne games have lots of flaws and yes, they are also some of the finest games.
I find it interesting that so many people had trouble with the blood maze. It's dumb, sure, but with quicksaving it's really short, and not even that frustrating to navigate.
Sigh.
Let's do the bullet-timewarp again?
For all the shit I give the Max Payne games, they're still great
is that not due to... i guess the term would be "uncanny gameplay"?
as in, the closer you get to the perfect representation of the human face, the more humans, who are specially adapted to recognise human faces, get picky about the details. the further away you get, the more forgiving they are and more willing to make sense of abstractions.
ditto, the closer you are to really great satistfying gameplay, the more the flaws stand out. the rougher games ake you forgive their weaknesses to accept their strengths. the original mass effect is a pile of shit in comparison to the second in many ways, but i loved that game in spite of so many technical failings and gameplay shortcomings.
Max Payne 3: Homeland Security and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement
:?
this isnt about killing bin ladens, its about the other brown people that arent in the middle east
Oh yes. Gonna be sweet.
I seem to recall some bullshit stealth section in those bits as well where you have to kill dudes with guns with only a bat and they can still somehow detect you when they have no line of sight? I'm pretty sure I never finished the first one because of those dream sequences.
That animation system is all kinds of impressive, though.
Yep, I'm ready
Steam ID XBL: JohnnyChopsocky PSN:Stud_Beefpile WiiU:JohnnyChopsocky
I mean, I think it'll be good
But with I'm sure what'll be a short length and multi that I don't really care about, I think I'm just not gonna bother picking this up right away
Probably grab this when it hits $30 or less
Eh, I'm okay with a short game so long as it's fun. Replayability is a big thing for me, and the idea of a game being a fun afternoon rather than a full-on marathon every time is what helps me to come back again and again.
Steam ID XBL: JohnnyChopsocky PSN:Stud_Beefpile WiiU:JohnnyChopsocky
PAX Payne is now recruiting for all gaming platforms.
Steam ID XBL: JohnnyChopsocky PSN:Stud_Beefpile WiiU:JohnnyChopsocky
This game is stylish as hell. Like a Michael Mann riff on 'Man On Fire' with David Cronenburg supplying the Violence (yes, with a capital V. I haven't cringed so much at bullet damage to a body in a game since the 'Soldier of Fortune' games) and some snippets from the 'Drive' soundtrack mixed in. I love how seemless everything is. Except for loading the game for the first time in a session, you won't see a loading screen. Cutscenes transition directly to the action, which is a great mixture of cover, diving and slow motion craziness. Even dying doesn't have a load screen, which is good because you might be dying quite a bit even on Normal. Enemies don't mess around and Max isn't bulletproof (even though some enemies are, with vests and helmets that you can actually see the bullets flatten themselves against and fall off). Rockstar's engine acquits itself well, most likely because it doesn't have to load huge open worlds here. Guns feel nice, sound nice and Free Aiming works even with the sticks.
As for the story, there's less 4th-wall breaking and mythology and more cynicism and sarcasm from Max. McCaffrey's got his A-game going here. There's some great call-backs to the previous games as well.
Going to have to get some multiplayer going later.
Steam ID XBL: JohnnyChopsocky PSN:Stud_Beefpile WiiU:JohnnyChopsocky
In two weeks on PC.
which is pretty fuckin awesome
Steam ID XBL: JohnnyChopsocky PSN:Stud_Beefpile WiiU:JohnnyChopsocky
https://www.paypal.me/hobnailtaylor
Steam ID - VeldrinD | SS Post | Wishlist
That's basically the highest praise I can think of for anything.
Come join my crew while you're at it (you can be in 5 at a time). We need more people for the putting of holes in bastards.
Steam ID XBL: JohnnyChopsocky PSN:Stud_Beefpile WiiU:JohnnyChopsocky
Guess I'll have to replay Max Payne 2 while I wait for the PC version to come out
fuck everything i'm going to gamestop and trading some shit in tomorrow.
Thank you for reminding me I need to replay Stranglehold soon.
After buying this though.
Steam