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[Net_Wrecker]

As far as interruptions go, would you say it's better, worse, or on par with MGS4?

Relative to game length, I'd honestly say it's about on par with MGS4. Like, if MGS4 was a 10 hour shooter, it would be Max Payne 3. Worse than that, the cutscene are unskippable which kills replay value, made all the more frustrating because gameplay is really fun.

 

[Raptomex]

Excellent series. I think 3 is by far my favorite. Although, I still play 2 quite a bit. But the combat in 3 is truly incredible. I just beat it on hard yesterday. I've beaten this game so many times and yet I still love to go back just because of the gunplay alone. I'm glad to see they're bringing that over to GTA V WITH improvements, mind you.

 

[Totobeni]

Max Payne was very good but Max Payne 2 is the best in the series, even Mona's levels were really good, it's story and pacing and levels and improvement over the original made it a classic in the genre.

MP3 on the other hands.. well it's not a real Max Payne game and not even real noir.

2k/R* need to hire remedy again.

 

[UrbanRats]

I remember that one Matrix mod (where you used Morpheus) for Max Payne 1 (based on the Kung Fu mod) so amazing, everytime you dived, Spybreak! would start.

I liked Max Payne 2 more in terms of gameplay, but that mod stole at least 50 hours out of me.

 

[Spring-Loaded]

Relative to game length, I'd honestly say it's about on par with MGS4. Like, if MGS4 was a 10 hour shooter, it would be Max Payne 3. Worse than that, the cutscene are unskippable which kills replay value, made all the more frustrating because gameplay is really fun.

If it weren't for the frequent interruptions and fragmented nature of the game, it would honestly be infinitely replayable. I just popped it in and played the first half if the office level. Even in the smallest segment and taking the same path each time, the shootout will play out differently because if the a.i. and physics. With no other changes to the game besides relegating cutscene dialogue to being in gameplay or cut out in places, it would be almost perfect for what it is.

Another game has to take a similar approach to gameplay at some point, but have interruptions only exist to start/close a level or set up a bullet-time moment. The co-op would feauture actual levels to play through instead of just arenas; i need something on the same level as hard boiled's hospital sequence. If life were just, there'd already be something like that on its way

 

[UrbanRats]

If it weren't for the frequent interruptions and fragmented nature of the game, it would honestly be infinitely replayable. I just popped it in and played the first half if the office level. Even in the smallest segment and taking the same path each time, the shootout will play out differently because if the a.i. and physics. With no other changes to the game besides relegating cutscene dialogue to being in gameplay or cut out in places, it would be almost perfect for what it is.

Yeah, it's really a shame.
The latter levels are a bit better, in terms of interruptions, though.
Like after the Stadium one.
Panama and the Bus station are probably the two i replay more often.

 

[bidguy]

the voice acting in max payne 1 is terrible though. especially in the first few levels. i love that game but sometimes its cringeworthy.

 

[Spring-Loaded]

Yeah, it's really a shame.
The latter levels are a bit better, in terms of interruptions, though.
Like after the Stadium one.
Panama and the Bus station are probably the two i replay more often.

While fewer interruptions is always preferrable, the bus station had a good balance. Any time there was a cutscene, it set up something interesting, even if it was boring for a bit.

 

[moneyman232]

All 3 great, mp3s gameplay is IMO the best 3rd person shooter gunplay ever...so good. One day I'll write my analysis of it and how everything revolves around the idea of a cinematic experience for better or for worse

 

[Shads]

I enjoyed Max Payne 3 quite a lot actually. I think my expectation of going into playing a "cinematic" game and reading GAF beforehand made it actually exceed my low expectations. The graphics, animation, voice acting, and general production value are all really top notch. I thought the story was just interesting enough to keep me playing and seeing the progression of Max Payne throughout the game, but it does start to lose itself as it creeps closer to the end. But I generally always liked Rockstar's dialogue in their games and seemed up to par with the other Dan Houser works. And maybe it's been a long time since I last played Max Payne 2 (since it was originally released), but I thought MP3 did the action and bullettime gunplay justice... the only exception to this were the on-rail shooter sections... Just enjoy it for what it is, but I am curious to know your opinion since you just finished playing MP1 & 2.

 

[AndyLonn]

"Max, Dearest of all my friends"

That line rings true as I've never felt as connected to a main character in a game as I did Max, Too bad MP3 felt so hollow. Max's story ended in MP2 and shouldn't have been continued imo.

There is one very cool sequence in MP3 near the end, for those who played the game, I'm talking about the long stretch at the airport. The scene is perfectly orchestrated with just the right amount of baddies and the right soundtrack to set the stage for the game's finale.

A scene that is a true testament to Rockstar being the best in the biz.

 

[bideogamer]

the voice acting in max payne 1 is terrible though. especially in the first few levels. i love that game but sometimes its cringeworthy.

What?!??!?? Shit is pitch perfect I love it.

 

[Mortimer Brewster]

If it weren't for the frequent interruptions and fragmented nature of the game, it would honestly be infinitely replayable. I just popped it in and played the first half if the office level. Even in the smallest segment and taking the same path each time, the shootout will play out differently because if the a.i. and physics. With no other changes to the game besides relegating cutscene dialogue to being in gameplay or cut out in places, it would be almost perfect for what it is.

Another game has to take a similar approach to gameplay at some point, but have interruptions only exist to start/close a level or set up a bullet-time moment. The co-op would feauture actual levels to play through instead of just arenas; i need something on the same level as hard boiled's hospital sequence. If life were just, there'd already be something like that on its way

Agreed, it has stellar gameplay with some of the best shooting mechanics out there the pervasive cutscenes have stopped me from replaying the game after the initial playthrough

 

[Ben Pierce]

I've beaten each game multiple times on various difficulties. Max Payne 1 & 2 are classics that I can come back to in a year, and I'll still enjoy them. Max Payne 3 is the best 3rd person shooter I've played this gen, but I have a hard time accepting it as part of the series: the dialogue reeks of trying too hard most of the time (although I'll admit there are some one-liners that are spot on), the atmosphere is especially lacking for a Max Payne game, the overabundance of cutscenes and the omission of comic book panels - a standard for the series - is hard enough to get past, and some of the scenarios are so contrived that I feel like R* is trying to patronize me.

I'm glad to read in another thread that MP 4 sold 4 million, so we may see another in the series; it makes sense. However, I'd like to see R* address the many issues I and other players have with some odd design choices. Maybe I'm just jaded, and the next one will connect with me better since it won't be coming off of the heels of MP 2.

 

[UrbanRats]

I neither liked or disliked MP3. All of its elements seemed to be mediocre, except for the detail put into animation and such. From story to gameplay, nothing really sticks out. The enemies are complete bullet sponges and there was way, way, waaaay too much combat.

Not really.
Aside from like, 2 tank mini-bosses and the final boss, even the strongest type of enemy in the game can be killed with 2 shots (one to remove the helmet, the other to kill) and in general most die from simply shooting them a couple of times in the chest, unless they have a bulletproof vest.
It's pretty realistic.

See here:

As soon as Max shoots him in the neck, he dies instantly.

 

[Raptomex]

I neither liked or disliked MP3. All of its elements seemed to be mediocre, except for the detail put into animation and such. From story to gameplay, nothing really sticks out. The enemies are complete bullet sponges and there was way, way, waaaay too much combat.
Bullet time and gun battles are fun the first few times. They stop being fun the hundredth time around, especially if the combat and combat situations do not (or barely) evolve whatsoever. Aside from that, there are way too much cutscenes and the ''cutscene --> gameplay --> repeat'' form of design started getting on my nerves. The story is not interesting to follow and failed to achieve what it set out to do and the game has a couple of consistent glitches.

Overall it was a huge disappointment. I don't hate it by any means, but it was a chore to get through.

Sponges? No. Bulletproof vests. Shoot them in the head and I've never heard of a shooter having way too much combat. To each is own I suppose.

See here:

As soon as Max shoots him in the neck, he dies instantly.

I just want to say this is a perfect example of showing off how amazing the combat/gunplay really is. Also the bodily reactions to getting shot. Amazing.

 

[keltickennedy]

Love the franchise. Max Payne 3 was one of my favorite games last year. PM me if anyone ever wants to play multiplayer on PC and I will add on steam.

 

[Darkangel]

I had a hard time getting into Max Payne 2 because it felt like I was playing as a different character.

Sam Lake Max > All.

 

[NIN90]

"I had a dream of my wife. She was dead. But it was alright."

What a perfect line to end MP2. It's where I got my current avatar from.
A smiling Max. That's quite rare.

 

[Basketball]

I loved all three game especially the last 2 games.

One of the first games that introduce me to ragdoll animations.

Max payne 2 had the best story but 3 takes the cake in gameplay.

My only problem with 3 are the unskippable cutscenes. The game had a good decent sized campaign, unlockables, skins, lots of cool weapons, and a fun multiplayer but sadly it kind of fell off a couple months after the game released but you can still find games ofcourse.

I don't get why some people are mad at the ending

<spoiler>He gets his day in the sun to relax and live on<spoiler>

After the whole mass effect 3 travesty i was expecting the same fate for max.

Why can't he just get a break and what's wrong with that?

 

[UrbanRats]

Maybe I'm wrong about the bullet sponge thing (it's been a while), but I just remember the enemies taking an unrealistic amount of shots before falling when not shot at the face (I know I'm supposed to aim at that. I just find myself spraying bullets into their bodies as well at times). Maybe I am misinformed on how efficient bulletproof vests really are, but I somewhat doubted that someone could still get nearly an entire clip of a rifle emptied into their chest at short range and still get up that easily.

I don't know if you used soft-lock, but that snaps you to the chest of enemies, so you'll most likely shoot them in the vest (if they have one).
Of course the vest is not working exactly as it does in real life (where you often pass out for the shock) but it's exactly to mix it up and keep things interesting.
The different enemy factions (UFE, Cracha Preto, Comando Sombra etc) have different equipment as well as AI behaviors, for the same reason.
Depending on who you're facing, is better to take a slightly different approach (at higher difficulties, anyway).
Though if you shoot them in "soft" parts, they all die quickly.

 

[Dick Justice]

I neither liked or disliked MP3. All of its elements seemed to be mediocre, except for the detail put into animation and such. From story to gameplay, nothing really sticks out. The enemies are complete bullet sponges and there was way, way, waaaay too much combat.
Bullet time and gun battles are fun the first few times. They stop being fun the hundredth time around, especially if the combat and combat situations do not (or barely) evolve whatsoever. Aside from that, there are way too much cutscenes and the ''cutscene --> gameplay --> repeat'' form of design started getting on my nerves. The story is not interesting to follow and failed to achieve what it set out to do and the game has a couple of consistent glitches.

Overall it was a huge disappointment. I don't hate it by any means, but it was a chore to get through.

LOL.

I will say that some of the Favela gangsters took a few too many bullets, considering most of them were shirtless. Headshots work, sure, but a guy wearing nothing a but a scarf around his neck shouldn't take more than a few bullets to the chest to die.

 

[keltickennedy]

LOL.

I will say that some of the Favela gangsters took a few too many bullets, considering most of them were shirtless. Headshots work, sure, but a guy wearing nothing a but a scarf around his neck shouldn't take more than a few bullets to the chest to die.

Dudes were on PCP!!

 

[Sethos]

I hate when people's solution to bullet sponging is "Just shoot them in the head".

I'm playing a game with guns, a game with a fantastic animation / physics system in place and I want to see my bullets do damage, I want to see enemies drop when I shoot them twice in the chest, I want to actually enjoy the flow of the combat and get in some proper firefights without them soaking up 3-4 bullets and remain fully combat effective. I want to live out my gun fantasies. The "Headshot" carnival game is extremely boring, then it's like a whack a mole of the head and the entire shooting thing loses its charm completely. I want shootouts, not carnival "Hit the head" games.

Bullet sponging is shit. It will always be shit. Having them wear bullet proof vests or soak several shots in non-critical areas is fine but you don't take 3 body shots and keep running -- Then the little guy in your head says "That's stupid" and I enjoy it less.

The day someone simulates a gunfight down in the details is the day I'm in heaven; being able to hit someone once, they dive for cover and lose their effectiveness, holding their wound and start shooting in desperation. Shoot someone in the leg and they fall over, stay down and might do a 'last stand' on you or even see people bleed out if you wait long enough.

Oh and MP3 had tons of bullet sponge moments, no need to deny it.

 

[Raptomex]

I hate when people's solution to bullet sponging is "Just shoot them in the head".

I'm playing a game with guns, a game with a fantastic animation / physics system in place and I want to see my bullets do damage, I want to see enemies drop when I shoot them twice in the chest, I want to actually enjoy the flow of the combat and get in some proper firefights without them soaking up 3-4 bullets and remain fully combat effective. I want to live out my gun fantasies. The "Headshot" carnival game is extremely boring, then it's like a whack a mole of the head and the entire shooting thing loses its charm completely.

Bullet sponging is shit. It will always be shit. Having them wear bullet proof vests or soak several shots in non-critical areas is fine but you don't take 3 body shots and keep running -- Then the little guy in your head says "That's stupid" and I enjoy it less.

My point was they're not bullet sponges. Shoot them in the head and they will die with one shot. And I agree with everything you said. I love the combat and the bodily reactions, the feel of the guns, etc.

 

[zainetor]

LOL.

I will say that some of the Favela gangsters took a few too many bullets, considering most of them were shirtless. Headshots work, sure, but a guy wearing nothing a but a scarf around his neck shouldn't take more than a few bullets to the chest to die.

that was really annoing. Easly worst level in the game. Too much Cod shooting gallery bullshit.

 

[Sethos]

Did you know that some people might find incredibly frequent and constant combat against not too different enemies (on normal) to become a bit repetitive after a while? Around chapter 10 or so, I simply didn't feel like shooting bad guys anymore and started getting sick of it. I just wanted the game to end, but didn't want to leave it unfinished. I only do that with crappy games.

That's the problem with most games these days and I get what people mean by it. I'd much rather have one hectic gunfight where the enemy knows how to cover properly, where there's more tactic involved. However because we apparently have fuck all idea on how to improve AI in games, developers just use the "Let's throw 20 people at them, each dumb as a post!" and by the end, when you've killed 12,000 enemies that runs at you, it gets boring.

 

[Gearman]

That's the problem with most games these days and I get what people mean by it. I'd much rather have one hectic gunfight where the enemy knows how to cover properly, where there's more tactic involved. However because we apparently have fuck all idea on how to improve AI in games, developers just use the "Let's throw 20 people at them, each dumb as a post!" and by the end, when you've killed 12,000 enemies that runs at you, it gets boring.

The problem with improving AI further is that it's not a very easy problem to solve, and becomes increasingly difficult to implement and tune. There many more facets that need to be considered and much more work required from other disciplines (art, animation, scripting, mocap) outside of core AI programming to make an AI look smart and be fun to play against. Developers have a pretty good idea how to improve current AI implementations, it's just very difficult and very resource intensive to do so.

 

[Raptomex]

The problem with improving AI further is that it's not a very easy problem to solve, and becomes increasingly difficult to implement and tune. There many more facets that need to be considered and much more work required from other disciplines (art, animation, scripting, mocap) outside of core AI programming to make an AI look smart and be fun to play against. Developers have a pretty good idea how to improve current AI implementations, it's just very difficult and very resource intensive to do so.

Well they should do it. Good AI could be the difference between fun and immsersive and turkey shoots. Good AI and at least somewhat realistic animations or better really add to the immersion of a shooter. At least I think so.

 

[Screaming Meat]

Relative to game length, I'd honestly say it's about on par with MGS4. Like, if MGS4 was a 10 hour shooter, it would be Max Payne 3. Worse than that, the cutscene are unskippable which kills replay value, made all the more frustrating because gameplay is really fun.

Some cutscenes are unskippable, not nearly all of them. I don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s remotely in the same league as MGS4&#8217;s gameplay/cutscene ratio, not by a long-shot.

Max Payne was very good but Max Payne 2 is the best in the series, even Mona's levels were really good, it's story and pacing and levels and improvement over the original made it a classic in the genre.
MP3 on the other hands.. well it's not a real Max Payne game and not even real noir.
2k/R* need to hire remedy again.

Film Noir isn&#8217;t just Double Indemnity, fedoras and chiaroscuro lighting; it&#8217;s a pretty broad genre and Max Payne 3 meets many of the tropes. I&#8217;d say that the first Max Payne doesn&#8217;t fit the bill of &#8220;true noir&#8221; since most of its influences are from Hong Kong cinema.

Another game has to take a similar approach to gameplay at some point, but have interruptions only exist to start/close a level or set up a bullet-time moment. The co-op would feauture actual levels to play through instead of just arenas; i need something on the same level as hard boiled's hospital sequence. If life were just, there'd already be something like that on its way

Oh God, make this happen.

I neither liked or disliked MP3. All of its elements seemed to be mediocre, except for the detail put into animation and such. From story to gameplay, nothing really sticks out. The enemies are complete bullet sponges and there was way, way, waaaay too much combat (it eventually got repetitive)

You know you can shoot enemies in the head and they die instantly, right...? Also, complaining about shooting in a Max Payne game is like complaining about eating in Pacman.

 

[Hypron]

You know you can shoot enemies in the head and they die instantly, right...? Also, complaining about shooting in a Max Payne game is like complaining about eating in Pacman.

This. Actually, as some people have said above, they die incredibly quickly regardless of where you shoot them, as long as you don't shoot them in an area where they have some armour.

 

[TUROK]

I'm on my 6th playthrough of Max Payne 3 right now. I'm just trying to get the 360 achievements, but damn, this game just does not get old for me. I fucking love it. Even on Hardcore mode I still feel like a badass.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

Some cutscenes are unskippable, not nearly all of them. I don’t think it’s remotely in the same league as MGS4’s gameplay/cutscene ratio, not by a long-shot.

Most cutscenes are unskippable, or were on release, and they're usually the 3+ minute ones which is inexcusable in general, and insane in a shooter. Regarding MP3 vs MGS4: MP3 is about 30% cutscenes, MGS4 is about 40% cutscenes. Not that far off.

 

[Screaming Meat]

Most cutscenes are unskippable, or were on release, and they're usually the 3+ minute ones which is inexcusable in general, and insane in a shooter. Regarding MP3 vs MGS4: MP3 is about 30% cutscenes, MGS4 is about 40% cutscenes. Not that far off.

I've been playing through it this week and I'd say there is probably one cutscene per level that is partially unskippable, most of the time you don't have to sit through the whole thing. They're usually there instead of a long-ass loading screen, which is an infinitely prefereable trade-off to me, especially considering their quality. Still, they do interrupt the flow, but nowhere near the level of MGS4 in my opinion. I'm not sure where you got those figures from.

 

[Fezan]

Max payne was very good
max payne 2 was Best in the franchise

Both were very memorable games

Maxy payne 3 was average. too much emphasis on animation made some parts very frustating . Also it was very forgettable game.

 

[rvy]

Regarding MP3 vs MGS4: MP3 is about 30% cutscenes, MGS4 is about 40% cutscenes. Not that far off.

Come on, dude.

As far as the thread goes, MP and MP 2 are really good, but MP 3 is my favorite. Best TPS of the generation. Certainly has the best shot feedback of the generation. I'm a sucker for animation too and this game blows everything out of the water. It's Michael Mann: The Game (until GTA V releases anyway), as far a I'm concerned. I loved it, loved every bit of it. On top of that, online is fun as hell too. I finished it in two sittings. Arrived on a Monday, I started playing at 10 AM and stopped at 11 PM, didn't even notice the day going by.

Some people dislike it because it focuses so much on Euphoria and has unskippable cutscenes instead of loading screens (unskippable for 2 or 3 mins anyway).
I think the game is great because of Euphoria and the shooting mechanics. Story wasn't bad either. And that soundtrack <3. The attention to detail is insane too.

Really, really amazing game. Top 5 for me, this gen.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

I've been playing through it this week and I'd say there is probably one cutscene per level that is partially unskippable, most of the time you don't have to sit through the whole thing. They're usually there instead of a long-ass loading screen, which is an infinitely prefereable trade-off to me, especially considering their quality. Still, they do interrupt the flow, but nowhere near the level of MGS4 in my opinion. I'm not sure where you got those figures from.

When I tried replaying the game last year, I couldn't skip nearly any cutscene until it was about to be over. Literally a few seconds until it was finished. After you watch Max yap with some fool for 5:00 minutes, being able to skip at 4:55 doesn't really make a difference. Plus since I was replaying, I was reaching those cutscene points significantly faster than the 1st time which meant I ran into a cutscene or loss of control so Max can open a door/take cover automatically almost every 2-3 minutes. Considering how much more concentrated MP3 is, I'd say the interruptions are worse than MGS4, easily. And the game isn't even loading the entire time. It takes like 15 seconds to load to a checkpoint, but 4 minutes to transition to the same point from a cutscene. Something went wrong there.

Come on, dude.

Come on dude what? MP3 is ~10 hours with ~3h of cutscenes, and MGS4 is ~20h with ~8h of cutscenes. My original point was that they aren't that different relative to their length since someone brought up the question.

 

[rvy]

Come on dude what? MP3 is ~10 hours with 3h of cutscenes, and MGS4 is ~20h with 8h of cutscenes. My original point was that they aren't that different relative to their length since someone brought up the question.

I think you need to replay MGS 4 again. MGS 4 does not have 12 hours of gameplay time. More like 8 or 9.
Unless you're spending a ridiculous amount of time in the first act, exploring just for fun, I don't get how you played the game for 12 hours.

Maybe my memory is failing me, but I remember re-playing it post-patch and it wasn't even close to that, but I'm using my first playthrough as reference.
MGS 4 is closer to 60% cutscenes and 40% gameplay, IIRC.

 

[Ikuu]

I enjoyed MP3, but it wasn't a Max Payne game. Felt like Rockstar just slapped the name on it to sell more copies.

 

[Screaming Meat]

When I tried replaying the game last year, I couldn't skip nearly any cutscene until it was about to be over. Literally a few seconds until it was finished. After you watch Max yap with some fool for 5:00 minutes, being able to skip at 4:55 doesn't really make a difference. Plus since I was replaying, I was reaching those cutscene points significantly faster than the 1st time which meant I ran into a cutscene or loss of control so Max can open a door/take cover automatically almost every 2-3 minutes. Considering how much more concentrated MP3 is, I'd say the interruptions are worse than MGS4, easily. And the game isn't even loading the entire time. It takes like 15 seconds to load to a checkpoint, but 4 minutes to transition to the same point from a cutscene. Something went wrong there.

My understanding of computers is pretty limited, but the quick loading of checkpoints is because the level you're going to has, during the cutscene, been loaded onto the RAM or installed on the harddrive or whatever, precisely so it can access it so quickly later on. On Club Moderno the only unskippable cutscene is between the club interior and the rooftop because the game is loading that part of the level. Nothing wrong there, it's simply more efficient than loading the whole thing every time.... which would really piss people off.

Anyway, there is nothing nearly as obnoxious as the opening 10 minutes of MGS4: Walk two seconds, cutscene, walk two seconds, cutscene etc. Our experiences with MP3 are apparently very different. This is probably an "agree to disagree" type situation.

 

[Coffee Dog]

I enjoyed MP3, but it wasn't a Max Payne game. Felt like Rockstar just slapped the name on it to sell more copies.

I never understood this notion. What was so different about max payne 3 that entirely removes it from the first two?

It was a noir/wire fu third person shooter that followed max payne through a journey of relapse and recovery. Its a max payne game through and through.

Edit: and to clear something up, slapping the max payne name guaranteed no sells and probably harmed the final product. Max payne 2 was a massive fucking bomb.

 

[phaze]

"Max, wake up. You're in a computer game."

Man playing first two games as a ten year old was some intense shit.


Max 1 and 2 are one of my favorite games The atmosphere,music, gameplay and story wall combinded and created something unforgettable. I struggle to find any flaws in them, maybe too heavy reliance on quick save.
Max 3 has terrific gameplay but is subpar in all other aspects.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

I think you need to replay MGS 4 again. MGS 4 does not have 12 hours of gameplay time. More like 8 or 9.
Unless you're spending a ridiculous amount of time in the first act, exploring just for fun, I don't get how you played the game for 12 hours.

Maybe my memory is failing me, but I remember re-playing it post-patch and it wasn't even close to that, but I'm using my first playthrough as reference.
MGS 4 is closer to 60% cutscenes and 40% gameplay, IIRC.

I'm not even discussing this with my own playthrough times because they were both on the "long" end of the spectrum (12h for MP3 and 25h for MGS4). I've seen first playthroughs vary from 18-26 hours for MGS4 and 8-12 hours for MP3. I'm just using what I think was the more average times for both.

My understanding of computers is pretty limited, but the quick loading of checkpoints is because the level you're going to has, during the cutscene, been loaded onto the RAM or installed on the harddrive or whatever, precisely so it can access it so quickly later on. On Club Moderno the only unskippable cutscene is between the club interior and the rooftop because the game is loading that part of the level. Nothing wrong there, it's simply more efficient than loading the whole thing every time.... which would really piss people off.

Anyway, there is nothing nearly as obnoxious as the opening 10 minutes of MGS4: Walk two seconds, cutscene, walk two seconds, cutscene etc. Our experiences with MP3 are apparently very different. This is probably an "agree to disagree" type situation.

Just to be clear, I'm talking about loading a checkpoint fresh from booting up the game, not from a death. You can save at an initial level checkpoint, come back to the game at another time and load the entire area much faster than it takes to load from the cutscene beforehand. I maintain that something is "off" about the way MP3 handles loading and streaming. It shouldn't take that long.

But yes, let's agree to disagree. My complaints about the cutscenes run deep to the very core of how they built the game. Regardless of the loading issues, I simply think there are far, far too many cutscenes, some of which do nothing but move you from A to B through a doorway or up some stairs. Not very good execution considering how the previous games were designed.

 

[Screaming Meat]

Just to be clear, I'm talking about loading a checkpoint fresh from booting up the game, not from a death. You can save at an initial level checkpoint, come back to the game at another time and load the entire area much faster than it takes to load from the cutscene beforehand. I maintain that something is "off" about the way MP3 handles loading and streaming. It shouldn't take that long.

But yes, let's agree to disagree. My complaints about the cutscenes run deep to the very core of how they built the game. Regardless of the loading issues, I simply think there are far, far too many cutscenes, some of which do nothing but move you from A to B through a doorway or up some stairs. Not very good execution considering how the previous games were designed.

No, I got that. I think the cutscenes may seem longer but there are an awful lot of loading screens (the ones that hark back to the graphic novel bits from the originals) and they do take quite a while.

Anyway, I think Max put it best:

Einstein was right, time is relative to the observer. When your looking down the barrel of another cutscene, time slows down.

 

[Noisepurge]

and regarding the sponge-effect. Same was in Max Payne 2 actually. If a bad guy had a vest he would take a lot more hits to the chest.

I love it how its a clear visual thing, to have a vest. Instead of just eating those bullets like a sponge just because its a tougher enemy

I also will defend Max 3's enemies. You can shoot most bad guys in the legs or crotch to make them fall down and then go for a finisher, avoiding the vests and helmets alltogether. Shotgun blasts upclose work wonders too!

 

[Jarnet87]

read OP, that sucks about the mouse controls. I really hate how on PC old games get so screwed up on newer systems. i wanted to purchase the bundle deal too but I just forgot in the end. I really liked MP1, never got around to 2 or 3.

 

[eot]

MP2 has always been my favourite, I think it plays way better than the first game and the out of sequence narrative is really well done. I love the script too in all its half parody half serious glory.

 

[Screaming Meat]

read OP, that sucks about the mouse controls. I really hate how on PC old games get so screwed up on newer systems. i wanted to purchase the bundle deal too but I just forgot in the end. I really liked MP1, never got around to 2 or 3.

MP2 really tightens everything from 1: plot, characterisation, controls, physics etc. Can't recommend it enough!

Bullet-Time 2.0 is also very awesome. It's designed so that, if you play well and get lots of headshots, you don't have to switch it off or run out!

I'm not even discussing this with my own playthrough times because they were both on the "long" end of the spectrum (12h for MP3 and 25h for MGS4). I've seen first playthroughs vary from 18-26 hours for MGS4 and 8-12 hours for MP3. I'm just using what I think was the more average times for both.

Just to be clear, I'm talking about loading a checkpoint fresh from booting up the game, not from a death. You can save at an initial level checkpoint, come back to the game at another time and load the entire area much faster than it takes to load from the cutscene beforehand. I maintain that something is "off" about the way MP3 handles loading and streaming. It shouldn't take that long.

But yes, let's agree to disagree. My complaints about the cutscenes run deep to the very core of how they built the game. Regardless of the loading issues, I simply think there are far, far too many cutscenes, some of which do nothing but move you from A to B through a doorway or up some stairs. Not very good execution considering how the previous games were designed.

Full disclosure: I have to put my hands up and say that last night I played through Chapter 11 (I think?) and there were THREE unskippable cutscenes (start, middle and end). The middle one was completely unskippable. However, Chapter 13 had only one and it was skippable about halfway through.

Swings and roundabouts, I guess.