Max Payne 3 Aims to Weave Narrative With Action in Multiplayer

By Michael Shelton / March 23, 2012

Max Payne 3 is shaping up to be one of the top contenders for the heavyweight title, of action game of the year. Rockstar is setting out to weave an immersive-noir story, while perfecting all of the mechanics that make for an engaging and responsive third person shooter. With a core focus on narrative an integral part of the design process, writing in collaboration with design, art, and programmers has proven a level of immersion is created that leaves a lasting impression. IGN recently conducted an interview with Dan Houser Rockstar Games co-founder. Leading the charge into focusing on his company and their products, Houser has co-written many of their releases. Ranging from Grand Theft Auto 3 to the more recent Red Dead Redemption, one thing is certain, Houser believes multiplayer needs to be revolutionized. Max Payne 3 is paving the way. Fun, over-the-top, John Woo inspired gunplay is at the heart of Max Payne 3. Houser isn't trying to limit the fun you have, as you tackle the online world of Max Payne, instead he is seeking a way to make the experience more engaging. Weaving narrative elements, into the social experience of competing with friends drives multiplayer development.

"Ideally it will evolve into something that's both a place for emergent gameplay and for game makers, including writers, animators and designers, to provide some context and structure for that gameplay to make it even more compelling. Even in a single-player game, we're not trying to serve the needs of the story so much as make a story that works to make the action more exciting and compelling. And the same is true of multiplayer, or at least, we think it should be."

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Houser continues to discuss that multiplayer gaming has forgotten entirely that many players want to feel connected to their characters. Many ways to build this sense of connection between players and their on-screen murderous counter parts, seem to be half attempted. Many online games simply lack the mechanics of a fleshed out customization option or social connectivity. Houser is looking to change that.

"Multiplayer, particularly in competitive first-person shooters, has almost completely forsaken any kind of story or attachment to character. We wanted to keep the sense of competition that comes from multiplayer but we wanted to bring back a better sense of character, rather than just being a faceless member of an army, and that was one of the inspirations for Gang Wars. Players can feel attached to their character as an individual, but also feel tied into the universe of the single-player game. Every round of Gang Wars tells you a little more about the world around Max's story €“ either what the city's factions were doing before Max arrived, or what happened after the events of the single-player game

Betting on narrative to greatly increase the multiplayer experience seems like a risky choice. It appears many gamers are simply content in the mindless matches of competitive gaming. With new additions to online play increasing the competitive aspect of Max Payne 3, it seems that Rockstar is aware many gamers may be turned off by accessibility. With online play established as a social experience, Rockstar is seeking to balance the competitive aspects with an accessibility encouraging fun and connectivity.

"With Max Payne 3 we absolutely wanted to make a more competitive experience that lives up to the requirements of a pure shooter €“ with as much as possible customisable, persistent and trackable, but also to make it easy for people to jump in and feel comfortable quickly so that the environment is fun for the less competitive as well as for serious players. Jumping into online matches and making friends isn't easy €“ often if you're not already playing with friends the entire process can be fairly intimidating, especially in competitive matches."

Rockstar already has an online service Social Club established. This will connect players to the social experience Max Payne 3 is set to make full use of. Introducing the new Crew functionality allows players to form groups with others, in the online service. There are two types of crews, private and public. Private will allow you to create and customize with friends, while public is simply open to everyone.

"Performing tasks with crew members €“ like avenging a fallen Crew member or killing rival ones during a Feud €“ will earn you XP bonuses. As a casual player of multiplayer, it will be easy to quickly reap at least some of the benefits of being in a crew. In addition, there are no member caps on public crews, so thousands of players across the world can join the same crew. Alternatively, Private Crews provide an exclusive group experience for players that want to take it to the next level."

Crews are set to completely revolutionize the way gamers see multiplayer. Attempting to break the barrier of feeling welcomed into an online community. You'll be able to easily play with the same group of friends, and build a social experience. Social integration and immersion is being carried through with the use of a new feature called, Vendettas. Initiated when a player kills you twice, you are given the option to engage in a vendetta against them. This tells everyone you are out for that person's blood, as well as giving an X on that appears on the game radar. Take them out and you get extra XP, if you fail, it's theirs. The vendetta feature is implemented into crews as well. While you play a team-based game, spotting two or more members of a rival crew you're feuding with, will initiate a spontaneous scramble to 10 kills. This adds the kills you gain on them, to the overall feud in the Social Club. Rivalries will eventually develop, which bringd the grudge to the front of the game.

"We want to create more drama out of the interactions that go down in typical multiplayer matches," says Houser. It's about embellishing the drama that emerges naturally in multiplayer, not foisting upon the player artificially."

With revolutionary multiplayer tools gearing up to be set in place on May 15, the developers have already confirmed that this is something they truly believe in. Rockstar is implementing their crew feature in GTA 5, and will continue with future titles. Max Payne 3 is looking to up-the-ante on multiplayer, and I can't wait to get my hands on the game at launch. Be sure to check out the original IGN article.