Another key element that made Max Payne 3 so amazing is the presentation, storytelling and writing. GTA IV's story was considered an Oscar-worthy one, but the Episodes following it were full of overused coarse language and juvenile genital jokes. The writing in GTA IV also got on the immature side, too. Red Dead Redemption was a mostly serious and sophisticated game, but Max Payne 3 evolved this to the next level. The writing was consistently entertaining, with dark humour, a grossly involving story and those famous American-spoofing quips. Max was a man stuck in a situation that most video game heroes are not in: stuck in a foreign country, with no friends, several addictions and a penchant for violence. He is constantly facing impossible odds and it's fascinating watching him work it out. The game didn't hold back either. No violence was censored and good characters died, all in service of the plot. Hopefully Rockstar learns these tricks for GTA V, helping it best GTA IV. It certainly wouldn't be hard to beat The Ballad of Gay Tony, though. On the theme of the presentation, the cinematography and pacing of Max Payne 3's cutscenes was great. A lot of players found their frequency and length too obtrusive, but for anyone who was drawn into the story, these scenes was fantastically produced and brought a new level of style, class and cinematic appeal for Rockstar's repertoire. Gone are the days of those awkward conversations in San Andreas where two characters stood still and did that one annoying hand animation for the entire game. Play San Andreas again - I bet I've just ruined it for you by pointing that out, huh? General cinematography in video games has come a long way this generation. A franchise like Uncharted and Mass Effect constantly evolves and improves to levels that always impress. Rockstar's entire catalogue of PS3 and Xbox 360 games is no different. GTA IV had some awkward moments and some great ones, but the recent trailers for GTA V show that the bar has been raised again. The facial animations, the pacing, the music and the overall tone are palpable. The moment that Radio Gaga kicks in halfway through Michael's trailer, you know it's go time and this is where the action starts. It's thrilling stuff. Max Payne 3 is a game that alienated audiences. Some fans loved the hard core storytelling, tight control and unique approach to game design. Others' call it boring, too linear, over-edited and over-baked. Which ever side of the fence you sit on, it's obvious how Rockstar used a fantastic title to shape a potentially brilliant one. From a developer of such a high degree, it's impressive that they can still find so much room to improve. Max Payne 3 is a near-perfect, story driven third person shooter that all fans of action games should play.
What do you think? Did you play Max Payne 3 and do you want GTA V to take influence from it? Post below.