Max Payne 3

Lore & Background

The game is set in São Paulo, Brazil, several years after the events of the ending of the second game. Max Payne now works in executive protection for the wealthy Rodrigo Branco and his family. When a street gang kidnaps Rodrigo's wife, Fabiana, Max is pulled into a conspiracy of shadowy, warring factions. Eight years after the second game, Max has been fired from the NYPD and spends his days nursing his alcoholism and addiction to painkillers. After an incident involving the local mob forces him to leave New York, Max accepts an offer from Raul Passos to become a private security contractor in South America. The plot involves the Branco family, the Comando Sombra street gang, the Crachá Preto vigilante militia, and corrupt police. Early in the story, Max shaves his head and seeks out the truth.

In Their Own Story

The heat in São Paulo was a wet blanket, thick with exhaust and the distant echo of gunfire. Max Payne, older, balder, and nursing a bottle of cheap whiskey, watched the Favela da Nova Esperança from his apartment window. The job was supposed to be simple: guard Rodrigo Branco, a rich man with too many enemies. But nothing was simple anymore. When a gang of masked men stormed the Branco mansion, Max’s world exploded into a hail of bullets and betrayal. He moved through the chaos, diving and shooting, each kill a reminder of the ghosts he couldn't outrun. The bullet time was slower now, but the aim was still true. In the end, it wasn't about saving the day—it was about surviving the night—and maybe, just maybe, finding a reason to wake up in the morning.

Reader's Guide

Max Payne 3 is a third-person shooter. A new feature to the series is the cover system, which allows players to gain a tactical advantage and avoid taking damage. The game features interactive cutscenes that transition seamlessly into gameplay; there are no loading screens across gameplay and cutscenes. In combat, auto-aim and a cover system can be used. Painkillers can be used to regenerate health. Players use melee attacks, firearms and explosives. Bullet time can be used, allowing players to see every bullet strike an enemy in detail. The game introduces a 'Last Stand' mechanic, granting a grace period when health is fully depleted that allows the player to kill the enemy that last wounded them to remain alive, so long as the player has at least one recovery item. This depletes all remaining bullet time. After using the shoot-dodge mechanic, players may shoot at any angle while remaining grounded. The player character can only hold three weapons at a time: two slots for handguns and one for a two-handed weapon. If the player equips both handguns, the two-handed weapon must be dropped. The online multiplayer mode features maps and modes that dynamically change within a match. Up to 16 players engage in cooperative or competitive gameplay. Players may band together in crews, via the Rockstar Games Social Club, and join up to five players together. The online multiplayer mode and Social Club support for the console versions were discontinued in September 2021.

Did You Know?

• The developers conducted field research around São Paulo throughout development and captured footage for the design team.
• Development duties were shared between Rockstar's studios worldwide.
• The game was first released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on May 15, 2012; a Windows port was released on May 29, 2012, followed by an OS X port on June 20, 2013.
• It is backwards compatible on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
• The game had shipped 4 million units by May 2013.