The Ostracized Gamer: May 2012

"I thought I was done. I thought I earned the right to drink myself to death after playing guns a bit too long. Piling up the bill in morgue a countless number of times. I think too much and here I go again for the last time."
-made up Max Payne quote by ME!

SLIDE ONE: The Past

The "Payne" (haha) started in 2001 with Remedy Entertainment's release of well, Max Payne. Although it was praised, it was not without it's faults. It had very fun gameplay, but lack some replay value. My wonder is how Remedy was able to get the rights to use Warner Bros. copyrighted "Bullet Time" in a video game. If you don't know what Bullet Time is; it's the cinema term for slow-mo. I can't believe they copyrighted that. Well, Gene Simmons copyright OJ for orange juice, so don't be surprised. The only real feasible faults were lack of multiplayer (not even basic local or LAN) and the average linear (Non-Mass Effect-ish) story-line with about 10-15 hours if play. Then after Max fell and rose; he, uh, fell again in 2003. Max Payne 2 was essentially the finished and best Mas Payne with vastly improved graphics, visuals, and, some would have said, a life-like game engine (back then). Still no multiplayer though. Max Payne developed it's legacy and then sadly a bad movie. This a time for games, not movies!

After all that fun, Remedy decided to move on and sold the lasting rights on Mr.Payne to Rockstar for further potential development. Why didn't Remedy make a new one? Well they were doing Alan Wake you herp-derps that don't pay attention. With a new development crew (a good, but buggy one) and new story, you got some whiners. I DON'T CAAAARRE! Don't play the game then, op, well, you got trolls too. Anyway, Rockstar wanted to try out their great talent for good story writing, that has impressed everyone in the past, on a game franchise that they hold dear. Before jumping into this review, I want to take a quick look at how this game (to) represents past of video games and how the future of will change.

RIP Paul Gray

SLIDE TWO: What did and does this mean for video games?

Games change, that's why Max Payne 3 looks different from the first two, why Call of Duty does not always need a gameplay change, and unnecessary changes like making a new Counter Strike game in stead of Half-Life 3 or Episode 3, whatever! The changes I mean are development changes. Turning an 8 month old project like the original Mortal Kombat (20 years old, congrats!) and using 10-50 for a dev team. They used to use a mod of a famous id or Unreal engine. This is all changing and Max Payne said, "It will change, the last gen games will better low budget and not nearly spent on as now". What dose this mean?

This means those less than one year projects may take 2+ years to even complete. So much more detail in everything will try to be immensely improved. It is my hope that much larger development teams will be formed and hopefully games will be worth the 100+ dollars they are said to cost next generation. Better and more immersion in everything: gameplay, multiplayer, story, characters, sound, art, graphics; and the list goes on! Games will be movie production size up to maybe hundreds of people working on one game. This is going to get big within a couple years people! Lets review this Movie Blockbuster Video Game!

SLIDE THREE: Golden guns? What are you doing here?

Lets look at what the least important, but amazing Payne this game has: the visuals. They are all extremely good. Everything is amazing looking. Rockstar always pays attention to a lot of world detail, art, and graphics. I can see why the Xbox version has to use two discs (lucky PS3 Blu-ray needs only one). The games makes you feel like your in the Brazilian cities, docks, and favelas. I know you guys don't need another cliched remark, but when it deserves, it is given. It's not like it looks so real it is indistinguishable from real-life, it looks pretty darn close. I mean, on Xbox this game rivals PS3 games like Uncharted 3 and MGS4. They made it that good looking. Detail in MP3 is so complex it is uncomfortable and amazing at the same time, it's unbelievable to anyone who has a basic knowledge of game development.

Is that it? NO! The art direction is also very great too. The design of nightclubs and shanty towns is unthinkable. The lighting looks from a huge big budget film warehouse with unreal, well, realism. They worked hard as if they knew they were going to make a third Max Payne a while ago. This game is well put together from first the art and graphics stand-point. Just wait for the writing this game has. Just, wait...

Dat view!

SLIDE FOUR: You mean I can dodge bullets?

Yes you can! You could before though. Okay let me level for a sec: this game didn't do it for me in the gameplay category. Sorry everyone; and I know what ruined it too. The Matrix games. They had the same kind of gameplay shooting and dodging, but those games had awesomely fun beat 'em up style Kung-Fu. I will say the gun play is way more fun that Gears of War, Call of Duty, and Battlefield though. The gameplay looks and feels much better than the previous games, but nothing new. You know, that's not always bad too, but for me-wait, shut up me, no biases idiot! The gameplay is fun as hell (I mean heaven) and there is no need to change it. Max Payne 3 is a good challenge to some who think it is too easy and for those others who just want to have good fun. Just because it does not change in ten years does not mean it is a bad game. That's to all you Call of Duty haters!

The games has your typical linear story-line and a long one at that. That's not the whole thing too. There's an arcade mode called A New York Minute that plays the same as Medal of Honor's Tier One Mode. The player needs to finish every level of the game within a certain time and the player can get certain bonuses for certain things to improve their score. The game also features really frickin hard difficulties to further the challenges and hence a nice single player replay value. Rockstar, of course tacked on multiplayer just like everyone else does now to further the game's replay value. I feel the gameplay in both single and multi-player is not the pinnacle reason why this game is so great and it's not the multiplayer either. That typical multiplayer is next.

Cue Rob Dougan's Clubbed to Death! (The Matrix Song)

SLIDE FIVE: The Rockstars next Redemption? Not really

Maybe in some recess of Max's mind he wanted to. Dan Houser; does he ring any bells? Well his name doesn't here he is. He is the master storyteller and writer of Rockstar games, with some help too. He was the main writer from GTA III to Red Dead Redemption, will be writing for GTA V and of course wrote Max Payne 3. I won't go into his writing at, but only this story in Max Payne 3. It's a good story, it is very suprising how this chacater has developed over time. Bitter and bitter and bitter; he is one darkly funny cynnical Payne to for anyone to deal with. First his family gets murdered, and then his new love gets killed. Now he just drinks himself stupid in Jersey; what a life. As he is about to get shot by the son of the mob thug, an old friend from the academy randomly walks in the bar and shoos and shoots out with the kid and mob. They leave to Brazil and Max just does not care.

You gotta love Max Payne, he is so awesome. He is the exact opposite of Nathan Drake except the same fact that they make some really bad ideas that somehow work. The other characters add the cinema quality and enemies add the shoot 'em up quality. The surprisingly great and intriguing story adds to the immersion in the game. The writing and story telling makes this game worth a buy to enjoy for hours and hours and hours and-okay I'll stop. I don't want to give it all away so just rent at least!

I hated New Jersey anyway.

SLIDE SIX: Another thumbtack on the board?

The big thing in triple A titles now is the "tacked-on" multiplayer. You can blame with trying to compete with COD. I don't get why so many games are at it, but I can't change that. Rockstar is k recently known for always having multiplayer to continue playing in. It would have been fun if they allowed co-op, one person as Max and one as Passos (he is the academy friend), but no go. Honestly (unbiased), it's a lot of fun, not as fleshed out as Red Dead Redemption, but very entertaining when you got nothing different to play. The new money system allows for a realistic feeling customization system. It features many different factions you are forced to play as, so make each character cool looking! The new gang system is cool, but why have it? Well like a Facebook group or something. Play with people with similar interests. They also added a kind of bullet time, where you can sweet jumps and somehow they made it so you can slow mo just a bit. Kudos on that guys! It is more like a staple on the bulletin board. Have fun!

BROS! (and broettes)

END SLIDE: Is the Payne worth it?

Maybe for a little while, unless you like the Payne. It's a great story and character driven game that imerses any type of action gamer and movie goer alike. It may not be as involved as a crime and corruption drama, it is more for loving the characters and their struggles and triumphs through the past and present. This game is like one of those movies people really enjoyed in the theaters you never had time to see. Now after it's out on DVD, you just got to rent it or buy it and love it. It is that type of enjoyment you love as a rental and, if you need, buy it and love it forever.

Buy it, if you are a huge Max Payne fan and Rockstar fan. If your just interested, rent that thing and have your own look into it. Anyone would loved it. For the love of the Payne, endure the lasting story and challenge the difficulty that can present it self at your choosing. Max Payne 3 achieves 5 and half eggs.

I AM NOT TOO NICE!

Here comes the pain!

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Mass Effect 3 Multi

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Friday, May 25, 2012

Lets Slow Down, Max Payne 3 Review

Monday, May 14, 2012

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