Played through the first one, like, 20 times, maybe more. Half of it - in a row. I hated Max's new face and stupidly despised the sequel for it, but came to my senses later and started despising it for replacing the revenge plot with some banal love shenanigans. Then, I came to my senses again, realizing that it was a better fit, they couldn't just repeat the same premise, after all. And the gameplay was good. As for the third one, I was a little bit irritated with how often they took control over Max away from me to show their 'cinematics', but not too much. Anyway, I got too far on Hard, and around 7 hours in, the game became unbearably painful to play. I've swallowed a lot of one-shot headshots, but I couldn't make myself swallow my pride and switch to Normal, so I just stopped playing instead. Maybe I'll go back to it one day when I'm off the cooldown. Vented for a bit, sorry. Whew! Now that everyone knows but not necessarily cares what I think about the series, I can watch the video in peace.
I used to date a chick with the surname Payne and we would joke we would call our son Max, well 15 years later she had a baby and called him Maximilian, do not know if he has her surname tho 😅
@@augustcziesch5556 Indeed we did, what worked was going no contact as we did still have mutual feelings for each other but basicly grew apart and wanted different things in life. We have talked twice in 16 years just by bumping into each other randomly (we live in separate countries now), We just hope each other are happy and have a hug goodbye.
That feeling when you walk into a new room for the first time and immediately get shot by a new weapon you didn’t know was in the game. Yeah…you will never play max payne for the first time again.
I can't believe The voice of Max Payne James McCaffrey have passed away........ I feel like New Remake of Max Payne ain't going to be the same without him in it..... RIP James McCaffrey for ours childhood........ 💔
@@gordonramsay6286AI wouldn't feel very right and that would piss a lot of people off. I think them reusing voice lines from the original would be a safer route.
When I first heard Max calling the sex talking line just so he can speak to someone, I literally busted in tears. He is such a tragic character. He won against the bad guys but lost himself and lost the battle with life.
Rest in peace James McCaffrey 💔 I’m replaying through the series and just started the first one the other day and finding this out bummed me out so bad but now I wanna play em even more.
I loved a lot of things about the video, but most of all - how you've pointed out that it's poetic, yet no words are wasted. This is the vital point and a great skill that distinguishes good writing from mere graphomania.
@jamesesparza6893 I did as well I feel the same way as you, on one hand I'm interested to see how they'd handle him getting into another mad situation but on the other hand I like where MP3 left it and don't want them to ruin it.
@bipstymcbipste5641 Yea but was still tortured either way as he lost Mona, it completed the arc from Max Payne 100% with Woden etc but still didn't resolve anything with him as a character just left us wondering what would happen to him in the future, Max Payne 3 delved into what he'd been up to after two and was pretty much a strait drunk and pill addict still, doesn't seem like he resolved much tbh or found any sort of redemtion, MP3 had him go from shooting that wise guy and escaping New York to Brazil doing the jobs for the family and dealing with the events of MP3 and the whole conspiricy events that by the end of the game he gets that redemtion for himself, he's literally been through Hell three times by that point and barely survived, Max Payne 3 having some of the series rawest events, so it felt gratifying to see him finally at peace with himself, that's my take on it anyway, I think Max had killed so many people by that point he was fed up and tired and just wanted some peace.
But legit, amazing work, and Synopsis of this legendary series. The movie... We don't talk about the movie. It's mind-blowing you've done a video on my favorite series, legacy of kain...then, one on my second favorite, max payne...now if your next video is on resident evil, you are absolutely my son without a doubt. Or stalking me... Either way, yolo amazing content, brother lol. Keep it up, and I look forward to more of your work!
If you can take the drug and not lose your shit. You feel no fear, no hesitation and no pain. If it normal takes two bullets to kill you. It now requires four bullets to kill you. If your wearing body armor you are unkillable.
I played MP 1&2 and I've seen the movie, but being reminded of them right after each other I have to wonder: how do you make a movie that bad based on Max Payne? Even if it was its own thing, it's absolutely terrible. I seriously had to look up if Uwe Boll was involved just now. Shockingly he was not.
Also: for context I lost my dad in like 2004 when I was 11 and when this game came out in 2012 I was barely a man who even knew how to grieve him and it was so sudden that the lyrics and his redemptive arc hit me like a ton of bricks.
@@godson200 yeah, he's killing the guy who killed someone he was supposed to protect. It's a mirror of him not being able to get revenge for his wife and daughter dying. It's a retread, but it just shows he hasn't really learned to move on.
@@Cixelated maybe yeah it is an mirror. But I kind of didn't feel max really cared about the brancos who he was supposed to defend and bodyguard. The emotion wasn't there. Yes there is a parallel to his wife but it just didn't give me the same feel. Max just didn't care. His boss died. People related to the boss who were kidnapped either died or were irrelevant(paasos gf). The emotion kind of went missing in this story And it could have been a lot better. Also when he figures out that dude is going to do organ harvesting he kills him by the end of that chapter. So that's that..but the final boss doesn't even mean that much to max. Typical of Max Payne tho. Even in the first game, Nicole Horne wasn't related at all untill the last 4-5 chapters. Max Payne always tends to have a good plotline near the starting and rather abrupt and not so linear endings with the main characters being introduced near the ending
Love how you guys also included the Max Payne movie. I feel like no one else includes alternate media (if it exists for said IP) in their game series reviews/retrospectives
Max Payne Series is truly an example that shows that video games can have a magnificent narrative; the story and progression are developed so well that this character could easily be in a top 5 best video game character of all times... Or rather, it should be; for me, and I think that most people who actually enjoy games with good narratives (who unfortunately are not too many) will agree as well, the character of Max Payne in the last game was handled in a quite disappointing way. It's very different from the previous games, and not in very positive way as you say; to make it short, it feels like he's a copy of John McClane from Die Hard, but a depressive one, like a gloomy American Hero; and that's quite the opposite from before. So yeah, the game's fun, it's pretty good on its own, but it isn't a Max Payne game for me; I stay with Max Payne 2 ending... And the easter egg from Alan Wake.
I didn’t know there was a Portuguese dubbing for this game! The PS2 version gave a choice between English, French, Spanish or French. Neither the 2 or 3 got dubbed in other languages though
"Hey Dad. It's me, your favorite son." I always feel like he's gonna follow this up with some bad news, like someone in the family has fallen ill. Just finished Max 3. Great finale!
Max Payne 2 is my favorite for nostalgic reasons but I really liked the third as well. I thought he was going to die in the game, it made him feel irreparably broken but he found peace at the end. I thought it was a good was to finish the trilogy and I really liked the Hoboken levels. It was a nice trip down memory lane.
Hoboken was a treat, with the iconic jacket to boot. It was a nice tribute, Max Payne 3 was overall a great game with a lot of love and passion for the source material. Only issue was the classic rockstar on rails linearity that detracts.
Max payne 3 is my favorite of them all, to me it is highly underrated and overlooked, it felt like it got set up to fail coming out between Red dead and GTA V 🤦🏽♂️
10:29 you got this part wrong. He doesn't call 911, the phone rings and he answers. On the line it's Nicole Horne asking "Is this the Payne residence?". She clearly does that to ensure that he's home and ready to see what's waiting for him.
Kinda deep But did anyone else play the trilogy, and find maxes trails and issues kind of insightful? It made me feel that whatever life throws at me, I can deal with it as long as I have a good set of witty one liners haha
"The Norse mythology references in Max Payne are subtle" and "the way weapons change the way you play was groundbreaking game design in 2001" are statements about the first game I _really_ have to disagree with. Max Payne practically beat you over the head with the references to Norse mythology, and ammunition supplies changing what weapons you used and pushing you towards certain playstyles had been a staple of FPS gameplay for, at least, as far back as Doom. What set the first game apart from its contemporaries was the bullet time mechanic helping the game emulate the style of Hong Kong action movies and The Matrix, and the way the game blended the noir genre with a mythological tale. Your theory about the "entire game being Ragnarock" isn't a theory, it's the the entire theme of the game. Max states at one point in the game that "There are only personal apocalypses" and, with all the connections to Norse mythology and Ragnarok, it's very clear that what's happening in the game is Max Payne's "personal apocalypse".
Max Payne 2 already gave Max Payne the ending he deserved. The proverbial light at the end of the tunnel when you beat the game on Dead on arrival. That is the true ending. ☝🏻😎
Agreed. MP2 had a real ending "I had a dream of my wife. She was dead. But it was all right." That is the moment Max was looking for. He might not have been happy again, but he finally got over it. And then in MP3 he is completely miserable again, and his entire character is like MP2 never happened. I loved the gameplay of MP3, but the story was more of a "what if" spinoff.
That ending is so beautiful I love the part of the music theme that is playing when they are looking into each others eyes it's puts that knot in your throat depending how much special thing the game means to you
I love the way you articulate yourself. The way these retrospectives that integrate objectivity, visceral, thoughtful, and personal reaction and analysis that make these videos so captivating. I’m ringing the bell!!!
There is an AI upscaled texture pack for Max Payne 1 available if anyone is thinking of replaying that game, that's neat :) There are some sound issues with that game, but there's a quick patch for that too.
Excellent work. Easily on par with your Legacy of Kain documentary. I think one of the best touches in Max Payne 3 is the fact that he starts the game addicted to painkillers - presumably a consequence of having to eat so many to survive the first two games. It's a really clever blending of a game mechanic and the storyline.
This, just like the LoK retrospective and history, is absolutely incredible!! I can't imagine the amount of work you put into these videos, but it is VERY much appreciated. Keep it up, man!!
I think when a game reflects its themes and character development in gameplay and world building over the course of 3 games is nothing short of genius. Max Payne as a series is just different, it feels special. It feels like it crosses the thin line of gaming being engineered entertainment and artistic expression, it’s fucking great!!!
Did... Did you just refference my boy Take No Prisoners?! You earned yourself a sub for that alone. That you even know that game, since it was like a late 90's sleeper. I'm proud of you, son.
Hey Son another great video I got to say, you’ve become one of the most exiting upcoming creators I’ve seen in recent years I don’t usually comment on videos at all but I wanted to leave some constructive criticism that will hopefully help you grow in the future. I think the preamble is much too long and I understand that you want to explain to the audience that this cut of the video is not one you are entirely happy with and to push them to your Patreon but it drags a little too long, I understand and love the quality of your videos but some first time viewers might lose interest if you don’t hook ‘em good in the first few minutes . I’ll the big thing out of the way the section describing the max Payne movie doesn’t work. No offense to Belev I’m sure he is a fantastic creator but its inclusion in the video kills its whole momentum, as well as just a miss match of styles. Belev’s style of review is slow and measured with a dry delivery but it seems at odds with your, much quicker, cadence and feels like it only serves to pad run time without adding any new information, if you wish to keep it within the video, I think that I would work much better to appear after the fall of max Payne to keep a consistent chronology that establishes a clear timeline of events and how max Payne is perceived within the greater pop culture landscape. My last critic is much more nit-picky so take it with a grain of salt, I think that explaining the reception of these video games (like at the beginning of the part of the first max Payne) would be much better served at the end of the review of each of the individual games, to one; let the viewer know your opinion of the game first (I mean your opinion comprehensively) before letting them know the onions of reviewers at the time of release and two; to provide a smoother segue to the explanation of the development of the sequel/sequels. Anyway, great fucking video, At the end of the day I’m just some rando on the internet but I’m an avid viewer of this video essay style of video and I genuinely mean no offense and only wish to see your channel grow and flourish. Sorry for the wall of text, have a lovely day.
I have been playing Alan Wake. Hearing you talk about Max Payne 1, I thought a bit heavy on the metaphors. And wouldn't ya know it, the Sheriff tells Alan Wake that she likes his writing, "a bit heavy on the metaphors but pretty good". And that fits so perfectly with Alan being a metaphor for the team of Remedy and the story being about writing.
This was an amazing video and I absolutely loved watching it. A little note on the endings of 2 however, I remember hearing somewhere that the ending where Mona survived is actually Canon. I don't really know if it's true but my sappy heart likes to think it is. Max has been through enough torment he deserves some brevity in the darkness. Either way, amazing work on the video my man and copyright be damned, it was still a good watch. Addendum: When you talked about what Late Goodbye meant to you it felt similar to how I felt about the game in general. My previous girlfriend took her own life about a year ago and I've been grieving ever since. When I played Max Payne 2, however, I really felt like I could put myself into Max's shoes, and it helped me with my own demons, and the final line about Max dreaming about his wife made me cry like a baby. I had the same feeling you did, just pertaining to my girlfriend. "If Max could get over losing his family, then I could get over my girlfriend." Just a thought I wanted to share. Thanks for listening son.
2:06 That was something about Max Payne 3 that I really appreciated. The language barrier that they put up for max and the player (unless they happen to speak Portuguese) really gave the story some depth and it made the situation feel real a lot of games and movies just have everyone speak English or they’ll make it very obvious what is being said but Max Payne 3 leaves you in the dark just as much as Max is. It gives that fish out of water story they’re telling legitimacy
Amazing documentary man. I absolutely love this series, and I think its atmosphere and tone has never been matched by any other game or series since then. Max Payne 1 is one of the best games ever made no doubt, nailed it in almost all aspects for its time, and its engine was ahead of competing ones
i've watched the legacy of kain retrospective quite a few times - you really have something with these types of videos man, please keep your head up and keep making great content like that video and this one. i've really enjoyed your stuff!!
Max Payne 1 and 3 are Masterpieces. I didn't get a chance to ever play 2. I wasn't really a fan honestly.. The art style had changed so much and the voice actor was different.. But now I may go back and actually play and beat it.. Im pretty sure I will..But the coolest thing about 3 is.. You didn't necessarily have to had played the 1st 2 games to enjoy the 3rd installment.. The game was directed so well and narrative is so masterfully told thru the eyes of the protagonist. As you go through his journey with him on this roller-coaster ride. You literally took the words out of my mouth, when it came to change. Referring to Max Payne 3's cover system.. When it comes to Max not having a death wish anymore and now being concern about his safety. It provides a greater sense of realism. Shout out to the rock band Health "Tears" is such a banger I can literally put that song on repeat. Awsome review 👌👍 of all 3 games..
James McCaffrey did the voice of Max Payne in all three games but they did change the character model for him.in the first game they used the directors face for the model because there budget was so low.after it was a hit they could afford to get a model that looks more fitting for the character.its a shame u didn't play the second one because that's easily the best one.3 didn't quite feel like a Max Payne game.it had it's moments but just didn't fit what had already been established in the first two
Max Payne is seriously underrated!!! The storyline and everything is Oscar Worthy!!! Max Payne 1&2 we’re the best! Part 3 was ok, but it wasn’t on 1&2’s caliber
By far the best retrospective I have ever watched, all the references and quotes, all the attention to the detail, you mentioned everything that needed to be noted. It was such a great watch to tune into. This kinda content means so much to gamers like myself, so mad support for all your hard work and effects @YourFavoriteSon. One of the best stories we our blessed with in video game media but I digress. This is one incredible watch nothing but love for the Payne
YourFavoriteSon- Nice parody of the graphic novel from 'Max Payne' at 48:05-49:02. It made me laugh when this video was first posted onto RU-vid in late-2021 & I still get a kick out of it, today...
one of the biggest details that alot of people miss in max payne 3 is at the very end there is no monologue, almost as if max is finally living in the present and not the past.
i remember finishing the 2 first in 12 hours without stopping!awesome memories!played the 3rd in ps3 and i liked it a lot! in general one of my favorite franchises
I recently played through max Payne 2.. on ps2.. great game. But I for how terrible the frame rate is on the ps2. Sometimes it feels as low as 5 fps in the later lvls.. still a great game and I'll play all them on pc next
My boy... I wish that companies nowadays would derail the hype train and promote realistic expectations of their games. Pops here just wants a return to the good ol days, for your sake... Im sorry I brought you into a world like this 😭
amazing video, top tier. did feel as though you rushed over max payne 2's story a bit, towards the latter half of it, ironic considering the story itself is short, but a banger of an analysis nonetheless.
U got the part about MP3 not being MP just right. I always disliked MP3 bc R* took away the grim noir setting. His self-hatred, drinking and taking pills still fit and was good, but not the rest. Now I've come to realise, the game is actually very good, but it's not a good MP-game. Which I can't forgive R* for.
Just found your channel thanks to the algorithm, love your content! I'm psyched you got picked up, gotta say tho I miss the hi dad intro x'3 I'd love to see some more of your video essay style content (like the more conceptual stuff like the anxiety vid) but honestly I just hope you are successful and happy with what you do
The hi dad will always be there in some form haha, and once I get some more time I'll probably be bringing back the video essays in some form, whether here or on patreon. Thanks for the support dad!
Max Payne one’s gameplay reminds me, in some ways, of Hotline Miami. You die a lot, but eventually you figure out a plan, which enemies to kill, when to kill them and how. And everything comes together in the end.
I'll start off by saying I think Rockstar is generally pretty overrated, in contrast to Remedy who I believe is severely underrated; particularly in regards to storytelling (their open worlds & technology are groundbreaking though , I can't deny the fun I had in 80 hrs of Cowboy freeroam in RDR2).There's a lot of things the 3rd game does well, the core gameplay is awesome, the intro cinematic is amazing at showing the weight of Max's trauma, and the relatively happy ending is a much deserved send off to a character who essentially spent his entire adult life in a cycle of extreme depression and violence. However, what I miss the most in that game, is the amazing, sometimes tongue in cheek & sometimes genuinely profound film noir writing of the first 2 games. Max waxing poetic and philosophical about the nature of his existence, of violence, of revenge, of love, his guilt etc.. is what made him such a unique and amazing video game protagonist to me. He wasn't just a mindless angry dude out for vengeance, his pain pushed him inwards and made him examine his own mind and the nature of the world around him. The first 2 games feel like a meta-deconstruction of these kinds of revenge & detective stories, one where the protagonist is painfully self aware of his role in a horrible cycle of corruption and violence, with no way to veer off course. He surrenders to his horrible fate despite constantly questioning it. I think this makes him incredibly relatable and human despite being an unkillable god of destruction. Even the incredibly atmospheric nightmare sequences of the first 2 games managed to make gameplay out of Max's psychology. The 3rd game tried to trade this eloquent & poetic dialogue & surreal tone for gruff, depressed, alcoholic self loathing. I think it works at times, especially when it's played for dark humour, but it also lays it on incredibly thick and feels out of sync with the more philosophical and ponderous max of the first couple games. He still is self aware of his role in his hopeless situation, but his commentary on it feels like it's written in a far more juvenile & on the nose kind of way. Also the 3rd game's plot itself, is generally weaker and devolves into a really dumb & strangely self serious 80's action movie shit show in it's last couple levels, which IMO has a lot less charm than the film noir detective vibe of the first 2 games. Almost the entire story surrounding Max in the 3rd game is loaded with forgettable & poorly written villains, side characters etc.. that I couldn't give less of a shit about. The buddy cop thing leading to the betrayal was very predictable and obvious as well.. With that said, James' vocal performance in the 3rd game is great, & definitely elevates the dialogue and ties the series together as much as it can. I don't hate it as an overall send off to the series, especially because I dig the ending they gave Max; but it in no way captures the tone, atmosphere and writing quality of the first 2 games. I get that Rockstar didn't want to copy Remedy, and decided to take it in their own direction, I just generally find that direction to be a lot less unique & interesting. It would be like if David Lynch's Twin Peaks had the 3rd season directed by Quentin Tarantino, and instead of a self aware, complex, surrealist mind fuck; it was loaded with shootouts, sex & posturing. It's a MASSIVE shift in tone and even genre that doesn't sit right with me or stick to what made Max Payne great to begin with. With all that said, it has WAY better gunplay than the first 2 lol, so for gameplay focused people, I'd understand why MP3 would be your favourite! Even with all the flaws, I think the MP trilogy is one of the more consistently high quality in gaming history. For reference, my favourite of the 3 is the 2nd, by a long shot. It's funny, romantic, incredibly dark, haunting, surreal and features one of the best endings in gaming history IMO. Gameplay wise it might be the weakest of the 3 as the gunplay boils down to enter bullet time and go fucking nuts lol but even that is great mindless fun.
This was an amazing and well done video! I got a feeling your channel is gonna blow up at some point, as it sounds like its already starting to go up more and more! Tho when you call the viewers "Dad", I am kinda curious what the choice behind that is, other then your name itself?
Great video I loved it, keep up the good work. But Max Payne ending I prefer was hardest difficulty MP2 beaten, when Max get's something after all hell he went thru. As for MP3 I just called Max Joe instead.. Just some other guy who had issues in past. Story with Max should have ended at MP2 and be done, 'cause it was perfect there was no reason for MP3 it was nice game and story but no it's just overkill.. Max just dealt with past BS he went thru and than all just to see him again in confusion, pain and suffering wasn't right.. Btw LoK video was EPIC!
Comment on the dialogue about how the cover system in Max Payne 3 just didn't feel like his style. It needs to be remembered, up until the end of Max Payne 2, he had a death wish, plus he was younger, stronger, faster, had better vision, all that, and could do what he did. In Max Payne 3, he's older, slower, probably has hurts all over his body from his younger experiences, and, while still using alcohol and pain killers to try to hold back his inner demons, he no longer possessed the killer instinct of someone with a death wish. So, I believe the cover system makes sense for this phase of his life.
As a person who adores the Legacy of Kain franchise, and doesn't give a shit about Max Payne: Damn, this is good. Keep it up. You're on to something here, son.
Likewise, didnt care about max payne but loved the dmc and legacy pf cain videos so subbed. I love the longform videos and the presentation. Not to mention you have a smidge of keanu reaves vocal manerisms that make it so satisfying to listen to
Max Payne needs a revival, it's the on of the best most original game series ever. Hell even Stalker is getting a sequel so this would be a no brainer. It should be done the Remedy way imo. Max Payme 3 was a great game all in all but it was missing that griddy NY vibe that made the first 2 so unique. Max Payne basically created the third person shooter as we know it, it layed the blueprint with so many imitating it and it's influence even spilling over into other genres. The movie was trash tho, the only good thing about it was Mila Kunis.
I've yet to play Max Payne 1 or 2, but I've played through Max Payne 3 about 9 or so times since it's launch. Really interested in the remakes that were just announced but feel I should play the originals all the same.
Max Payne 1 - an absolute neo noir masterpiece Max Payne 2 - an absolute neo noir masterpiece, part 2 Max Payne 3 - a good game, an interesting story.. but not really Max Payne enough, tbh.. pretty much
Max Payne is a series no other can be like it. It is a Legend and my 2nd favorite video game right after Half-Life. The story is something else, yet MP3 really needs to be better, I still like it but the story is not close to 1 and 2's level. I do hope to see a sequel or even a prequel to MP3.
Thank you for making a video on this! Max Payne has held a special place in my heart and I think that you did an amazing job at covering everything. Its sad that Late Goodbye had to be copyrighted :(( The song and Poets of the Fall did an amazing job encapsulating the story. Flat out became a fan when I heard that song from them. Additionally, *big* kudos for dedicating your time to creating this video. Hopefully it gets the views it deserves! Edit: Thank you for opening my eyes to the deeper image of this series, especially with Max Payne 3 since its the only game that really gave me really complicated feelings because the different setting put me off at first. I ended up loving it eventually, and now I love it more. And yes, I concur that Max should really rest now. However, I wish they could just fix their ports because they all have problems in terms of trying to run for many people, including me. I really wanted to play Part 3 again but it sadly just broke out of nowhere for me :(( there was no fix I could find for it either
Son, you know how Dad likes his Michael Mann movies. I love Max Payne 3, for all it's faults. I love the Action Movie thing of his costume getting bloodier and dirtier and by the end of the game his white shirt is completely brown, like a Die Hard movie. I love how he holds a long gun in one hand while shooting a pistol in the other.
I'm sorry, but 3 feels completely disconnected from the previous 2 games, no matter how it tries to reference previous stuff. Besides, 2 already offered closure on Max's arc and 3 outright acts as if 2 never happened (tho it did, but you know what I meant). For me, 2 ends the story well enough. 3 didn't need to exist.
@@ChiefMedicPururu I know but I just couldn’t take Mona seriously. Or Vinny Gognitti in that stupid costume. 3 felt way more grounded. Max really felt like a man who lost everything. Not a comic book hero.
