Max Payne
Max Payne
Game
Game2012
Max Payne 3
Developer Rockstar Studios
Max Payne 3 is a 2012 third-person shooter game developed and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sequel to Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (2003) and the third entry in the Max Payne series. In the single-player mode, the player controls Max Payne, a former NYPD detective. Nine years after the events of the second game, Max finds work as a private security contractor in São Paulo, Brazil, but becomes… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
542 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
83
LovedLoved
329 positive · 66 negative
95% range 79–87%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 329 | 66 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 51 | 12 | 74 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Mastodon * | 1 | 0 | 4 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
25,201 of 29,582 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
84% recommend · 223 yes, 44 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 267 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (56,312 of 64,697 positive).
Players praise the gameplay as some of the best third-person shooting ever. [1][2][3] Many reviewers note the game's honest and powerful depiction of depression and trauma. [4][5][6] Some players criticize the forced Rockstar launcher and online requirements. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [7]
Well its been a while since I played this game and for some reason it installs its own Rockstar launcher on top of Steam. I'm no longer using the email they have so I could not verify the game so I cant play it. I'll uninstall it and I guess that's that. Why Steam have you allowed this company to create and install what amounts to a launch interface on top of your interface? Its obnoxious from a game players point …
- [4]
Max Payne 3 might be the most honest depiction of depression I’ve ever experienced in a video game. The story and setting aren’t the point; they’re just the backdrop to Max’s internal state. Everything is filtered through his exhaustion and his self-loathing. Many critics took issue with how the game seemingly ignores Max’s character development from Max Payne 2, where he appeared to have moved on from the death of …
- [1]
Best third person shooter ever made. I must have easily put over 500 hours into the PS3 version. The actual GAMEPLAY part of this game literally does not get better as far as a third person shooter goes. Get the authentic experience of being a fat, bald, drunk junkie killing the entire poverty class in a stereotype of Brazil while James McCaffrey gives his best performance as far as Max goes. RIP to a great actor. …
- [6]
This wasn't a story about redemption. It was a story about a man running from his past, only to find himself waiting at every stop along the way. Max Payne 3 feels less like a game and more like a fever dream fueled by painkillers, whiskey, regret, and memories that refuse to stay buried. Every chapter feels like you're stumbling through another bad decision, watching a man slowly tear himself apart while …
- [2]
Max Payne 3 is one of the most underrated Rockstar games ever made. I feel like it gets overlooked way too much just because it’s different from the first two games, when honestly, Rockstar absolutely nailed what makes Max Payne fun. The story is great, and Max’s journey feels like a proper final chapter for his character. It takes him somewhere completely different while still keeping that same miserable, cynical …
Summarised from 34 of the 375 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 11, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Max Payne 3 sits at 83% positive across 395 opinionated reactions from 4 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Max Payne 3 received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. Game Informer gave the game 9.25/10, stating "As much as Max Payne 3 is a fascinating portrait of a man, it tells a great, action-packed story that runs in-stride with Max's inner turmoil." GamesRadar gave a perfect score of 5 stars and stated, "Between its pacing, its presentation, and its excellent gunplay, Max Payne 3 has raised the bar for other action games to follow. Welcome back." The Guardian gave a perfect score of 5 stars and they called it "A masterpiece of underworld carnality, depravity and violence." IGN gave 9/10, and stated "It touches on the disparity between…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 542 · most liked firstWhoever made Rockstar game launcher should kill themselves
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Well its been a while since I played this game and for some reason it installs its own Rockstar launcher on top of Steam. I'm no longer using the email they have so I could not verify the game so I cant play it. I'll uninstall it and I guess that's that. Why Steam have you allowed this company to create and install what amounts to a launch interface on top of your interface? Its obnoxious from a game players point of view and more than time consuming and redundant. I would suggest, in…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I purchased this game to play on my steam deck during my work breaks. Well guess what? Rockstar requires my offline single player story game, that I legally purchased, to connect to the internet to start. I, an honest, paying customer, have been given a far worse experience than if I were to pirate this game, and that is the problem. This is just as much Steam's fault, as they fully allow these practices on their platform. There's a reason this game isn't on GOG. I cannot recommend purchasing…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I bought this game when it was released. Now I've found that if I want to play it again, I have to install some ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ launcher on my PC (Rockstar Launcher) and create an account just to play an OFFLINE game. Steam should do something about this. It's not normal that after you buy a game, the publisher can change the requirements whenever they want and force you to install additional garbage software just to access a product you've already paid for.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →THIS GAME NO LONGER JUST LAUNCHES WHEN YOU HIT PLAY. basically just leaving a negative review because of rockstars incompetence that borked this game launching normally from steam. It won't just launch on deck, it won't just launch on PC yes I have their stupid launcher and social club installed this is just them messing with stuff they should not have ever touched because they are annoying and hate their fans lol hopefully they fix it but I doubt it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Max Payne 3 might be the most honest depiction of depression I’ve ever experienced in a video game. The story and setting aren’t the point; they’re just the backdrop to Max’s internal state. Everything is filtered through his exhaustion and his self-loathing. Many critics took issue with how the game seemingly ignores Max’s character development from Max Payne 2, where he appeared to have moved on from the death of his family. But that criticism misunderstands trauma. Real trauma doesn’t…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →RIP James Mccaffrey James is gone, but his presence can be felt. Thank you for being.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →🎮 Max Payne 3 Continuing my first ever playthrough of this franchise 👀 Max Payne 1 - Great Max Payne 2 - Masterpiece So far all I can say about this is that it's definitely NOT a remedy game 😬
neutral · AI labelView post →I was going to replay this game after a few years, only to find out that my Steam copy has been downgraded, since a "patch" now requires installing and logging into the Rockstar Games Launcher. Rockstar: GO ♥♥♥♥ YOURSELVES!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ sick of these extra launchers. I delete them, they keep asking to install again, I try to install - they crash with errors. Now again need to crawl through forums to find where the ♥♥♥♥ I didn't clean old folders, just so his majesty Social Club doesnt pop up with another error. ♥♥♥♥ this ♥♥♥♥
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game will teach you essential Brazilian Portuguese phrases. - caralho - porrha - filho da puta - viado - bicha With these handy phrases you can visit anywhere in Brazil and make lots of new friends!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Get rid of this bs rockstar launcher. Makes the whole experience bad. There are other ways of generating revenue in a good way you know. Like selling a good product for once.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Best third person shooter ever made. I must have easily put over 500 hours into the PS3 version. The actual GAMEPLAY part of this game literally does not get better as far as a third person shooter goes. Get the authentic experience of being a fat, bald, drunk junkie killing the entire poverty class in a stereotype of Brazil while James McCaffrey gives his best performance as far as Max goes. RIP to a great actor. However, if you've never played the first two, go play them before this so you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've never paid a cent to stream anything. There's all kinds of streaming everything that wants me to pay money to stream their shit. Guess what? No. You can do it now. You'll be able to do it in the future too. Movies, games, makes no difference. There are several lifetimes worth of games you can play without capitulating to the stupid late-stage capitalist bullshit that's going on in this moment. And it's not always easy. I recently purchased a copy of Max Payne 3, a *14 year old…
neutral · AI labelView post →---{ Graphics}--- ☐ You forget what reality is ☑ Beautiful ☐ Good ☐ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS ---{ Gameplay }--- ☑ Very good ☐ Good ☐ It's just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't ---{ Audio }--- ☑ Eargasm ☐ Very good ☐ Good ☐ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{ Audience }--- ☐ Kids ☐ Teens ☑ Adults ☑ Grandma ---{ PC Requirements }--- ☐ Check if you can run paint ☐ Potato ☑ Decent ☐ Fast ☐ Rich boi ☐ Ask NASA…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →When I buy a game, I just want to click "PLAY" and enjoy the game. In this game, I first have to read the license agreements, then create a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Rock Star account, then install a separate launcher and stare at a black screen that says "initializing." And then I get the error "You don't have enough free space on your hard drive," even though I have 100 GB available.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The fact that this game is being used to trojan horse an all digital future with minimal consumer rights made me forget that this is a game made with effectively unlimited budget from the creators of 2 of my favorite games of all time: Red Dead Redemption 2 and Max Payne 3. But I remember now.
neutral · AI labelView post →First of all, let me say rest in power, James McCaffrey such a talented voice actor and Mo cap actor, genuinely taken too soon but other than that such a beautiful game, beautiful story music gameplay just overall it’s amazing honestly this one in the series is overhated, i’ll never understand it, I grew up with this game and it has a special place in my heart, now that I could play it again on PC it’s amazing! 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Max Payne 3 is $5.99 on Steam buff.ly/4gKYGvI Max Payne 1 + 2 bundle $4.49 buff.ly/4060EkI $8.99/$6.99 Xbox (Game Pass discount) buff.ly/Op3C2fE
neutral · AI labelView post →I wanted to play Max Payne 1 and stumbled onto a problem: The game doesn't exist in Germany So I wanted to play Max Payne 2 and stumbled onto another problem: The German version only has the German VO So I wanted to play Max Payne 3- It is heavily censored Germany fucking HATES Max Payne lmao
neutral · AI labelView post →Max, a retired police officer, is now a bodyguard who travels to São Paulo, Brazil for a wealthy family... I'll just say that the game is awesome
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Rockstar Launcher has ki**ed their games on PC. tried to hop on Max 3 after a couple years and what do you know... wont launch. Tired of looking in Youtube trying to find 5 different solutions to play this companys games. What a waste.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Unfortunately, it's a thumbs down. To run the 2012 game, I have to install some stupid add-ons, the Steam, Epic, and Discord APIs, and many others, and then create a Rockstar account. Sorry, that's not for me. Fortunately, I have other alternatives.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →sharing clips of regular Max Payne 3 gameplay is always neat because it's the coolest any game has ever been (loud bsky volume warning!)
positive · AI labelView post →Im gonna do Max Payne 3 this weekend because I need to run defense for that game being Rockstars best. The other one I need to do is Metal Gear Rising because everyone thinks its about killing Trump when it's actually about how violence fucking rules.
positive · AI labelView post →Max Payne 3 is $5.99 on Steam buff.ly/4gKYGvI Max Payne 1 + 2 bundle $4.49 buff.ly/4060EkI $8.99/$6.99 Xbox Game Pass discount buff.ly/BEPZbMY MP1 $8.99 US PSN buff.ly/ubJm4rz
neutral · AI labelView post →First of all I'd like to talk about how other characters and even Max Payne himself, likes to mention how Max Payne is supposedly "fat and old". While his body is muscular and strong, and he's also not that old. But anyways, this is the first Max Payne game I've ever played so I guess they just like to exaggerate a lot of things since this game has lots of exaggerated things, not only that. Specially with the depiction of São Paulo. So speaking of São Paulo, I understand why people who live…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Tonight we are going to South America to remember the time Rockstar spend 80 million dollars making a Naughty Dog game about shooting Brazilians in the head. It can only be Max Payne 3. See you at 8:30PM EST.
neutral · AI labelView post →This game is ruined completely by the rockstar launcher. If you do not have access to your old rockstar social club account or email associated with it you will not be able to play this or any rockstar game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You ever think about how Rockstar made Max Payne 3, and the shooting was somehow better than any game they'd internally developed in the past? And it was like, "Great, so does this mean GTA and Red Dead will have solid shooting in the future?" lol. lmao. Not a fucking chance
positive · AI labelView post →Max Payne 3 is one of the most underrated Rockstar games ever made. I feel like it gets overlooked way too much just because it’s different from the first two games, when honestly, Rockstar absolutely nailed what makes Max Payne fun. The story is great, and Max’s journey feels like a proper final chapter for his character. It takes him somewhere completely different while still keeping that same miserable, cynical Max we know. The story is serious, personal, and actually keeps you wanting to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Rockstar Launcher literally won't work on my pc now. I tried ways around the launcher to play it and that doesn't work either. This is how pirates are made. Dogwater company
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I want to play this so bad again, but I don't have the email tied to this BULL SH!T LAUNCHER anymore! The game itself is phenomenal, but if you get it, make sure you have the email tied to the launcher for as long as you want to play it. Eat a bowl of Oscar Myer wieners Rockstar. The thumbs down is for the launcher. 2 thumbs up for the game itself.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Final Verdict: 79/100 Good for a 2012 game :D Gameplay Experience (18/25) Intuitive Controls - Easy to use. ☐ Very Difficult (+1) ☐ Difficult (+2) ☐ Moderate (+3) ☑ Easy (+4) ☐ Very Easy (+5) Balanced Gameplay - Fair and equal. ☐ Poorly Balanced (+1) ☐ Somewhat Balanced (+2) ☐ Moderately Balanced (+3) ☑ Well Balanced (+4) ☐ Perfectly Balanced (+5) Player Engagement - Involving and captivating. ☐ Not at all (+1) ☐ Slightly (+2) ☐ Moderately (+3) ☑ Very (+4) ☐ Extremely (+5) Decision…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →DISCLAIMER: This is an in-depth review from a person who studied Game Design. All takes are my own, and you can have yours too. I will try to avoid spoilers from all sides as much as I can. This review is made for both newcomers to this game, and veterans/fans of the game. First of all let me just say that I've played through the whole Max Payne trilogy one sequel at a time. And let me just say that this is my favorite Max Payne game ... for the wrong reasons. Out of the three games,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Max Payne. What a funny name. Like something a kid would come up with. 'Maximum Pain', right? As in, he's in constant heavy pain, and addicted to painkillers. Ha ha. Anyway... There I was, sitting on front of the computer playing the same damn game I played over a decade ago as a kid. Was it determinism? Was it some sort of sick way of covering up my own failures by experiencing the failures of a fictional man who's lost everything? Either way, I had played way too many video games to be…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Mid life crisis simulator , no other action game today are like this again 9/10 full of action
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →"The way I see it.. there're two types of people: those who spend their lives trying to build a future. And those who spend their lives trying to rebuild the past."
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The first zombie in Resident Evil. That uuh... thing that happens to Aerith in Final Fantasy 7. Max Payne 3 in the airport level when Tears by Health starts playing. Leaving the vault in Fallout 3. The end of season 1 of Telltale's Walking Dead.
neutral · AI labelView post →Don't get me wrong, it's not that bad of a game, but as a Max Payne game, it just feels less Max Payne and more Bulletstorm. Also having to install Rockstar Social (yet another launcher) to play it and the fact that the only time I actually quit the game was the credits (the rest was crashes on pausing), don't really give me confidence in recommending this game. Play the original 2 Max Payne games. Even with their age, they feel better.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm playing this on the heels of playing the first two games. I'm going to continue playing it for completions sake but I can't really recommend it 3 chapters in. It honestly doesn't play like a Max Payne game and it's frustrating to deal with. I've got no complaints about the story so far. I get the move from comic panels to video but the filters on the cutscenes make my eyes hurt and the text popping up every so often is distracting. It's also rendered at a relatively low resolution and the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →👊 A LEGACY OF PAINKILLERS, LEAD, AND VIOLENCE IN THE MAKING 👊 REVIEWED ON: (GeForce GT 1030/i7-3770 ) NOTE: You can play this game and fully enjoy the thrill, but you won't understand who Max is and all he's been through since the start. What never killed him, and made this man more strong. I recommend playing the first two games form Playstation 2 back in the days and available on Steam, to get the full experience. For some reason the first game is not available in my region…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This wasn't a story about redemption. It was a story about a man running from his past, only to find himself waiting at every stop along the way. Max Payne 3 feels less like a game and more like a fever dream fueled by painkillers, whiskey, regret, and memories that refuse to stay buried. Every chapter feels like you're stumbling through another bad decision, watching a man slowly tear himself apart while desperately trying to hold the pieces together. The gunplay is the best the series has…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →PEAK PEAK PEAK Frick the haters saying it has nothing to do with the 2nd game Max Payne literally mentions a new life and there are flashbacks from the 2nd game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →one of my fav trilogy ever, had to get this just for the nostalgia. would love to see a remaster of the first two games someday
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The only good rockstar game to have ever been made was when they laser focused their animation and money into the singular job of making Max Payne 3 have some of the most impressive shoot dodging and gunfighting animation ever made
positive · AI labelView post →'The best third person shooter I have ever played' Story :- I personally loved the story. Its not the most ideal Max Payne game as it replaces the dark, brooding New York City atmosphere of first two games with a sunny, chaotic Sao Paulo. Yet it still retains its neo noir roots and give a more than satisfying ending to our tragic protagonist's (One of my top 5 video gaming characters) redemption arc. I am one of the few who never complain about change of location to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Goated game, no other words needed to be said. Amazing story, the only issue it has is that the multiplayer is dead and its really rare for you to play with other people unless you've organized to play with em. I can easily say this is better than GTA 4 or 5.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It lacks the charm of previous games, not exactly the same vibe. Less noir, more cartel. And the story is pretty dumb. But nevertheless, I enjoyed.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is the best shooter ever made. The gunplay and action in this game is simply unmatched.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Best games I’ve ever: GTA 4, Baldurs Gate 3, Max Payne 3, Max Payne 1/2, Okami, Pokémon Blue, Batman Arkham Asylum, Zelda Link’s Awakening, GTA San Andreas, The Warriors, Resident Evil 4, Metal Gear Solid 3, Saints Row 2, Bioshock Game that kind of sucks that I love: Kane and Lynch 2
positive · AI labelView post →Max Payne 3 gave me chills, Fun gameplay and a good story, honestly it's a best rockstar game after rdr2 tbh
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Gameplay is good bullet-time still feel amazing. But the story is pretty mid compared to earlier games. It lacks the dark, emotional depth that made so memorable. Overall, fun to play, but not the best in the trilogy.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →for years there's been this stupid, immature debate about how Zack Snyder didn't understand Superman, when he actually does - he was just trying to deconstruct the classic and rebuild it, to add a new dimension Rockstar did something similar here, and of course, it divided people. Max is the same, the shadows he's living in is the same. the real question is: can you accept something truly new? can you read not just the text, but its meaning? you're going through infinite sadness, down into…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →it's crazy to think that Max Payne 3 was a disliked game, I remember playing it near when it came out and thinking it was sick as hell.
positive · AI labelView post →New setting, same amazing action.Max is in Brazil now. The game trades snow for sunshine, but it features the best gunplay in the entire series. The animations feel heavy and realistic. Also, the soundtrack by HEALTH is absolutely brilliant.Score: 9/10. The peak of third-person shooters.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I want to say it loud… THIS GAME WAS OVERHATED. People were just too mad about the change in the overall art style from the first two games. But upon playing the game, I understand why they made this decision. It was necessary for the story and for the character. The glitch effects enhance the game's feel and contribute to Max's mental health. Man has gone through a lot of pain. Finally, he can rest now. And about the game, the story was kinda average but the gunplay is straight up something…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cool to see rumours of GTA IV and Max Payne 3 remasters. I'd take both in a heartbeat. Especially Max Payne 3. Such an underrated game.
positive · AI labelView post →That Sam Lake mod for Max Payne 3 really elevates the game to a new level.
positive · AI labelView post →This is be the greatest third person shooter I have ever played, everyone should play this game at least twice if they're even slightly interested in shooters.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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