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| To baldly go ... Max Payne 3's multiplayer looks set to be a blast |
WHEN news of Max Payne 3’s multiplayer mode first surfaced, the biggest
question on my - and, presumably,
everyone else’s mind - was how Rockstar
would implement the series’ trademark Bullet Time mechanic into online play
without breaking it.
Leaving it out would mean the mode was another tacked-on afterthought that
added nothing to the game (cough cough Dead Space 2 cough). Do it poorly and
we’re left with a gimmicky slow-motion mess that isn’t much fun to play
against others (I'm looking at you, Stranglehold).
Thankfully it seems the developers have managed to cleverly overcome that
stumbling block by basing its use on line of sight.
Throw yourself into a slow-motion dive and anyone in your current field of
vision also enters Bullet Time. Once they’re out of view the action returns
to normal. As a result, getting the drop on a rival might land you an
advantage but it also gives them a fighting chance to turn the tables.
Take it from me, giving a slo-mo sneak a taste of his own medicine is a
triumph that'll have even the most timid player dishing out the trash talk.
Which is exactly the kind of competitiveness that you want from a multiplayer
mode.
Concerns that this mode would simply revolve around the mechanic can be put to
rest. Bullet Time is actually just one of range of customisable perk-like
abilities on offer, known as Bursts. Scoring enough kills allows you to
activate them on the fly, with each having three unlockable levels of
effectiveness.
Options like Big Dog buffs your teammates as well as yourself, while Trigger
Happy upgrades your guns giving extra bang for your buck. For the
troublemakers out there the deliciously devious Paranoia makes players on
the rival team see each other as enemies. Seeing my opponents suddenly turn
on themselves while I snuck past never failed to put a fiendish smile on my
face.
For those who like to make things personal the game also allows you to set
Vendettas against players who have killed you twice in a row. Taking down
your currently designated arch rival earns you bonus XP and, more
importantly, a smug sense of satisfaction.
The mode less travelled
While regulars like Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch are present and accounted
for, it’s the other modes that really show off what Rockstar is trying to
bring to the table.
Payne Killer sees all players start off as generic henchman and thugs but the
first two to score a kill become Max and his partner in crime Passos. If
another player manages to take either of them down they then assume their
role, with scores being dependent on the most kills and longest time spent
as one of the two characters.
This leads to some frantic turnarounds as you team up with other players to
take down Max or Passos one second and the next you’re public enemy number
one. The satisfaction of ending their reign is is soon replaced by
adrenaline-pumping panic as your former allies swarm to fill you full of
lead.
Working in tandem with your partner and covering each other’s backs is the
only way to survive. If you’re anything like me, however, your time as part
of the game’s power couple will resemble the ending of Butch Cassidy and the
Sundance Kid.
Ganging up
The real core of the multiplayer suite is Gang Wars, a round-based story-led
mode that feeds back loosely into the single-player campaign. Over the
course of five objective-based matches players have to work together capture
and defend control points, plant/defuse bombs and ensure or prevent ransom
money from being delivered to a certain location.
After picking up a sack of cash then making a desperate dash to the waypoint
you'd be hard pressed not to feel like you're reliving the iconic bank
robbery shootout from Michael Mann's Heat.
The outcomes of each round dynamically change the flow of story as it
progresses, determining who defends or attacks next time or, in the case of
the final round where lives are limited (called Showdown), awarding more
respawns.
Voice-overs bookend each encounter to set the scene, again altering to reflect
which team came out on top previously.
Having grown a bit bored of the aimless and anonymous nature of the
multiplayer offerings in other games, the tone and detail of Max Payne's
online mode was a refreshing change.
With such a variety of modes and experiences on offer, it feels like Rockstar
has taken everything it’s learnt from previous forays into multiplayer
(especially Red Dead Redemption) and managed to truly integrate it into the
Max Payne universe.
As a result, the cinematic feel and over the top action of the campaign should
hopefully translate neatly when you take the fight online on 18th May.
I'll be there waiting for you - ready to brawl, brother.
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