The Max Payne series began in 2001 telling the story of a cop whose family is murdered by criminals.

The main character, Max Payne, having nothing to lose goes undercover in a Mafia family. In 2004 a sequel came out and more tragedies happened to our hero.

In Max Payne 3, 8 years have passed since the events of Max Payne 2 and Max Payne has  become washed up and addicted to alcohol and painkillers. The events of the game begin when an old pal from his police days comes up and offers him a job protecting a wealthy family in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The rich man's wife is kidnapped by a Brazilian gang and Max has to get her back. The story has many twists and turns and it incorporates nicely into the gameplay. The gameplay consists mostly of Max shooting his way through the gangs of Sao Paulo in order to save the woman.

One of the standout features of the game is a unique Bullet Time mechanic that allows you to slow time in the game as bullets are flying and dodge them and shoot your own. The game uses Bullet Time in a very cinematic fashion. At times you are doing such awesome stuff it seems like you are in an action movie.

The game has spectacular animations for Max like  if he dives in slow motion (like The Matrix) into the wall, he will move his arms to cover his face and when he hits the wall he will be stunned for a couple of seconds.

I have to mention that this game easily has some of the best graphics on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. In every environment you go in there is remarkable detail such as dust flying off a painting when you shoot it. I feel the need to mention the game's soundtrack fits the game's vibe remarkably well.

My score: 4.5 out of 5 stars