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“Max Payne 3 Has Raised the Bar for Other Action Games to Follow” - First Reviews from The New York Times, GamesRadar, IGN and More...

Posted: May 15, 2012 1:01PM | Author: R* Q

Max Payne 3 is now available across North America (coming to Europe this Friday) and the first reviews are in, including some perfect scores from GamesRadar, The Guardian, G4 and more - read on for some choice quotes and links...
 
“Sleek, stylish and brutal... Max Payne 3 is a taut and compelling action game wrapped in the sumptuous, gritty and delightful production detail that is the Rockstar hallmark. That means pitch-perfect writing and voice acting, luscious and realistic visual design, and by far the finest musical taste in gaming. And oh, yeah, the actual gameplay of leaping through the air while firing hurricanes of bullets at bad guys is a lot of fun too.” - The New York Times

"A masterpiece of underworld carnality, depravity and violence... a blisteringly entertaining third-person shooter... This is a breathless hair-trigger blast-'em-up that veers thrillingly between high-class clubs and low-life strip joints, from million-dollar yachts to the tumbling corregated iron shacks of the nightmarish favelas... It is relentless, pulverising stuff... another stylish, self-conscious and enthrallingly full-bloodied title from the Rockstar hivemind. If it is at all possible to distil every great Hollywood action flick into one interactive experience - with all the wise-cracking thuggery and anti-hero angst that would entail - this is it." - The Guardian 5/5

"Great storytelling, sharply implemented mechanics and inventive multiplayer. It's the total package... The mix of cover-based combat with Max's signature Shootdodge and BulletTime abilities manages to work extremely well, letting you feel constantly focused and precise. The kills you can pull off in MP3 feel beautifully choreographed, especially when you pause the game mid-game and spin the camera around to take everything in... If you get Max Payne 3, you'll see how good it feels to have your stomach heave with this anti-hero's signature brand of self-loathing and cunning. And then go online and see just how you manage the balance of caution and carelessness with thousands of people trying to do the same. Welcome home, Max. It's good to see you again, you poor bastard." - Kotaku
 
"Max Payne 3 marks an exceptional comeback for the series... It maintains the mechanics that made the prior games great while modernizing them to excellent effect. Between the arcade mode and multiplayer, there’s enough substantive content to keep you hooked for some time... Between its pacing, its presentation, and its excellent gunplay, Max Payne 3 has raised the bar for other action games to follow. Welcome back." - GamesRadar 10/10
 
"With Max Payne 3, Rockstar once again hits all of the expected series beats, most of which players have come to expect from the genre in general, but it does so with such flair, polish, and focus of vision that what you end up with is a game that has an old-school heart in a next-gen body... Max Payne 3 is a technological tour de force that will have you screaming 'Dear lord!' more times than midnight mass. The performances are top notch, the action plays out with unrivaled fluidity, and the multiplayer is deep and rewarding." - G4TV 5/5
 
"The shooting is a revelation... Max Payne 3 nearly makes you roll over in defeat, knowing that Rockstar has harnessed impeccable technology to make people die real good... a game build out of remarkably implemented, masterfully presented parts." - Joystiq 4.5/5
 
"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... The campaign is a fun ride that rarely slows. The script, an area Rockstar always seems to knock out of the park, takes Max to interesting places, and doesn’t follow a predictable path... It’s a new day for Max Payne, and at the same time, a return to his glorious past." - Game Informer 9.25/10
 
"The guns feel great, and powerful, and blind-firing around corners feels dangerous and desperate and satisfying in ways that no other shooter I can think of has pulled off. But a big part of that lies in how enemies in Max Payne 3 die. They sag and crumple around their wounds; they get knocked backwards; they slide to a rest and, for the final, unfortunate enemy in most encounters, the world goes into slow motion as the camera closes first on the bullets flying toward them, and then splits into three intimate views of damage. I found Max Payne 3's shooting fantastically rewarding... Max Payne 3's violence slides from over-the-top to genuinely disturbing." - Polygon 9/10
 
"Max Payne 3 is unapologetically violent. In fact, it lingers on violence, but not in a tawdry or sensational way. Yes, it focuses on some of its most visceral manifestations – ragged bullet wounds, charred flesh, dismembered limbs – but it also peers into the unseen causes that lie behind such acts of violence. It touches on the disparity between rich and poor, and how resentment and desperation can fester in the slums and the penthouses alike." - IGN 9/10

"Packed with fast action, brutal violence, and a striking cinematic style, all of the stops have been pulled out to make this the most exciting entry in the series to date... Max Payne 3 is a fantastic package, with a top-notch presentation and plenty of content to keep players busy and happy. It may have been a long time in coming, but there's no arguing with results, and Max is the kind of guy who gets them. Fans and newcomers alike are going to find plenty to enjoy in this exceptional title." - Destructoid 9/10
 

140 Comments

"Looks and Sounds Amazing..." A Round Up of Grand Theft Auto III: 10 Year Anniversary Edition Reviews

Posted: December 17, 2011 12:00PM | Author: R* Q

With Grand Theft Auto III's arrival on select iOS and Android devices this past week, we've amassed a handful of reviews from gaming and mobile sites across the net. Here's a sampling of the early word...

"The great thing about GTA III is Rockstar has given the keys to the game’s control scheme to the player. Don’t like how small certain on-screen inputs are? Resize them to your taste. Are you lefty? There’s a setting for that. Want all of the user interface to be microscopic so you can enjoy all of the wonderful HD detail? Yep, you can do that too. In other words, there should be no complaints about the game’s controls as it’s completely customizable." - InToMobile

http://www.intomobile.com/2011/12/15/review-grand-theft-auto-iii/

"GTAIII looks and sounds amazing. The game’s graphics have actually been improved from the console version with an increased drawn-in distance equivalent to the updated, PC-version of GTAIII." - Mashable

http://mashable.com/2011/12/15/gta-3-mobile-review/

"It’s the whole great big game you remember-- radio stations and all-- and it's on your iOS device.... Rockstar Games has done something fairly incredible here. They’ve taken one of the biggest, best, and most important games in the history of the medium, and ported it, fully intact, to a cell phone. This is a game that pushed the limits of the PlayStation 2 when it came out 10 years ago, and recent iOS devices can handle it without breaking a sweat." - Slide To Play

http://www.slidetoplay.com/story/grand-theft-auto-3-review


Previously:
Grand Theft Auto III: Your Questions Answered – Part One (Claude, Darkel & Other Characters)
Grand Theft Auto III: 10 Year Anniversary Edition Now Available for iPad, iPhone and Android Devices - Watch the Official Launch Trailer

80 Comments

Latest L.A. Noire Reviews and Feature Stories from The New York Times, Time's Techland, Maxim and More...

Posted: May 20, 2011 6:00PM | Author: R* S

With L.A. Noire's worldwide release upon us, check out some of the latest reviews to come in as well as some interesting articles about the making's of the game's 1940s Los Angeles:


"Rockstar has turned out its most pointed, and poignant, statement with L.A. Noire. The game tells a deeply moving and relevant story that speaks to the player because it feels so possible...  The Rockstar hallmark — gritty, believable, wry dialogue — is on full display." - The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/17/arts/video-games/la-noire-by-rockstar-games-review.html



"Here's what's most amazing about L.A. Noire: Rockstar Games and Team Bondi could have easily cranked out a GTA-style game set in this era and had a pretty strong title. However, they stepped outside that box and delivered a truly unique detective drama with detailed crime scenes and intense interrogations. That's enough evidence to label L.A. Noire as a potential game of the year." - USA Today: 4/4 Stars

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2011/05/review-la-noire-makes-its-case-for-game-of-the-year/1



"With computer games now out-selling DVDs it was only a matter of time before we had a game that could compete with Hollywood's storytelling - and L.A. Noire might just be it.... Without doubt one of the finest games you’ll play all year – and a benchmark for those to come." - Stuff: 5/5

http://www.stuff.tv/review/la-noire



"Rockstar and Team Bondi have created a game that nothing else even comes close to. We can't even draw comparison to anything else, because we can't think of anything remotely like it... Book your holiday now, and if you can't, get ready to call in sick. Make sure you break up with the missus/mister as well, 'cos you ain't going nowhere." - Maxim: 5/5

http://www.maxim.co.uk/entertainment/games/25519/la_noire_review.html



"with L.A. Noire, the partnership of innovative technology and assured craftsmanship demands your attention in ways other games don't. If you look away from Rockstar's latest, you could fail to notice something important–a clue to another evolutionary offshoot of what modern video games can be. You don't want to miss that; you'll need the evidence for later." - Techland: 9.1/10

http://techland.time.com/2011/05/17/arresting-development-l-a-noire-review/

 

Also, the guys at Popsci.com dug deep into the story surrounding the vintage aerial photography that was sourced to help create L.A. Noire's faithfully recreated mid-20th century Los Angeles:

"Rockstar's newest and perhaps most ambitious title, the marvel of technology and storytelling that is L.A. Noire, uses incredible face-mapping techniques to craft a startlingly subtle and realistic murder mystery game. But Rockstar's attention to detail didn't stop there: The team had decided to create an authentic depiction of the City of Angels in the 1940s, and needed as much data as they could find. Rockstar's ace in the hole? They relied on the services of a daredevil photographer named Robert Spence, known for documenting Los Angeles while hanging out of a plane's cockpit with his 46-pound camera."

The article includes insight from Simon Wood, one of the key members of the Team Bondi development team, responsible for the game's production design.
Read more here:
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-05/using-extreme-aerial-photography-1920s-rockstar-rebuilt-1940s-los-angeles-la-noire?cmpid=tw


Previously:
L.A. Noire First Reviews from GameSpot, The Guardian, Giant Bomb, 1Up & More 

126 Comments

L.A. Noire First Reviews from GameSpot, The Guardian, Giant Bomb, 1Up & More

Posted: May 16, 2011 5:07PM | Author: R* S

On the eve of L.A. Noire's North American launch (coming to Europe and Australia this Friday), we present some of the very first reviews to hit today...

 

"L.A. Noire is a bold release, because it defies the expectations not just for the type of game Rockstar usually releases, but also for the type of game that receives this degree of care and proficiency in its execution." - Giant Bomb: 5/5

http://www.giantbomb.com/la-noire/61-21500/reviews/

 

"This is vastly different from the countless first- and third-person shooters and all the 'me too' open-world games sitting on store shelves. All the things I've only read about in Dashiell Hammett novels, or seen in film classics like Double Indemnity, have all come to interactive life in L.A. Noire. Team Bondi has gone to great lengths to wrap you up in the game's story, and from my experience they've succeeded. I investigated these crimes. I apprehended the suspects. I pieced together all the clues. L.A. Noire had me more involved in its first thirty minutes than some other games do in their entirety, and that makes this a game you may regret passing on. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon -- and for the rest of your gaming life." - 1UP: A

http://www.1up.com/reviews/la-noire-review

 

"Ever since it worked out how to assemble pixels so that they resembled something more recognisable than aliens, the games industry has dreamed of one thing above all else - a game that is indistinguishable from a film, except that you can control the lead character. With L.A. Noire, it just might, finally, have found the embodiment of that particular holy grail." - The Guardian: 5/5 Stars

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2011/may/16/la-noire-game-review

 

"L.A. Noire approaches the dichotomy of interaction and narrative by integrating them together inextricably... Each element of the game is so intertwined with the other that it takes some time to realize the subversive genius on display; the story is the game, the game is the story... L.A. Noire transcends genre and the expectations of what a game can be and casts a spell that I have yet to shake." - G4: 5/5

http://www.g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/51451/la-noire/review#ixzz1MXBVY2rB

 

"L.A. Noire is a game that needed making. It offers something truly unique in an unbeatable setting... a breath of fresh air in an otherwise increasingly stale industry." - NowGamer: 9.3/10

http://ps3.nowgamer.com/reviews/ps3/9811/la-noire

 

"What a marvellous advert L.A. Noire can be for the eclecticism of video games, taking familiar mechanics that have been honed down the years and moulding them into an ambitious drama of exceptional impact... on the strength of this case, I can only hope the rest of the industry follows LA Noire’s lead." - The Telegraph: 9/10

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/8516469/LA-Noire-review.html

 

"L.A. Noire is a unique game with a terrific sense of period atmosphere, absorbing investigation mechanics, and a haunting tale with plenty of moments that would be right at home in a classic film noir." - Gamespot: 9/10 Editor's Choice

http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/adventure/lanoire/review.html?tag=topten%3Ballscore%3B1&page=1

 

“L.A. Noire is a staggering technological achievement, offering up a fantastically detailed open world, a hugely engrossing story, varied gameplay and some of the best acting performances ever to appear in a game. More impressively, all of its parts work together beautifully, creating an immensely fun adventure that’s worth replaying at least once." - GamesRadar: 9/10

http://www.gamesradar.com/ps3/la-noire/review/la-noire-review/a-2011051693529489014/g-2006092512588826087/p-3

 

"If you really want to appreciate the aesthetics (especially the best-in-class lighting), turn on black-and-white mode and see just how closely Team Bondi and Rockstar have replicated the look of a classic film... This is a little glimpse of an explored territory in interactive media, a hint at an incredibly exciting future that I can only hope we're hurtling towards." - Joystiq: 4.5/5

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/16/la-noire-review/

 

"L.A. Noire is a testament to the possibility of bringing dark, adult, mature games to the mainstream market... truly mature, with the kind of narrative you'd only expect to see in a major TV drama series or crime movie. No game released this generation has tackled the subject matter found in L.A. Noire with the same degree of intelligence and respect, and no game has so seamlessly blended gameplay from various genres together so seamlessly, in a way that delivers something far more unique in experience than the sum of its parts. Add that sense of uniqueness and intelligence to the fact that L.A. Noire is a terrific bloody videogame, and you have what is guaranteed to be a classic for years to come. True maturity and narrative depth in mainstream gaming begins right here." - Destructoid: 9/10

http://www.destructoid.com/review-l-a-noire-201203.phtml


Look for more reviews throughout this release week...
 

107 Comments

Reviews of Red Dead Redemption's Undead Nightmare: "What Downloadable Content Should Be - 10/10" - IGN

Posted: October 27, 2010 3:50PM | Author: R* S

Undead Nightmare's outrageous blend of b-movie zombie horror and open-world Western action has been set loose in the world across PSN and Xbox Live.  Here's just a taste of what critics are saying about the game:

"Undead Nightmare is what downloadable content should be -- a lot of bang for your buck.  There's a whole lot of new here: a 6+ hour single-player campaign, two multiplayer modes, two outfits, side missions, weapons, mounts, etc.  It's clear that Rockstar didn't skimp on this package, and priced at a cool $10 or 800 Microsoft points, neither should you.  There's a lot of fun to be had in this light-hearted version of the West, so if you're craving a well-polished zombie-filled package of fun, here it is." - 10/10 IGN

"Undead Nightmare Pack comes with a brand new single-player segment as well as a new multiplayer mode.  Oh, and it turns everyone into zombies, which changes everything.  How's that for a bang? ...A package that will hook loads of players from the moment that very first zombie head goes bang." - 9/10 CVG

"Undead Nightmare packs a surprisingly meaty, zombie-infested single-player experience that essentially reinvents the game, piles a fun four-player mode on top of that and sprinkles in a few hidden extras" - 9/10 Gamesradar

"Aside from the volume of additions, the impressive thing about Undead Nightmare is its sheer thoroughness.  Rather than going for the easy money, and perhaps just lobbing a few new enemies into the existing framework, Rockstar has opted to completely overhaul the Red Dead experience in fine detail.  So alongside the new quests, foes and weapons - the kind of thing you expect from a typical expansion pack - the developers have changed the whole appearance of their world, redressing the land in gloomy hues.  There's a revamped soundtrack too, including a few licensed psychobilly tunes and even new cheeky comments for Marston himself as he loots the bodies of his rotten opposition." - 9/10 Videogamer

247 Comments

The New York Times Reviews Red Dead Redemption

Posted: May 17, 2010 3:52PM | Author: R* S

Check out The New York Times' review of Red Dead Redemption, as appears in today's print edition on newsstands around the world - and look for more reviews hitting online throughout the day.

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/17/arts/television/17dead.html

210 Comments

“As Essential as Grand Theft Auto IV Itself”... Latest Episodes from Liberty City Reviews from the US and UK

Posted: April 19, 2010 8:38PM | Author: R* S

As of this past Friday, Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City is at last available throughout Europe, Australia and North America for PlayStation 3 and PC (and thanks again to everyone who came out this past weekend for our kickoff multiplayer events).  If you haven’t yet walked in the shoes of Luis Lopez or Johnny Klebitz, read on for a few choice reviews from the US and UK:

"Ultimately, the game's ending genuinely encapsulates the fifty-odd hours I invested in Grand Theft Auto IV on Xbox 360, and after logging in my fair share of hours on this other version, I’m confident that PS3 owners will feel the same way.  Life goes on for these characters… and it’s a rewardingly upbeat celebration of the time you’ve invested in the world.  If you've stuck with [Grand Theft Auto IV] for these nearly two years, you absolutely must play Episodes from Liberty City." 5/5 - G4TV.com

“These two essential new chapters for Grand Theft Auto IV are now available for Playstation 3 or PC on a low-price standalone disc.  This will be one of the best value add-ons you’ll ever encounter.  Two all-new story arcs set within the world of Grand Theft Auto IV, both taking several hours to complete, and with terrific multiplayer modes extending the pleasure.” 5/5 – Yahoo Games UK

“As essential as Grand Theft Auto IV itself – these episodes are nothing short of epic… There’s really no good reason for you not to jump back in to Liberty City – the concrete jungle where nightmares are made of.” 97/100 – GamesMaster UK

Previously:
IGN PS3 Reviews Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City, 9.2 "Outstanding"

30 Comments

IGN PS3 Reviews Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City, 9.2 "Outstanding"

Posted: April 09, 2010 7:16PM | Author: R* Q

IGN PS3 has just posted the first review of the PlayStation 3 version of Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City, coming to stores and to PSN next week (Tuesday, April 13th in the US and Friday, April 16th in Europe):

“The Lost & Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony are the perfect way to close out the GTA IV saga… The voice acting is superb, there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, the presentation is amazing and there’s still the wonder that is Liberty City for you to explore.”

Read the full review at http://ps3.ign.com/articles/108/1082656p1.html

31 Comments

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