Ten years ago, Rockstar launched Max Payne 3. Set in sunny São Paulo—a far cry from Max’s home city of New York—it’s one of the most exciting, lavishly produced third-person shooters ever made. It’s deeply simple at its core, but elevated by its thrilling choreography, the impressive density of its destructible levels, and its breakneck pace, which doesn’t let up until the credits roll. It may lack the quirky Lynchian strangeness, mythological undertones, and peculiar dreamlike quality of the first two games, but it doubles down on the pulpy grime and balletic action.
