The story in Max Payne 3 begins with the title character trying to drown out his past with alcohol. He admits that everything that transpired in his life happened a long time ago and that he should just forget about it. Similarly, it’s been more than 10 years since the last installment in the Max Payne series was released.

But it’s not quite time to forget about Max Payne just yet.

The last game in the Max Payne series came out in 2003. The series popularized the use of slow motion gunfights in video games the same way the Matrix films did in Hollywood.

Much of what defined the series is still here in Max Payne 3: the slow-motion diving, gunfights, the dark and gritty atmosphere, and Max Payne’s plethora of puns. While very much old fashioned in its design, the game still manages to hold up to and easily surpasses more recent titles that have tried to emulate the slow motion bullet-dodging gameplay such as the decent Stranglehold and the awful Wet.

Max Payne 3 retains the classic elements of the series while adding what new technology of the current console generation will allow. Gone are the old comic book panel cutscenes, but this actually helps keep a strong level of immersion for the game.

The drunken anti-hero is also getting older, and he feels it. Whether or not the game designers intended for the effect, the gameplay works in tandem with the story’s narrative to portray the feeling of wear and tear that Max Payne is experiencing.

Payne’s age must be affecting his eyes because the tiny white dot serving as the targeting reticle becomes very difficult to locate amidst the more colorful environments. Movement through the battlefield also feels sluggish, and it’s quite amusing to watch Max making a graceful slow -motion dive out of cover only to be interrupted by slamming into a cubicle wall.

It is in these instances that the game shows its more old -fashioned game design, but the big question hovering over this third installment is whether or not Max Payne 3 differentiates itself from more recent conventional third-person shooters we see today.

While a few recent titles such as Vanquish try to mix things up by encouraging players to break the chest-high wall cover system conventions popularized by the Gears of War series, Max Payne 3 is more grounded but still requires the player to master the bullet-time mechanics. It’s not enough to trade bullets with enemies from behind cover. There are simply too many enemies and bullets to absorb before Max Payne files for early retirement, and diving on in slow motion is the best way to hit your enemy from an unexpected angle without taking more shots to the torso than desired.

In addition to the game mechanics, the story and narrative of Max Payne 3  is also quite old-fashion, but to be engaging and effective regardless. It’s no surprise that Max Payne is feeling worn out after all he’s gone through and experienced, and the dark and gritty storyline more than beats you over the head with the fact.

Depending on how invested the player is in the stories, the cutscenes will either be too frequent and too long, or refreshing breaks from all the murder and here to provide motivation and direction. Either way, there is no shortage in the number of enemies that the game throws at you, but just when the chapters start to drag on, the game throws in a vehicle section that keeps things feeling nice and fresh.

The return of Max Payne is a welcome one despite the years that have passed by. Old fans should find this third installment a wonderful addition to the series if not the best of the three, and newcomers might just find something to like if they are willing to dive in. With a lengthy campaign and surprisingly well-crafted multiplayer, the game retains many of the gameplay and story elements that worked before but throw in new features to keep things feeling fresh.