Common Sense Media Review
By Marc Saltzman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Gritty action game overflows with gore, sex, and profanity.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Max Payne 3
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 8 parent reviews
Based on 15 kid reviews
Kids say the game delivers an intense and immersive experience through its brutal violence, sophisticated gunplay, and engaging story, though the excessive cutscenes and mature themes may deter younger audiences. While it offers a revolutionary gameplay experience reminiscent of John Wick, its graphic content, including language, drug use, and gore, makes it suitable only for older teens and adults.
- intense violence
- immersive gameplay
- excessive cutscenes
- mature themes
- older audience only
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's It About?
Rockstar Games' gritty MAX PAYNE 3 picks up eight years after the events in Max Payne 2. For the uninitiated, Max is a former NYPD detective whose wife and daughter were murdered in connection with a case, so he infiltrated the mob and killed off criminals outside of the law. In Max Payne 3, Max has left New York City for São Paulo, where Payne is working in the private security sector for a wealthy local family. But when his client's wife gets kidnapped, Max makes his way into the seedy underbelly of the metropolis and finds himself in the middle of deadly gang wars. As with past games, this is a third-person shooter with plenty of weapons and high-quality cinematics -- including slow-motion "bullet time" for dramatic moves and kills. The game also includes a multiplayer option for the first time, and other modes.
Is It Any Good?
Yes, the game is good -- but Max Payne 3 is not recommended for players under 17 years of age for its mature themes and graphic imagery and language. The lengthy single-player campaign -- penned by Dan Houser of Grand Theft Auto fame -- is very well written, has memorable characters and locations, and intense action that requires you to shoot, take cover, and think your way out of situations, too. Max Payne 3 also offers a thrilling multiplayer experience for all three versions of the game, as well as additional modes (like Score Attack and New York Minute) that extend the gameplay further. There is also downloadable content coming soon, too. While not for kids, tweens, or teens, this gritty "film noir"-like game is highly entertaining, beautifully designed, and delivers a lot of bang for the buck.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether this game would be just as much fun without all the mature themes, imagery, and dialogue. Could the game be dialed back to, say, a "Teen" rating instead of "Mature" and be just as entertaining?
Families can also talk about the impact of media violence.
Game Details
- Platforms : PlayStation 3 , Windows , Xbox 360
- Subjects : Language & Reading : following directions , storytelling , Social Studies : power structures , Science : motion , physics
- Skills : Thinking & Reasoning : applying information , investigation , problem solving , Emotional Development : handling stress , identifying emotions , Communication : listening
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : Rockstar Games
- Release date : May 15, 2012
- Genre : Third-Person Shooter
- Topics : Adventures
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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