They can then use XP to unlock more content including avatar customisation options (tattoos, clothes and accessories), new weapons and attachments, and Bursts – skills that work along the same lines as the Perks in the Call Of Duty series. Players fill their bullet-time meter in the multiplayer by scoring kills, and this also earns them experience points (XP). It also means that if a player suddenly sees the action on their HUD enter bullet time without them triggering it themselves, they're likely to become riddled with bullets unless they execute a dodge-roll or find some cover sharpish. This means that if a player has the drop on a couple of opponents, the mechanic gives them a clear advantage as they'll be able to quickly pour clips of lead into multiple targets. When this happens, the action slows down for all participants.

A player can activate the mechanic whenever they choose – provided their meter is full – but other players will only enter bullet time with them if they're caught in the player's line of sight. The way Rockstar has resolved this problem is by attaching the bullet-time feature to the players' eyelines. But how can it be used as a mechanic by dozens of players simultaneously without making a multiplayer battle feel like everyone's moving through quicksand? But hang on a second, how is bullet time supposed to work in an online fragfest? It's easy to visualise it in a single-player context where only one participant has the power to slow down the action. Since bullet time plays such a key part of the proceedings in Max Payne 3's story, naturally there's the expectation that it has to feature in the game's multiplayer.

This mechanic not only makes the game's high-octane set-pieces ooze with style, it's actually a tactical edge the player has when they're facing down multiple armed opponents. Rockstar's take on Remedy's hyper-kinetic third-person shooter may be grittier and more hard-bitten than its forebears, but it keeps the franchise's most famous feature in place: bullet time. In the end, Max Payne is all about the movement.

Max payne 3 ps3 online