Max Payne 3 might be the most honest depiction of depression I’ve ever experienced in a video game.
The story and setting aren’t the point; they’re just the backdrop to Max’s internal state. Everything is filtered through his exhaustion and his self-loathing. Many critics took issue with how the game seemingly ignores Max’s character development from Max Payne 2, where he appeared to have moved on from the death of his family. But that criticism misunderstands trauma. Real trauma doesn’t resolve cleanly. You don’t “finish” grieving. You carry it, and sometimes all it takes is a dream, a memory, or a familiar pain to drag you right back into the dark.
Rockstar’s greatest achievement here is turning a bright, sun-soaked Brazilian setting into something that feels just as cold and suffocating as the snow-covered streets of the earlier games.
To Max, protecting the Brancos is an excuse to keep breathing. A reason not to put the gun to himself. If he has someone to protect, he has a purpose.
This game is a character study wrapped in a third-person shooter. Bleak, uncomfortable, and uncompromising.

I'm not much of a gamer any more, but I played all the Max Payne games about 10-15 years back on Xbox. Max Payne 3 was WAY ahead of it's time. Gritty, cinematic, fun characters. It's awesome. I'm a 52 year old gamer, who only plays like 2-3 games a year, but I promise...you will not regret playing this.

Fairly short campaign, but I remember 6-7 hours being the average at the time for some Triple A games I guess.

Would recommend picking it up on sale.