São Paulo

Lore & Background

São Paulo in Max Payne 3 is a city of stark contrasts, where the wealthy Branco family lives in luxury while street gangs like the Comando Sombra operate in the favelas. The city is home to Rodrigo Branco, a wealthy real-estate mogul; his trophy wife Fabiana; her social worker sister Giovanna Taveres; local politician Victor Branco; and hard-partying socialite Marcelo Branco. The game's plot involves a conspiracy of shadowy, warring factions threading every aspect of São Paulo society in a deadly web. These factions include the Comando Sombra, a local street gang; the Crachá Preto, an outlaw vigilante militia; and the Unidade de Forças Especiais (UFE), São Paulo's police tactical unit, which is revealed to be corrupt. The city's favelas, such as Nova Esperança, serve as key locations where Max searches for Fabiana after her kidnapping.

In Their Own Story

Nine years after the events of the second game, Max Payne has retired from the NYPD and spends his days nursing his alcoholism and addiction to painkillers. After an incident involving the local mob forces him to leave New York, Max accepts an offer from Raul Passos to become a private security contractor in South America. Operating in São Paulo a few months later, Max thwarts a kidnapping attempt on the Brancos by the Comando Sombra during a private party. A week later, the gang kidnaps Fabiana at a nightclub. Instructed to pay $3 million for her release, Rodrigo allows Max and Passos to handle the exchange at a local football stadium, but the meeting is ambushed by the Crachá Preto. Max eventually reaches Serrano's hideout in the Nova Esperança favela, only to witness him murder Fabiana. As the UFE raids the favela, Max rescues Marcelo and Giovanna, though Marcelo is later executed by the Crachá Preto. Max discovers that Victor Branco orchestrated Rodrigo's murder to acquire his wealth, and that organ sales were intended to fund his campaign in the upcoming mayoral elections. Max pursues Victor and UFE leader Armando Becker to the airport, mortally maiming Becker and destroying Victor's private jet. A week later in Bahia, Max overhears news that the UFE was disbanded and that Victor was found dead.

Reader's Guide

São Paulo is the primary setting for Max Payne 3's single-player mode. The player controls Max Payne, a former NYPD detective, as he works as a private security contractor for the wealthy Branco family. Key locations include the Branco family's penthouse, a nightclub where Fabiana is kidnapped, a local football stadium where the ransom exchange takes place, the Nova Esperança favela where Max searches for Fabiana, a rundown hotel used by the Crachá Preto that serves as a base for a black market organ theft ring, the UFE's headquarters, and the airport where the final confrontation occurs. The city's vertical environment—its tunnels, helipads, and construction sites—provides the setting for Max's signature shoot-dodge gunplay. The game features interactive cutscenes that transition seamlessly into gameplay with no loading screens. New gameplay features include a cover system, a "Last Stand" mechanic that grants a grace period when health is fully depleted, and the ability to shoot at any angle while grounded after using the shoot-dodge mechanic. The player character can only hold three weapons at a time: two slots for handguns and one for a two-handed weapon.

Did You Know?

• As part of their research for Max Payne 3's setting, the developers conducted field research around São Paulo throughout development and captured footage for the design team.
• The game's online multiplayer mode features maps and modes that dynamically change within a match, allowing up to 16 players to engage in cooperative and competitive gameplay in recreations of single-player settings.
• The online multiplayer mode and Social Club support for the console versions of the game were discontinued in September 2021.
• Max Payne 3 had shipped 4 million units by May 2013.
• The game was first released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on May 15, 2012; a Windows port was released on May 29, followed by an OS X port on June 20, 2013.