Choose Max Payne
Choose Max Payne if it's currently about 50% cheaper on the Steam Store. 7,648 Steam reviews back the pick.
Max Payne vs Max Payne 3
Max Payne and Max Payne 3 both land in Action on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Action games on Steam. Max Payne (2011) is 1 year older than Max Payne 3 (2012). Max Payne scores higher on Steam reviews (86.4% positive) than Max Payne 3 (84.9% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Max Payne 3
Choose Max Payne 3 if you want the Multi-player side of the pairing. 23,931 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Max Payne and Max Payne 3 sit in Action on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (86.4% vs 84.9% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Max Payne |  Max Payne 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2012 |
| Genres | Action | Action |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 86.4% positive (7,648 reviews) | 84.9% positive (23,931 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player |
| Developers | Remedy Entertainment | Rockstar Studios |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Max Payne (2011) is 1 year older than Max Payne 3 (2012).
- Max Payne scores higher on Steam reviews (86.4% positive) than Max Payne 3 (84.9% positive).
- Max Payne is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Max Payne 3 (9.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Max Payne is Deck Unsupported, Max Payne 3 is Deck Playable.
Max Payne vs Max Payne 3 — FAQ
- Which is better, Max Payne or Max Payne 3?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: Max Payne sits at 86.4% positive (7,648 reviews), Max Payne 3 at 84.9% (23,931). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play Max Payne or Max Payne 3 first?
- If you want chronology, Max Payne (2011) came out before Max Payne 3 (2012). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Max Payne and Max Payne 3 similar?
- They overlap on Action on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does Max Payne have multiplayer like Max Payne 3?
- No. Max Payne 3 supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Max Payne is listed as single-player only.