Games Like Max Payne 3

Max Payne is a man with nothing to lose in the violent, cold urban night. A fugitive undercover cop framed for murder, hunted by cops and the mob, Max is a man with his back against the wall, fighting a battle he cannot hope to win. Prepare for pain…

Why similar: Bullet Time 26.4% ★, Noir 20.8%, Third-Person Shooter 20.2%, Action 6.5%, Story Rich 4.3%

Why You'll Like It: The original delivers the same hard-boiled monologues, comic-book noir, and iconic bullet-time gunfights that define Max's appeal.

Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne is a violent, film-noir love story. Dark, tragic and intense, the in-depth story is a thrill-ride of shocking twists and revelations. Love hurts.

Why similar: Bullet Time 26.1% ★, Noir 21.6%, Third-Person Shooter 19.3%, Action 7%, Great Soundtrack 4.9%

Why You'll Like It: It refines the first game's slow-motion diving and tragic noir tone, making it the closest mechanical and narrative companion to Max Payne 3.

STAKES. GUNS. SLOW-MO. Fight werewolves and vampires in a reality-shifting motel. Dive through barricades to escape the grasp of evil puppets. Destroy the villain you loved. A new, third-person love letter to classic shooters. Neo-noir never looked so good.

Why similar: Bullet Time 42.3% ★, Third-Person Shooter 23.1%, Cinematic 12.5%, Shooter 4.7%, Third Person 4.3%

Why You'll Like It: This modern indie is essentially a love letter to Max Payne, with bullet-time dives, motel shootouts, and a broken protagonist narrating his descent.

Pure adrenaline of non-stop action in Single Player, Online Co-op and Multiplayer. Double the pleasure and mayhem with new multiplayer DLCs! (click for details)

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 36.2%, Action 15.6%, Shooter 9%, Violent 8%, Third Person 7.4%

Why You'll Like It: Its raw São Paulo crime setting, desperate third-person firefights, and grim criminal tone echo Max Payne 3's ugliest urban energy.

From Remedy Entertainment, the masters of cinematic action games, comes Quantum Break, a time-amplified suspenseful blockbuster. The Quantum Break experience is part game, part live action show—where decisions in one dramatically affect the other.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 22.4%, Bullet Time 20% ★, Cinematic 15.4%, Story Rich 10.1%, Action 9%

Why You'll Like It: Another Remedy action game, it pairs weighty third-person gunplay with time powers and a cinematic campaign that feels like Max Payne evolved into sci-fi.

After Lincoln Clay's surrogate family, the black mob, is betrayed and killed by the Italian Mafia, Lincoln builds a new family and blazes a path of revenge through the Mafioso responsible.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 22%, Great Soundtrack 12.3%, Action 10.4%, Third Person 9.6%, Story Rich 9.6%

Why You'll Like It: Its revenge-driven crime story, brutal gunfights, and bleak tone make it a strong fit if you want more angry, character-led violence.

Winner of over 80 awards, Control is a visually stunning third-person action-adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 36.2%, Action 13%, Third Person 12.3%, Story Rich 12.2%, Shooter 7.1%

Why You'll Like It: From Remedy, it mixes punchy over-the-shoulder shooting with a surreal story and powers that scratch the same stylish-combat itch as bullet time.

An inadvertent brush with the mob thrusts cabdriver Tommy Angelo into the world of organized crime. Initially uneasy about falling in with the Salieri family, the rewards become too big to ignore.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 23.1%, Noir 14.7%, Story Rich 11.1%, Action 9.6%, Multiplayer 7.7%

Why You'll Like It: It shares Rockstar-like cinematic pacing, a serious crime story, and grounded shootouts that hit closest to Max Payne's narrative side.

PlatinumGames’ revolutionary sci-fi action shooter slide-boosts onto PC. Battle legions of future-tech enemies using a vast arsenal of weapons, including all DLC. Fully unlocked framerate and gorgeous HD resolutions up to 4K. The definitive way to play: war has accelerated.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 39.3%, Bullet Time 23.8% ★, Action 10.7%, Shooter 10.1%, Third Person 7.6%

Why You'll Like It: If you mainly want hyper-aggressive, high-speed third-person gunplay, Vanquish delivers nonstop set-piece shooting with incredible movement and style.

War hero Vito Scaletta becomes entangled with the mob in hopes of paying his father’s debts. Vito works to prove himself, climbing the family ladder with crimes of larger reward and consequence.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 20.7%, Noir 17.9%, Action 13.2%, Story Rich 8.8%, Third Person 7.1%

Why You'll Like It: This is another story-heavy crime game with linear missions, era atmosphere, and grounded shooting that complements Max Payne 3's cinematic sensibilities.

Kane and Lynch: Dead Men is the new action shooter franchise by Io-Interactive, creators of the multi-million selling Hitman series. Kane & Lynch: Dead Men follows the violent and chaotic journey of two men - a flawed mercenary and a medicated psychopath - and their brutal attitude towards right and wrong.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 39%, Action 17.6%, Shooter 10.7%, Third Person 7.4%, Violent 6.2%

Why You'll Like It: The first Kane & Lynch trades polish for a filthy criminal-road-movie vibe and blunt third-person firefights that Max Payne 3 fans may appreciate.

Niko Bellic, Johnny Klebitz and Luis Lopez all have one thing in common - they live in the worst city in America. Liberty City worships money and status, and is heaven for those who have them and a living nightmare for those who don't.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 31.9%, Action 15.9%, Multiplayer 14.9%, Third Person 13%, Shooter 9.6%

Why You'll Like It: Rockstar's similarly bleak crime writing, Euphoria-driven combat, and urban melancholy make this a natural tonal match.

Set in futuristic Tokyo, take control of the robotic community before they control everything!

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 56.6%, Action 14%, Shooter 8.6%, Third Person 7.6%, Story Rich 6.8%

Why You'll Like It: It offers satisfying cover-based third-person combat, a focused campaign, and gritty banter-driven squad action with the same heavy PS3-era shooter feel.

Blast your way through the streets of Hong Kong in a fast-paced, top-down shooter. Inspired by classic action movies, The Hong Kong Massacre places you at the center of a hard-boiled revenge story, filled with brutal, cinematic shootouts and vivid underworld locations.

Why similar: Bullet Time 55.7% ★, Shooter 11.5%, Violent 11.1%, Action 9.7%, Story Rich 7.6%

Why You'll Like It: Though top-down, its John Woo-inspired slow-motion shootouts and lethal room-clearing capture Max Payne's ballet-of-bullets spirit.

The Definitive Edition of the critically acclaimed, award winning open-world action adventure, reworked, rebuilt and re-mastered for the new generation. With all previously available DLC included and a wealth of tech and visual improvements, Hong Kong has never felt so alive.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 19%, Action 15.9%, Third Person 13.4%, Story Rich 11%, Multiplayer 10.7%

Why You'll Like It: While more open-world and melee-heavy, it still nails undercover-crime drama, stylish gunplay, and gritty urban action.

The original assassin is back! Betrayed by the Agency and hunted by the police, Agent 47 finds himself pursuing redemption in a corrupt and twisted world.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 33.8%, Action 16.5%, Third Person 13.7%, Cinematic 10.1%, Shooter 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: Its linear structure, polished third-person gunplay, and cinematic mission design make it one of the closest non-noir action alternatives.

Experience the story of former outlaw John Marston as he tracks down the last remaining members of the notorious Van der Linde Gang in the PC debut of the critically acclaimed predecessor to Red Dead Redemption 2.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 30.9%, Story Rich 15.1%, Great Soundtrack 12.8%, Action 10.2%, Shooter 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: Rockstar's other great tale of a doomed gunman offers similarly weighty shooting, bleak character drama, and cinematic mission framing.

A Dark Presence stalks the small town of Bright Falls, pushing Alan Wake to the brink of sanity in his fight to unravel the mystery and save his love.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 18.4%, Third Person 15.9%, Action 14.4%, Story Rich 13.3%, Great Soundtrack 11.7%

Why You'll Like It: It swaps crime noir for supernatural thriller, but Remedy's narration-heavy storytelling and tense over-the-shoulder action feel spiritually adjacent.

My Friend Pedro is a violent ballet about friendship, imagination, and one man’s struggle to obliterate anyone in his path at the behest of a sentient banana.

Why similar: Bullet Time 46.3% ★, Great Soundtrack 14.6%, Action 13.5%, Shooter 13.1%, Violent 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: If bullet-time acrobatics are what you love most, this gives you stylish slow-mo carnage and absurdly smooth gunplay in a different format.

In his fight to climb the ranks and do what's right, LAPD detective Cole Phelps must unravel the truth behind a string of arson attacks, conspiracies, and brutal murders, battling the L.A. underworld and even members of his own department.

Why similar: Noir 39.6%, Cinematic 14.7%, Story Rich 9.9%, Third Person 9%, Third-Person Shooter 9%

Why You'll Like It: This is far less action-heavy, yet its detective-noir atmosphere and Rockstar-era cinematic presentation make it a good fit for Max's story side.

From one of gaming’s most acclaimed sagas, Gears is bigger than ever. With all-out war descending, Kait Diaz breaks away to uncover her connection to the enemy and discovers the true danger to Sera – herself.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 38.3%, Action 16.4%, Multiplayer 12.1%, Shooter 9.5%, Violent 6.5%

Why You'll Like It: It lacks the crime-noir angle, but its muscular cover shooting and blockbuster third-person set pieces match Max Payne 3's heavy gunfight feel.

Become the ultimate badass in Trepang2: A gory, action-packed FPS set in the near future. Unleash all hell on your enemies, dodge bullets and leave a trail of destruction in this hardcore and frenetic shooter.

Why similar: Bullet Time 54% ★, Shooter 17.7%, Violent 12.8%, Action 9.7%, Singleplayer 3%

Why You'll Like It: This is first-person rather than third-person, but its slow-motion breaching and brutal momentum-driven firefights strongly echo Max Payne's combat rush.

A thrilling new storyline, hordes of creepy enemies, serious firepower and beautiful Arizona locations, combined with a fun and challenging new game mode!

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 37%, Action 20.1%, Third Person 16.4%, Cinematic 9.6%, Shooter 5.7%

Why You'll Like It: This shorter, pulpier spin-off leans harder into arcade-style combat while keeping Remedy's signature mood and narration.

An intense single-player FPS featuring a stylish movement system, completely destructible levels, and an acclaimed OST.

Why similar: Bullet Time 66.7% ★, Shooter 14.6%, Action 11.1%, Violent 5.5%, Singleplayer 2.2%

Why You'll Like It: It turns the dive-and-slow-mo fantasy into a fast FPS, delivering constant stylish movement kills for players chasing Max Payne 3's mechanical high.

An intense first person shooter that delivers a twisted and gripping narrative of tragedy, modern crime drama, and supernatural horror.

Why similar: Action 22.7%, Shooter 21.1%, Multiplayer 11.3%, Violent 10.8%, Story Rich 8.7%

Why You'll Like It: The tone is more comic-book dark fantasy, but its fast, violent gunplay and grim antihero energy hit some of the same notes.

Play as Nathan Drake and Chloe Frazer in their own standalone adventures as they confront their pasts and forge their own legacies. This game includes the critically acclaimed single-player stories from both UNCHARTED 4: A Thief’s End and UNCHARTED: The Lost Legacy.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 30.1%, Cinematic 14.5%, Story Rich 12.1%, Multiplayer 10.6%, Third Person 10.2%

Why You'll Like It: It is lighter in tone, but the blockbuster third-person shootouts and polished cinematic pacing make it an easy transition.

Blending action and survival horror, Resident Evil 6 promises to be the dramatic horror experience of 2013.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 45.9%, Action 16.4%, Multiplayer 12.4%, Shooter 8.1%, Third Person 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: Its most action-focused campaigns offer lots of sliding, diving, and over-the-top third-person gun battles with a similar 2010s cinematic shooter feel.

Wanted: Dead is a new hybrid slasher/shooter from the makers of Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive. The game follows a week in life of the Zombie Unit, an elite Hong Kong police squad on a mission to uncover a major corporate conspiracy.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 34%, Bullet Time 32.4% ★, Shooter 10.8%, Third Person 8.9%, Action 5.4%

Why You'll Like It: Despite its rough edges, it aims for the same kind of hard-hitting third-person action and stylish gunplay-first spectacle.

In Ghost Recon Future Soldier join an elite team of highly trained, cut-throat special-ops soldiers. Armed to the teeth with unrivalled combat technology, Ghost Recon takes you to the globe’s most deadly warzones to hunt down the highest value targets.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 44.5%, Action 17.1%, Multiplayer 12.5%, Shooter 12.2%, Third Person 6.4%

Why You'll Like It: Its cover-based third-person firefights, tactical movement, and linear globe-trotting missions appeal if you liked Max Payne 3's polished shooting.

Uncover the origins of organized crime in Mafia: The Old Country, a gritty mob story set in the brutal underworld of 1900s Sicily. Fight to survive as Enzo Favara and prove your worth to the Family in this immersive third-person action-adventure.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 32.4%, Cinematic 18%, Story Rich 10%, Shooter 9.5%, Third Person 8.8%

This game is a port of the Games for Windows - Live version that was released in 2009. If you buy the Untold Stories Bundle here on Steam, it will be the same as upgrading to Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 46.3%, Action 14.6%, Multiplayer 12%, Third Person 8.7%, Shooter 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: This co-op shooter is more horror-action than noir, but its over-the-shoulder combat and set-piece focus still overlap with Max Payne 3's core combat feel.

Vito Scaletta has started to make a name for himself on the streets of Empire Bay as someone who can be trusted to get a job done. Together with his buddy Joe, he is working to prove himself to the Mafia, quickly escalating up the family ladder with crimes of larger reward, status and consequence… the life as a wise guy isn’t quite as...

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 25.8%, Action 15.7%, Story Rich 12%, Great Soundtrack 11.4%, Third Person 8.7%

As Wei Shen, an undercover cop trying to take down the Triads, you'll have to fight your way up the organization without blowing your cover.

Why similar: Action 21.5%, Third Person 19.2%, Third-Person Shooter 14.8%, Story Rich 9.2%, Open World 9.1%

Welcome to the 1980s. From the decade of big hair and pastel suits comes the story of one man's rise to the top of the criminal pile. Grand Theft Auto returns with Tommy Vercetti’s tale of betrayal and revenge in a neon-soaked tropical town full of excess and brimming with possibilities.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 49.8%, Action 12.4%, Third Person 11.7%, Violent 7.4%, Open World 4.3%

Discover the dark secrets of a lawless island ruled by violence and take the fight to the enemy as you try to escape. You’ll need more than luck to escape alive!

Why similar: Action 21.4%, Multiplayer 21.1%, Shooter 20%, Open World 10.4%, Story Rich 8.4%

Play as Mad Max, a reluctant hero and survivor who wants nothing more than to leave the madness behind and find solace.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 23%, Action 19.8%, Third Person 15.4%, Open World 8.4%, Multiplayer 8.2%

Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde Gang are outlaws on the run. With federal agents and bounty hunters massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal, and fight their way across the rugged heartland in order to survive.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 23.7%, Multiplayer 13.8%, Story Rich 13.2%, Great Soundtrack 11.1%, Shooter 10.1%

Ushering in a new era for the METAL GEAR franchise with cutting-edge technology powered by the Fox Engine, METAL GEAR SOLID V: The Phantom Pain, will provide players a first-rate gaming experience as they are offered tactical freedom to carry out open-world missions.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 18.6%, Cinematic 17.6%, Great Soundtrack 13.8%, Story Rich 9.8%, Action 9.2%

It’s 1930. After an inadvertent brush with the mafia, cabdriver Tommy Angelo is reluctantly thrust into the world of organized crime. Initially, he is uneasy about falling in with the Salieri family, but soon the rewards become too big to ignore.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 20.8%, Great Soundtrack 14.4%, Story Rich 12.6%, Action 11.9%, Third Person 9.2%

Become the legendary part man, part machine, all cop hero and deliver justice in Old Detroit.

Why similar: Shooter 25.3%, Action 21.6%, Story Rich 19.7%, Violent 17.2%, Atmospheric 8.3%

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: It’s the early ’90s. After a couple of cops frame him for homicide, Carl ‘CJ’ Johnson is forced on a journey that takes him across the entire state of San Andreas, to save his family and to take control of the streets.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 42.6%, Action 12.8%, Violent 10.8%, Third Person 10.7%, Nudity 8%

It all starts in Liberty City. With revolutionary freedom to go anywhere and jack anyone, Grand Theft Auto III puts the center of the criminal underworld at your fingertips, if you have enough guts to take it.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 55.5%, Action 14.2%, Third Person 14%, Violent 8.1%, Open World 4.6%

Money Talks. Silence Pays. Prepare to Make a Killing. When assassins from Agent 47's contract agency, The ICA, are eliminated in a series of hits, it seems a larger, more powerful agency has entered the fray. Sensing he may be a target, 47 travels to America, and prepares to make a killing.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 30.3%, Action 19.7%, Third Person 17.8%, Great Soundtrack 17.2%, Shooter 6.9%

World-renowned Kojima Productions brings the Metal Gear Solid franchise to Steam with METAL GEAR SOLID V: GROUND ZEROES. Play as the legendary hero Snake and infiltrate a Cuban military base to rescue the hostages. Can you make it out alive?

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 20.3%, Cinematic 18%, Action 14.3%, Third Person 11%, Great Soundtrack 10.5%

Take on the role of a hardened career criminal executing intense, dynamic heists in constant pursuit of the next “big score”

Why similar: Multiplayer 25%, Action 23.8%, Great Soundtrack 21.3%, Shooter 20.3%, Co-op 7.9%

THE OLD WEST, 1864. In order to save their family, the McCall brothers will kill anyone who stands between them and the legendary Gold of Juarez.

Why similar: Bullet Time 25.5% ★, Action 19.2%, Multiplayer 14.4%, Shooter 12.6%, Story Rich 8%

Experience entertainment blockbusters Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online — now upgraded for a new generation with stunning visuals, faster loading, 3D audio, and more, plus exclusive content for GTA Online players.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 29.6%, Multiplayer 16.6%, Shooter 14.9%, Action 13.5%, Third Person 12.8%

From the dust of a gold mine to the dirt of a saloon, Call of Juarez® Gunslinger is a real homage to the Wild West tales. Live the epic and violent journey of a ruthless bounty hunter on the trail of the West’s most notorious outlaws.

Why similar: Bullet Time 51.8% ★, Action 13.5%, Shooter 13.2%, Story Rich 9.9%, Violent 5.7%

Suit for Hire is a challenging action shooter, tactically blend weapons and martial arts together to unleash beautifully crafted violence.

Why similar: Bullet Time 42.2% ★, Third-Person Shooter 31%, Violent 8.6%, Action 7.9%, Shooter 6.9%

In the dark days of the end of World War Two amidst the ruins of Berlin, one bullet can change history…

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 29.5%, Bullet Time 24.1% ★, Action 15.2%, Shooter 10.6%, Multiplayer 9%

Experience the origins of one of gaming’s most acclaimed franchises like never before, faithfully remastered and optimized for PC.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 43.2%, Shooter 14.5%, Third Person 12.3%, Action 11.9%, Multiplayer 9.3%

With over 1000 km² of complete freedom from sky to seabed, Rico Rodriguez returns to unleash chaos in the most creative and explosive ways imaginable.

Why similar: Third-Person Shooter 37.7%, Action 12.2%, Multiplayer 12.1%, Shooter 11.2%, Third Person 9.3%