Game Modes
Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch
Nothing new or special here. The player or team with the most kills after the allotted time has run out wins the match. Large (meaning up to 16 players as opposed to 8) and Hardcore (Free Aim only, no regenerative health, friendly fire, no mini-map) versions of these modes are also available.
Payne Killer
In this mode, you begin in a free-for-all state. The first person to get a kill will become Max Payne, and the second player to kill will become Passos. Once these two actions occur, the other six players become a sort of cooperative team with a similar goal: kill Max and Passos. Whoever kills either of the two heroes will immediately assume that role. Both Max and Passos can take a lot of damage, begin with a full Burst Meter (which can only be used for Bullet Time and Shootdodge) and have at least two painkillers.
It’s important to note when multiple players are firing on Max or Passos, it’s not necessarily the player who gets the kill shot who becomes the hero. While that is one of the determining factors, total damage dealt and whether or not you are alive, all are taken into account by the game when deciding who gets the glory. If it turns out that wasn’t you, don’t worry – loot Max or Passos’ corpse for some significant cash (at least $100). This is an excellent way to gather funds, especially if you’re too far behind on the scoreboard to actually win.
Being Max: Max is equipped with two M10’s, so he’s not exactly meant to be picking off enemies from 200 yards away. Your goal should be get close to enemies and stay out of sight until you do.
Being Passos: Passos is essentially identical to Max in every way except for his weapon. Passos carries an LMG .30, making him better at long range combat than Max but slightly weaker at close range.
For both Max and Passos, adrenaline for Bullet Time is very important, as are painkillers and ammunition. If you plan to stay alive longer than 30 seconds, you’re going to want to loot corpses when it is safe to do so. If not, you’ll find yourself with an empty mag and no abilities – essentially, completely defenseless.
Sticking together as Max and Passos is also key. While each man may be a souped-up killing machine, they’re still no match for six enemies at once. However, if you’re jockeying for the number one slot with 30 seconds left on the clock, teamwork may not be in your best interest.
In the end, only one player can win the match. The point system is structured in such a way that you obviously benefit from being Max or Passos for as long as possible. As these heroes, killing is much easier and there are simply more enemies to kill. Basically, becoming Max or Passos is awesome, and you will win if you do that more often than everyone else.
Here's a breakdown of Payne Killer's point system:
- Shoot Max/Passos - 1 point per hit (10 maximum)
- Melee Max/Passos - 6 points
- Kill Max/Passos - 10 points
- Become Max/Passos - 20 points
- Kill as Max/Passos - 10 points
Gang Wars
Gang Wars is a five-round, team-based, objective-oriented multiplayer mode. The fun part is that there are 11 possible scenarios the game chooses from for the first four rounds. For instance, Last Man only gives one life to each team member for that round. In Turf Grab, the teams fight to see who can occupy a single point on the map for a set amount of time. The final round will always be Showdown, which factors in each team’s performance over the previous four rounds, and doles out points (which translates into kills) accordingly. It then becomes a game of team deathmatch, with one team starting at an advantage.
Gang Wars is a good way to gain a lot of xp, mostly because the rounds are over quickly and you’re rewarded for your team’s efforts as well as your own.
Wagers (unlocked after earning $2000 total) can be placed at just before the start of most rounds of Gang Wars. The criteria on which these bets are based are generated based on the objective, though the three players on which you can bet seem to be randomly generated. Unless you know your teammates well or can coordinate, wagers are extremely random and we do not recommend you make use of them too often (unless you’re trying for the achievement/trophy).
