A burst is a special ability that a player equips and uses in the Max Payne 3 multiplayer to help them take down or subvert opponents. Bursts are acquired by leveling up with XP, and can be equipped along with the rest of the player's loadout.
Adrenaline & activation
A burst is powered by the adrenaline meter, which sits in the bottom-right corner of the screen with the rest of the HUD. It is segmented into three bars, which fill as the player kills enemies and/or loots their bodies. When a segment of adrenaline is completely filled, the burst reaches a new level, which then denotes the burst's overall potency. The more adrenaline you have, the more potent your burst will be when activated, up to the maximum of three levels.
When a burst is used, it will automatically consume all full adrenaline segments. Bursts with a duration, like Bullet Time, will deplete the adrenaline meter over a short period, while others instantly deplete the meter, like Trigger Happy. Full segments of adrenaline are retained upon death, but any half-filled segments are lost and must be refilled after respawning.
List of bursts
Each burst is based on different thematic elements of the Max Payne universe, such as deceit, betrayal, and paranoia, as well as series staples like Bullet Time and Hong Kong-style action.
Big Dog - Increases the vitality of the player and their team
Bullet Time - Slows time for anyone within the player's line of sight
Deadly Force - Bullets deal more damage
Intuition - Reveals the location of the opponents on the radar map
- Paranoia - Causes opponents to see each other's usernames as hostile
- Slippery - Player drops a flashbang and can sprint for longer than normal
- Sneaky - Opponents will see your username as friendly
- Trigger Happy - Player pulls out a much stronger weapon
- Weapon Dealer - Gives the player's team greater benefits to their weapons
- Weapon Double-Dealer - Forces opponents to lose benefits to their weapon stock
