The Sun, a tabloid newspaper in the UK, has scored Max Payne 3 a 3.5/5 for its preview for the game in its morning paper. Written by Jean-Claude Suttun, it claims that "this was a mistake" in the online version of the article:
Clarification: In the paper this morning, you will've noticed that we gave Max Payne a score of '3.5' – or 70% as it'd be online. We'd like to clarify that this was a mistake, and that we have NOT reviewed nor marked the game yet, and won't do so until May 18th, its release.
I'm not certain whether this truly a mistake given that this is a tabloid, after all. What would get more attention than printing a supposed review score of a highly anticipated game before everyone else and just saying it was a mistake?
Even so, the damage has been done. A 3.5/5 for the game based on a preview of its single-player is already damning. 70% is not the score Rockstar is looking for and certainly doesn't spread confidence to those who pre-ordered the game or are waiting for a few reviews to come in.
Normally, the early reviews for high-profile games are a spread of extremely high scores from outlets that were able to obtain an exclusive or have been given permission to print their flattering views. In a way, this 3.5/5 is a refreshing, even if it is a mistake.
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