Max Payne 3

Max Payne 3 was seemingly confirmed in the last moments of Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne with the words "Max's Journey into the Night Will Continue." But it took nearly six years before the sequel was finally announced. Originally announced for release in 2009, the game has since been postponed several times. It was initially expected to release in 2011, though Rockstar in September 2011 announced that Max Payne 3 will be released in March, 2012. It was again postponed to May 15 2012 in January 2012.

Left: Timothy Gibbs. Right: The new Max Payne.

Rockstar's Vancouver studio is taking the lead on development, breaking the series away from its previous developer, Remedy Entertainment. Since its announcement, the game has undergone some significant stylistic changes. Early screenshots depicted Max as an older, bald man although more further screenshots have since been released of Max with hair. Rockstar has confirmed that Max will be playable before and after his visual changes in Max Payne 3.
Max Payne will no longer be a cop in the new sequel. Set eight years after the previous game, Max is still addicted to booze and painkillers. Without the badge weighing him down, Payne leaves New York for São Paulo, Brazil, where he gets into the private security industry. His task, at least at the game's outset, is to protect a wealthy real estate man named Rodrigo Branco and his family. However, things drift from bad to worse as he gets double-crossed in the new city.
While Max still has the face and general features of actor Timothy Gibbs as he did in Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, the The new developers are slightly redesigning it to resmble James McCaffrey, the man who has voiced Max Payne in all of his previous outings. McCaffrey will also reprise his role as the voice of Max Payne.

Story

Branco Corporation

Eight years after the events of the second game, retired NYPD cop Max Payne is approached by Raul Passos, later to be his partner in the game, and offered a job in private security for the wealthy family of real estate man Rodrigo Branco in the sprawling, crime-ridden Brazilian metropolis São Paulo. The wife of Max's employer, Fabiana, is soon thereafter kidnapped by local street gang known as the Comando Sobra, who demand $3 million in exchange for her life.
Max and his new partner arrive at the Sao Paolo Galatians Stadium with the money, and just when it seemed like the handover would go smoothly, the Cracha Peto gang interfere in an attempt to steal the money and ruin the deal.

Characters and Factions

• Max Payne: Protagonist, ex-NYPD cop working security for Rodrigo Branco.
• Rodrigo Branco: Wealthy estate man from São Paulo.
• Fabiana Branco: Rodrigo's wife/
• Marcelo Branco: Rodrigo's brother.
• Viktor Branco: Rodrigo's brother.
• Raul Passos: Security head for Rodrigo and Max's partner.
• Comando Sobra: Street gang.
• Cracha Peto: street gang.

Gameplay

Taking cover to swallow painkillers

Health and Cover
The healing system will involve Max's addiction to painkillers and will not include regenerating health. The painkillers can be found in medicine cabinets scattered throughout the game and can carried for later use. Therefore, taking cover can only be used as a mechanic to take a quick break during a firefight, reload the weapons or to swallow some painkillers, rather than a long break awaiting the bloody screen to clear up as most first person and third person shooters today go.
Weapons
Max's weapon inventory has been minimized, allowing him to carry only up to 3 weapons- 2 small ones and one big rifle or shotgun. He can now dual wield two different small weapons at the same time, such as a pistol and an uzi, whereas before he could only dual-wield two of the same weapon at once.
The game's weapons will range from pistols and uzis, to sawed off shotguns, pump-action shotguns and assault rifles.

 

Backward Shootdodge

Bullet-time and Shootdodging
The game is staying true to its roots by featuring the iconic Max Payne bulle-time mode with its special mechanics during shootouts.
Bullet time can be used in two ways: Either activated to slow down time and move, jump or shoot in slow motion, or it can be triggered by performing a shootdodge - a leap (in any direction) that engages bullet-time and lets him aim freely while sailing through the air in slow motion.
Unlike the previous games, performing a shootdodge will keep Max prone after hitting the ground, a bonus that allows the player to keep shooting in a 360 degree direction while being harder to hit.
Shootdodging direction can be altered mid-air by the player, allowing Max to avoid barriers and walls which could cause him to take health damage. Landing on dead bodies decreases the damage taken from high shootdodge falls.

Killcam showing the last bullets on their way to the last standing enemy.

Killcam
Similar to the killcam of the first two games, the killcam in Max Payne 3 is triggered when the player shoots the last living enemy in a given room or area. The killcam can either be watched as a dramatic slow-motion video showing the bullets penetrating said enemy, or it can be used as a bullet-time sequence where the player can slow down time, shoot the bullets and watch them penetrate that enemy and cause his body to react to the impact with precise animations.
This will be the only available killcam in the game, and sniper rifles will not have the bullet camera presented in the previous games which followed every sniper bullet fired until it reached its destination.

HUD
The same HUD returns from the old games, showing a bullet-time meter which is depleted when used and regenerates when Max kills enemies, a portrait of Max which fills red when taken damage, and the number of available painkillers inside the portrait.

• Max's partner Raul Passos will accompany him in some of the game's levels as a companion NPC, watching Max's back and playing key roles in some of the game's levels and sequences.
• Max can use human shields.
• Certain objects are now destructible.
• When near death, If he manages to kill his killer before the screen goes black, he'll spring back to life due to an "adrenaline boost."
• Some form of multiplayer will be included.