Max Payne 3 - First Screens [update] News

Ordinarily we wouldn't bother with an article about screenshots, but we'll make an exception because they're from Max Payne 3 and we all love a bit of Max Payne.

As you can see for yourselves, Payne is definitely looking older, balder, and definitely more slob-like then ever before. 

We're slightly concerned by the lack of a film noire feel to the game; certainly it seems Rockstar Vancouver are heading in a completely different direction with the third title, sun-drenched skies replacing the dark skylines of New York City.

Give us a trench coat and a constipated face any day of the week.  But what do we know?  We're sure that Rockstar will deliver a third-person shooter that is worthy of the series heritage and provide something that stands out from the crowded genre.

Will the streets of Sao Paulo drag Payne into a Valkyr addiction?  We're not entirely sure, but we're hoping to check out the game shortly.  In the meantime make sure to check out the other screens in the gallery.

[update]

Information provided by Rockstar following the screenshots has revealed a few extra details on the eagerly awaited return of Payne.  Despite the theme and style change, Rockstar assures us that the third title will share many of its predecessors trademarks: a focus on story and character-driven action, dual-wield weapons, Bullet-Time, an addiction to painkillers, and Max's ever-present internal monologue (woot). 

Further still, Max Payne 3 will continue Rockstar's preferred hybrid of technologies, based around the RAGE engine and featuring NaturalMotion's Euphoria middleware.

Rockstar also provided a few background details on Brazil and Sao Paulo, listing the most common cause of death amongst the youth as murder; the fact that Sao Paulo's young gangs are amongst the most violent in the world  - the most dangerous is apparently the Primerio Comando da Capital whose nefarious activities include organized prison breaks, prison riots, drug trafficking, highway robberies, kidnappings and Help The Aged since 1993. 

There's also one gun for every 75 people in the country, which by our calculations means there's 2,549,890 guns in Brazil - an ideal setting for Max Payne then!