Max Payne 3 resurfaces with new details

By Robert Purchese Published 4 April, 2011

Time-jumping story shows young and old.

Update: Max Payne 3 will feature online multiplayer. How wasn't detailed. I skipped over this fact earlier.

Original story: MIA Rockstar game Max Payne 3 is firmly back on the radar. And Max has sprouted hair for the occasion.

A pair of screenshots released late last week preceded a new round of previews - the first tumbling from Edge magazine (scanned by Rockstarspy), the front cover of which shows a hairy Payne with a crazed expression holding his head in his hands.

The newly-spotted hair signifies a time-jumping story that begins with a kidnapping in Brazil. The heavier, older, balding Max we've seen previously comes later, perhaps in other locations.

Hours of motion-captured performances spruced up by the Euphoria engine - as well as showy set pieces and comic-style collages of gameplay - will lend the story a cinematic edge.

Original Max Payne actor James McCafferty will play a part, but not the main part. Who will be Max Payne is a question that remains unanswered.

Max Payne 3 has a radial menu for weapons in addition to cover mechanics and expendable scenery. Signature Max Payne abilities shoot-dodge and Bullet Time return, with the latter charged by killing enemies.

Payne can dual-wield weapons and carry up to three small firearms at once.

Four Rockstar studios - London, Toronto, Vancouver and New England - are collaborating on Max Payne 3.

Crucially, however, we still don't know when Max Payne 3 will be released. The Edge preview suggests a "done when it's done" approach.

Max Payne 3 was suspiciously absent from Take-Two's most recent financial discussions. The game was once pencilled for a late 2010 arrival, but slipped before disappearing entirely.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (23) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • JahB #1 1 year ago

    do not like how they changed the old max's face to make him look like the art director. wtf is up with that?

  • cannonbait #2 1 year ago

    La noir this year, max payne next year and then gta the year after.

  • photoboy #3 1 year ago

    What about James McCaffrey doing the voice? It's pointless without him.

  • Yuroko #4 1 year ago

    I hope they are adding a bit more depth to this version. I reinstalled Max Payne 2 the other day for a laugh and was bored after about 20 minutes. I absolutely adored these games when they first came out but I just wasn't feeling it after all these years. I dare say with the Euphoria physics it will instantly be more fun even if it is just more of the same but I do hope they add a few extra bits and bobs to do.

  • DaemonSpawn #5 1 year ago

    up to three small firearms at once
    God, how I miss those days when every game hero could carry whatever weaponry he found - it was so much fun.

  • blobstone #6 1 year ago

    The same voice actor from the prequels is still in place. It has been mentioned in the original edge article.

    Btw: This time around you are not able to carry more than 3 weapons at the same time. But I wonder why. I just don't like throwing away my guns.

    Edited by blobstone at 04/04/11 @ 09:49

  • Phantom_Dynamite #7 1 year ago

    Ring-Ring

    "Is this the Payne Residence"

    "Nah, sorry pal he has moved to Brazil"

  • CamberGreber #8 1 year ago

    Finally Some Word.....and Hair

    Must be a Crime Noir story or bust.

    Changing the Voice Actor what?
    With so many developers working on it I hope there is a concise overall Vision. DAMM you Remedy.

  • leketin #9 1 year ago

    So... fans riots after releasing first bald shots back then forced devs to add the canonical Payne to the game. Nice to hear that. Sure that darkened part of the game will be my favorite :)

  • blobstone #10 1 year ago

    Again, it's the same voice actor. His name is James G. McCaffrey.
    But you won't read that anyway.
    So why do I waste my time writing this?

  • Bigmac1910 #11 1 year ago

    I really don't understand what they are trying to accomplish with this new direction, doesn't seem to be anything like the first two, why not just call it something else?

  • Hog-lumps #12 1 year ago

    @blobstone

    although they mention in the article he voices another part in the game - prob the reason for peoples confusion?

  • medicineboy #13 1 year ago

    I just...


    don't get it.

  • Atropos #14 1 year ago

    How come Remedy isn't making it? Seems like a bit of a waste to get an entirely new studio to take over such a cherished brand - I'm sure they'll be technically adept, but will they be able to capture that elusive Max Payne-feeling? I mean, that atmosphere of utterly crazy, tongue-in-cheek piss-taking of the whole genre was what made the first two games great for me...

  • ChocNut #15 1 year ago

    Probably turn into another duke nukem delayed mess...

    Too many cooks me suspects

  • arcam #16 1 year ago

    I hope Edge is right and they've brought James G. McCaffrey back to play Max Payne. His delivery was so perfect for the part.

  • Masaroth #17 1 year ago

    Best news from the scans for me is that it was a linear game. I remember reading somewhere that there was a day/night cycle which made me worry it was going to be GTA: Max Payne edition. Thats defianatly raised my hopes for the game.

  • NecronomiconUK #18 1 year ago

    Eurogamer, seriously? Posting information obtained from illegal magazine scans prior to the issues publication AND linking to said scans? Hack journalism at its finest.

  • JahB #19 1 year ago

    Eurogamer, seriously? Posting information obtained from illegal magazine scans prior to the issues publication AND linking to said scans? Hack journalism at its finest.

    wtf? do you expect the internet to wait for magazines, obsolete as they are becoming, and not post news until an issue publishes? you either work for T2 marketing or just had a serious brainfart

  • hiddenranbir #20 1 year ago

    They're supposed to use their own information, they have journalists too!

  • dudefella #21 1 year ago

    It's information, it's out there, they're doing right by reporting it.

    The errors in this article are flagrant, though. For one, spelled McCaffrey wrong. For two, it says right there in the EDGE article that he DOES play Max in this game, which is a huge relief for me, he's such an essential component of the character.

    I really hope they don't mess this up. Still think the story of MP2 didn't need a sequel at all (and so did Remedy), but if we're getting one, let's have it be good, at least.

  • Ged42 #22 1 year ago

    /pops pills

  • The-Bodybuilder #23 1 year ago

    >"doesn't seem to be anything like the first two, why not just call it something else?"

    See? This is why devs get so fricking frustrated and confused.
    You make a sequel similar to it's previous ones, people moan that it's just retreading it's old steps. You try and make it different, people ask "what's the point?" and to just call it a new IP.

    Can. Not. Win.