Max Payne 3 has been released on 360 and been provided for us to preview/review by the publisher.

Believe it or not we are still playing it. Here are some extracts of what we made of it in chronological order:

"Max Payne 3 is about shooting people in the face. As much as Rockstar want to dress it up in smart suits and snazzy dialogue, I found myself pumping goons full of lead more than relating to anything that was going on around me..."
- Juvenile Gamer (Sat, 07 Jul 2012)

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"Max Payne 3 promises to hit the series' classic notes, but it's the determination to be a hard core no-fuss shooter that make this an interesting proposition..."
- Multiplayer Gamer (Tue, 27 Mar 2012)

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Max Payne 3 360 Release

21/01/2012 15:01

Max Payne 3 finally sets a date for an appearance and promises a return to familiar slo-mo gunplay although in unfamiliar settings.

It is good news for fans of the series that what appears to be a final date for Max Payne 3 has materialised. Hopefully we're not counting any chickens, given that Max Payne 3 has been announced and moved several times over the last couple of years. The most recent delay has seen it pushed back from March to May, with the game's developers citing quality issues as the reason for the delay.

Max Payne 3 sees a return to the bullet time ability. This is the series' unique selling and give you the ability to slow time down to a crawl while still be able to turn, aim and fire in normal time. In the past this has led to some compelling gameplay and adds a strategic element to the shooting as you pick a movie-like plan through a room full of enemies and then execute it with style. The jaded and cynical outlook of the tough protagonist all adds to its noir charm.

It aims to avoid re-treading the familiar ground of New York's alleyways by setting the action in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Max has started a new life working as a private security contractor, when things go from bad to worse and Max has to start filling the scenery with bullets. The action this time is promised to be more cinematic then ever before, with some interactive movie sequences. I hope this will avoid QTE (prompted button click) cliches and will be more akin to Uncharted 3's dynamic action.

Hopefully Rockstar aren't planning to slow down time any further with regards to the release date. Max Payne 3 is currently planned for release on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 on May 18, 2012. The Windows PC version is due for release on June 1st 2012.