Max Payne 3 trailer coming September 14, game in March 2012

By Adam Rosenberg Published September 9, 2011

max-payne-3-trailer — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Want to know what Max Payne 3 looks like? You’re not alone. Your wish will be granted next week when Rockstar Games unleashes the trailer for its action-shooter, the latest in a series that hasn’t been seen since 2003.

The trailer is coming on September 14, next Wednesday, at 12 p.m. EST. Rockstar also confirmed earlier this week that Max Payne 3 will be out sometime in March 2012. The same press release revealed that the game will include an extensive multiplayer mode, with player progression and all of the other dangling carrots we’ve gotten used to.

Recommended Videos

The third game in the series picks up roughly a decade after the events of the previous game. Max is no longer an NYPD cop and has in fact left the country entirely for a gig protecting a wealthy family in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Then some stuff happens, and Max shoots a lot of people in bullet-time. Spoiler alert?

The new game is built on Rockstar’s RAGE engine, the same one that powered the studio’s Grand Theft Auto IV and Red Dead Redemption. Early previews have pointed to those two games as a good barometer of what to expect on the visual side of things. That’s just fine too, considering that Rockstar’s 2008 and 2010 releases are still among this generation’s best-looking games.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…

Gaming

Xbox Game Pass loses some horror greats, but gains a kid-friendly racing game

A custom car built drives around Lego 2K Drive.

We've learned what games will come to Xbox Game Pass over the first half of this April, and leading the batch is Lego 2K Drive, a Lego racing game that's a solid alternative to the Forza Horizon games that are also available on Microsoft's subscription service.

Lego 2K Drive was released in May 2023 and is an enjoyable racing game where players can build their own Lego vehicles and race throughout several open worlds. It found the middle ground between the likes of Mario Kart and Forza Horizon and thrives in that space, even if the microtransactions can be a little aggressive for a game aimed at children. Playground Games has not yet confirmed if another Forza Horizon game is in the works at this time, so Xbox fans can play this game to fill that void until a new one is announced.

Gaming

James McCaffrey, the voice of Max Payne and Alan Wake 2’s Alex Casey, has died

Sam Lake and James McCaffrey stand together.

James McCaffrey, an actor best known for his work with Remedy Entertainment on video game series like Max Payne and Alan Wake, has died.

TMZ revealed the 65-year-old actor died on Sunday from multiple myeloma, a type of cancer. "We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of our beloved friend and collaborator James McCaffrey, the iconic voice of Max Payne and Alex Casey," Remedy Entertainment posted on its official X account. "His remarkable talent gave life to our characters and left an enduring impact on our community. Our hearts go out to his family."

Gaming

You can’t play Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox, but you can play these 6 Game Pass RPGs

A player conversation in Baldur's Gate 3.

Baldur's Gate 3 just launched on PC on August 3 and comes to PlayStation 5 shortly on September 6. Unfortunately, an Xbox Series X/S version of the RPG does not have any concrete release date. Developer Larian Studios explained in a community post that this is because it doesn't "want to compromise on quality and feel it would be a shame to downscale to 30 [frames per second, aka fps] or make other compromises to hit an arbitrary date." Still, it's disappointing that Xbox players can't get in on the fun anytime soon. Thankfully, there isn't a shortage of alternatives on Microsoft's gaming platforms.
Xbox Game Pass is home to dozens of RPGs, many of which share the same computer-RPG roots as Baldur's Gate 3. While Xbox players might not be able to enjoy Larian Studios' shockingly thorough and immensely enjoyable Dungeons & Dragons CRPG just yet, they can't go wrong playing these six titles right now.
Fallout: New Vegas

Where Baldur's Gate 3 may be the pinnacle of fantasy RPG games inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, Fallout: New Vegas is that for postapocalyptic RPGs. This game from Obsidian Entertainment and Bethesda Softworks -- both of which are now owned by Microsoft -- first released in 2010. Despite some in-game glitches that still persist, the Xbox 360 version of Fallout: New Vegas on Xbox Game Pass is just as enthralling of a role-playing experience as it was nearly 13 years ago. The Xbox 360 version can even be played at 60 fps on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, thanks to the FPS Boost feature.
Like Baldur's Gate 3, it's a faithful follow-up to some classic CRPGs that give players a massive amount of choice as they complete their adventure however they see fit. You can have endless fun exploring the world and creating experiences that feel personal to you while dealing with its eclectic cast of factions and characters. While it's a bit rough around the edges in certain aspects, New Vegas is still one of the best RPGs ever made. As such, it's worth replaying or trying first the first time if you want to play an RPG, but can't experience Baldur's Gate 3 right now.
Pillars of Eternity and Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire