Max Payne is coming back, and this time he's bringing dual-wielding skills, kick-ass melee combat, bullet time and of course, a new haircut for his next killing spree.

If the Max Payne 3 trailer wasn't enough to sell you on the man's long-awaited return, perhaps the news that Rockstar is consulting with Remedy Entertainment, creators of Max Payne, to ensure the third game fits within the style and continuity of the series to date.

Max Payne 3 begins eight years after the events of Max Payne 2 where the titular action hero is no longer a cop and instead, works private security in San Paolo, Brazil. His job is to protect a family and as expected, it goes wrong when someone is kidnapped, leading to Max doing what he does best - jumping in slow-motion while shooting everyone with a multitude of weaponry.

Back in March, after years of developmental issues, delays and Rockstar pulling out E3 last year, there was understandably doubt about the game even coming out so Rockstar released two screenshots to showcase the physical transformation Max undergoes during the game's story.

In April, a dozen more images were unveiled by Rockstar, this time giving fans a look at the scenery, style, character and combat - needless to say, gamers were happy and excited that Max Payne 3 was on its way, albeit cautiously optimistic. The Max Payne 3 trailer sealed the deal and now Rockstar put up a few more screens earlier today:

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The images depict the substance abusing Max as an aged cop, still with his hair and trench coat, in addition to the Walter White variant (Breaking Bad reference) post-international move. In addition to a little melee kick, the screenshots also showcase dual-wielding with separate weapons so no longer will fans have to find two of the same gun in order to double the fun.

Can Max Payne, essentially under different creative control with Remedy out, in an entirely different setting and with an entirely new look succeed for fans of old? It's going to take more than bringing back the comic strip narrative to make this a success for fans new and old, especially if rumors about the game needing to sell 4 million copies are true.

Max Payne 3 releases March 2012 for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

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Source: Rockstar