Rockstar Newswire

** UPDATE: More hands-on impressions have hit including previews from IGN and GameTrailers and a special fan Q&A with GameSpot, check out quotes and links and the video added below.

The worldwide gaming press got their very first hands-on session with Max Payne 3 - picking up the story early on, they find Max and his partner Passos meeting up with the ruthless Comando Sombra gang at a local football stadium in an attempt to exchange cash for the captive Fabiana Branco. However, things quickly turn bad as the deal is crashed by unknown assailants. From there, they’re also given a taste of a level where Max tracks Fabiana's kidnappers to the hostile, rain-soaked docks by the Tietê River...

Their impressions? Check out a few quotes and links below to read just a few of the brand new previews...

"It's easy to be impressed when you're standing on the outside looking in. Once you're actually in control in Max Payne 3, the experience is mind-blowing." - CVG

Read more at: http://www.computerandvideogames.com/337497/previews/max-payne-3-a-mind-blowing-hands-on

"The game looks fantastic, handles beautifully and the depth of content in both its in-game design and settings seems to offer a ton of replay value. Not only that, its story, which is set up in such a straightforward manner, seems to hint that intriguing denouement is on the cards for the game's titular character. Players should look forward to a tale of greed, betrayal and decadence wrapped in sleek, cool mechanics that allow them to tackle it one bullet at a time." - The Guardian

Read more at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2012/mar/01/max-payne-3-preview

“Bullet-time, and especially the shootdodge mechanic that you can initiate by running in any direction and pressing the right bumper, can be a glory to behold.
After jumping back into the game to finish the docks segment, I came away from the whole experience incredibly pumped for what Max Payne 3 will have to offer. With a cohesive storyline that's told in a similar but more evolved fashion and tight combat mechanics that make you feel like the bad-ass that Max Payne always has been, I sincerely cannot wait until this game comes out in May.” - Destructoid

Read more at: http://www.destructoid.com/preview-how-max-payne-3-made-me-a-believer-again-222840.phtml

“After just a few demonstrations, we've learned that Max Payne 3 is something more than just a shooter; it's a graphical powerhouse, a push forward for linear action games as a storytelling medium and an expert at concealing its gleeful enthusiasm for realistic hyperviolence behind a veneer of grim resolve. After playing through a couple of its levels, we learned something else: it's also a lot of vicious, bloody fun...” - GamesRadar

Read more at: http://www.gamesradar.com/11-things-you-need-know-about-max-payne-3/

“Max Payne 3's cinematic approach works brilliantly, and though much of what we've seen so far is set in South America, the demo implied that these chapters will be interspersed with episodes from Max's tortured past in New York. He's always been a compelling protagonist, and it'll be fascinating to see him explored further.” - IGN

Read more at: http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/121/1219660p1.html 

“The third Max Payne, the first in more than eight years, is raw, third-person shooter thrills. Naturally, it's imbued with the cinematic flair for which Rockstar is known, drawing cues from Hollywood and Hong Kong cinema, crafting memorable characters and an engrossing story.” - GameTrailers

Read more at: http://www.gametrailers.com/side-mission/2012/03/01/hands-on-with-max-payne-3-rockstars-bullet/

And the guys from GameSpot have taken their hands-on time with the game and used it to answer fan questions on a wide range of subjects ranging from the fluidity of combat to the cover system to the Max’s fish-out-of-water story. Watch the entire clip here: