At this point, you can pretty much bet on anything Rockstar Games does turning into an instant hit and Max Payne 3 looks to continue the solid streak of titles coming from one of the most consistent studios working today. Bringing Max into the current generation of consoles after too many years away, four of Rockstar’s studios are carefully crafting what’s looking like a genre classic in the making. Last week at New York Comic Con, I had the great opportunity to sit in on a “hands-off” demo that showed off some truly impressive visuals and spectacular animation, refined gameplay and an all-new cinematic style that combined graphic novel and film techniques using the in-game engine to its fullest. This isn’t a “reboot” or a re-imagining at all – it’s the next chapter in Max’s story and he’s going through some major life changes…

First and foremost, while original developer Remedy isn’t behind the wheel this time, it’s clear that Rockstar is more than up to the challenge of creating a Max Payne for the ages. The RAGE engine and Natural Motion Euphoria animation system has been refined so that Max’s moves look as realistic as possible. Watching his weight shift properly when walking or running and how the new animations include natural movement even while prone was amazing. There’s no motion-capture chug, characters “skating” around levels or awkward body contortions found in many other third-person games. Of course, like many game characters, Max is a bit bruise-proof despite diving and rolling about on concrete and other hard surfaces. However, given that this is a game where you can cure multiple gunshot wounds by scarfing painkillers you find lying around a level, I’ll just hope no one will be applying arbitrary rules of reality to the intense shooting action here (or any other video game for that matter).

The demo was in two parts with the first taking place at Max’s apartment in New Jersey some years after the events of Max Payne 2. Max is older, even more rough around the edges and has been definitely hitting the bottle a bit too hard as he’s grown older. Raul Passos, an old friend of Max’s from their NYPD days drops by to see Max with an job offer as security for his current employer. As Max is turning him down, a mob boss and a rather large pack of goons show up to get revenge on Max for killing the boss’ son. Of course, this leads to a rather insane shootout as Max and Raul need to run a gauntlet of enemies and get the hell out of the building.

Tight hallways and plenty of enemies meant mixing running & gunning with Bullet time was the way to go here, as there were even rooftop shooter blasting out hallway windows, keeping Max moving quickly. There was a weird and hilarious moment when one of Max’s neighbors, a bearded, army fatigue-clad crazy man (perhaps an ex-Vietnam vet gone off his medication?), burst out of his apartment with a shotgun and took out a few hoods before dashing down the hall towards certain death. That was the weird part. The hilarious part came a few seconds later when the guy blew himself, the goons surrounding him and part of the hallway with a bomb he had strapped to his chest. Sometimes, help comes from the strangest of sources…

The second section took place much later in the game in Sao Paolo as Max (now with his head shaved down to stubble and a scruffy beard), does his best to protect Raul’s girlfriend, Giovanna from a pack of well armed thugs. The setting was a bus depot junkyard with a large garage nearby and there were more than enough enemies here to do both Max and Giovanna in. It was pointed out that while you can use the new cover system in the game, the AI isn’t programmed to follow the same predetermined paths. We watched as Max crouched in the shell of a bus as a bunch of machine gun toting guards fanned out to look for him, then the ensuing gunfight where the pack was whittled down to the last man.

Thanks to the animation system, none of the deaths looked exactly alike and bodies tumble realistically from fire escapes, rooftops  or other high spots. When you shoot the final enemy in a battle, the camera switches to a bullet-cam that shows your shot hitting him in glorious slow motion. It’s a great way to let you know you’re done with an area, but that’s not the only neat trick shown off. Should Max take a fatal hit, as long as he’s packing some painkillers, the game goes into a “Last Man Standing” sequence that automatically sends the game into a Bullet Time sequence as Max slowly aims at the guy who shot him. Should you manage to dispatch the baddie before BT runs out, you’re given a second chance at life. On the other hand, get hit when you’re out of meds and it’s Game Over.

After another outdoor battle, Max and Giovanna made their way inside the bus garage where they were separated and yet another gunfight ensued. Here, we saw some enemies takes out by a bus on a lift (excellent, surprising and funny) and even more use of Bullet Time. We were ahead on time, so a little more was shown than intended, but the extra bit definitely did not disappoint in the slightest. In case you haven’t guessed yet, the game looks fantastic. The level of detail in the destructible environments and impeccable lighting on display eclipses even the late Team Bondi’s work in L.A. Noire. Rockstar is creating a playable action movie with highly destructible sets and props and your job is to jump in and enjoy the ride. Fans of the older games will notice familiar elements such as the weapon wheel, icons and some typefaces. The biggest changes to the gameplay are the cover system and Max being limited in the number of weapons he can carry to three. No more Trench Coat of Infinite Size this time, folks.

James McCaffrey, the voice of Max in the two earlier games, is back on the case. This time however, his likeness and movements are being used for the character. I like that this isn’t the leaner, younger Max Payne of the Windows XP, PS2 and Xbox era, but a definitely, defiantly middle-aged Max who’s had a hard time dealing with his life after so much tragedy. As great as the game looks in this build, mention has to be made of the superb storytelling. Instead of the illustrated comic-inspired panels and speech balloons from the older games, MP3 uses impressive in-engine cut scenes that split some sequences into “panels” complete with dialog appearing on screen. Additionally, cinemas occur during quick breaks in the gameplay as characters move between key points before you’re dropped back into the action. The effect is seamless and amazing, making this one of those game that’s going to be almost as fun to watch someone play as it is to pick up the controller and dive in (and around) yourself.

Finally, there’s going to be a multiplayer mode in the final version, but information on that was scarce (as in I asked about it but was told it will be revealed later). I’m hoping it’s more story-driven than just yet another run around and shoot each other in the head affair, but I trust Rockstar to deliver something fresh and fun in terms of whatever online play they include. As someone who’s played all the Max Payne games (even the Game Boy Advance MP), I can safely say that Rockstar is more than on track with this third installment. With a March 2012 release date set for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC, it looks as if the third time will be the charm as Max finally steps into the light once more as a man not to be messed with. Of course, the darker tone of the game as well as the now older Max’s descent into a new hell might mean this is a finale for the character, but let’s keep the speculation to a minimum until the final version is played…