"Max Payne 3" was originally planned to release in late 2009. And now here we are in September of 2011 getting our first trailer. But, hey, compared to the delays "LA Noire" went through, that's practically speedy!

Tonally not much has changed with the franchise. This still appears to be a dark tale of a broken man who never seems to catch a break, but does have some pretty handy reflexes. Max is no longer a cop, though. Instead it seems he's down in South America working for the private sector, protecting unscrupulous businessmen in Brazil.

It's not until a girl is kidnapped that Max is forced to go into do-gooder territory, blasting away gang members without reservation. Oh, and that's around the time that he decides to shave his head, which makes him look like a dead ringer for Bruce Willis in "Die Hard 4," complete with soiled undershirt.

In actuality, he's supposed to look like James McCaffrey, who has played the voice of Max since the original game. He wasn't, however, the likeness of Max until the second installment. Before that, the honor went to Sam Lake, the writer of the original game and one of the early members of Remedy Entertainment.

Which brings us to the big question: Can Rockstar make this game? They may have published the first two "Max Payne" games, but the development was done at Remedy. Rockstar has never really developed a third-person shooter where the primary focus was third-person shooting. Games like "Red Dead Redemption" and "GTA" are more about the worlds than the actual action, and the "Manhunt" franchise is more about stealth than going in, guns blazing. It's new territory for the company, and I'm pretty curious whether they can pull it off. Seeing the actual game in action should do wonders on that front.