This is a great announcement from Rockstar: Max Payne 3 is in development and will be released this winter! I doubt there were many people expecting it, so I guess we can consider this news one of the biggest surprises of 2009 already. Max Payne 3 will be released on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 and I’m sure it has already become one of the most wanted games of the year.

Although we’re not being offered too many details, we are told that Max’s story is taken in a “new direction” now, even though the classic elements and intense action will still be part of the gameplay. Which should be even better!

“We’re starting a new chapter of Max’s life with this game,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “This is Max as we’ve never seen him before, a few years older, more world-weary and cynical than ever. We experience the downward spiral of his life after the events of Max Payne 2 and witness his last chance for salvation.”

Since leaving the NYPD and New York itself behind, Max has drifted from bad to worse. Double-crossed and a long way from home, Max is now trapped in a city full of violence and bloodshed, using his weapons and instincts in a desperate search for the truth and a way out. Expect more details in the upcoming months!