New Max Payne 3 multiplayer details surface

The third installment in the Max Payne franchise is slated for mid-May, and new features are coming with the release, including two special multiplayer modes.

The first, "Gang Wars," allows up to 16 players to compete in a sequence of story-based scenarios and inclusive matches. Each segment continues the events of the last for a total of five rounds.

The other mode, "Payne Killer," allows two players to fill in as Max and his buddy Raul Passos as they face off against six other players. Sounds fierce. Payne starts out with his iconic dual-wield uzis while Passos is equipped with a high-powered RPD assault rifle. The two main characters also have more health than the enemy players to balance out the sides.

The game's lead multiplayer designer, Charlie Bewsher, explained the developer's approach to multiplayer:

We wanted to create something that would fit seamlessly alongside the single player campaign, and that maintained all the key elements that make Max so distinctive to play, from the combination of finely tuned shooting mechanics to the emphasis on movement, to the highly cinematic presentation and of course, Bullet Time. In addition, we want to build relationships between players and break away from the sense of anonymity that’s so prevalent in today’s online shooters.

Bewsher also explained how Bullet Time will work in the modes: "Basically, if I activate Bullet Time and you’re caught in my line of sight, you will also be in Bullet Time," he said. "Both of our avatars are equally slowed down. The advantage to me is that my rate of fire and reload speed are normalized, whereas yours are dramatically slowed down. If you manage to run, roll, or shoot dodge away to break line of sight, you will be free of the Bullet Time effect."

Max Payne 3 is arriving on May 15 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and May 29 for PC.

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