Six years after the Max Payne 2 wowed Xbox and PS2 owners, publisher Rockstar Games has announced the arrival of the next title in the franchise, which is to be released in Q4 of 2009.

Max Payne 3 will continue the action-packed detective series, though some time has elapsed since previous instalments. The founder of Rockstar, Sam Houser, "We're starting a new chapter of Max's life with this game. "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."

What impressed so many gamers when Max Payne and Max Payne 2 were released is that they were the first instances of slow motion "bullet time" in games, a style most recognised in 1999 smash The Matrix. What's more, fans enjoyed the games' blending of storyline with original and captivating characters and action, thus ensuring that the games remained both gripping and highly playable.

Rockstar is most famous for its highly-controversial but immensely popular Grand Theft Auto series, where the user plays a criminal that steals, fights and partners with crimelords in order to profit.

Rockstar's Vancouver branch is the division behind the latest instalment in the Max Payne saga. The Canadian sector has previously met with acclaim for multi-platform game Bully, which appeared on the Nintendo Wii amongst other consoles. Max Payne 3 is planned for a Q4 release this year.

It will be available on PC, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.