This week, Rockstar has kicked off a huge media blitz for Max Payne 3, with a flurry of new screenshots and details hitting the web.

While the developer has been keen to show off Max Payne 3's Brazilian setting and newly bald protagonist so far, that's not the whole story. At the start of the game, Max will still be accompanied by familiar New York City backdrop and a full head of hair. In fact, the first chapter of the game will see you living out the events that drive him into South American exile and, more tragically, baldness.

Having been discharged from the NYPD, Max is looking to lay low, still living in a run-down NYC apartment despite an offer from his old friend Raul to take up private security work in São Paulo. Unfortunately, life is never quite that simple for Max, and he’s soon visited by Anthony DeMarco, a local mob boss with a bone to pick. See, Max killed DeMarco’s son, and he’s not too happy about it. Cue a firefight and a fresh set of reasons to start a new life down south.

Max Payne 3’s combat, by all accounts, will be gorgeous, a worthy update to the franchise's trademark gun ballet. In bullet time, each individually modelled bullet will ripple through the air with beautiful fidelity. Detailed animations powered by Euphoria will add a new level of depth, with Max subtly bracing himself as he dives onto the ground and enemies recoiling realistically from their wounds.

Rockstar still hasn't settled on exactly how you'll earn back bullet time, but they're currently employing a system that sees it regenerating constantly while you're in combat. Other possibilities include something more reward-driven, where kills or otherwise impressive maneuvers will fill the meter.

The game will also be placing a hefty emphasis on destruction. You'll be able to chip away at thin wood or glass piece by piece, shooting through cover to take down your enemies. More impressive displays come from environmental interactions. Blow up a gas tank and you'll feel the explosion. Take a few close shots at a bus that's hoisted up for maintenance, and you just might crush the unlucky saps below.

If you were worried that all this next-gen flair might mean the game has abandoned its roots, you can rest easy. The HUD is apparently very close to its predecessors, and Max will still be popping pills to regain his health and monologing his way through the story. The comic book styled cutscenes are back as well, though they’ll be using in-game graphics instead of enhanced photos.

In fact, the only significant change that Rockstar has made to gameplay is a drop in the number of weapons you’ll be able to carry at once. While it was always nice to see Max reach into his endless trench coat arsenal and pull out an assault rifle, you’ll now be limited to two single-handed guns and one two-handed weapon.

From the sounds of things, Rockstar is also looking to mix up the gameplay with a little more variety than fans of the series are used to. A second section of the game saw Max escorting a friend through the streets of São Paulo. Upon reaching a bus depot, your companion steals a bus and you hop on board, cuing an on-rails shooting segment full of crashes, explosions, and just about everything you’d expect from an action-packed chase.

Rockstar is still keeping fairly quiet on the game's multiplayer, though it's been confirmed to feature a leveling and unlock system similar to what you find in the Call of Duty games. Given how gorgeous and well crafted the single-player campaign is shaping up to be, we can hardly wait for more details.

Even with the drastic change in setting and host of new additions, Max Payne 3 is proving itself to be a worthy continuation of the franchise. The setpieces may be larger, the shootouts may be prettier, and the protagonist may be balder, but the same twisted, noirish heart beats within. March 2012 can’t come soon enough.

Until then, we'll have to settle for ogling the rest of these new screenshots.