Take-Two Interactive subsidiary Rockstar Games announced today that its long-awaited action title Max Payne 3 will be released in March 2012 for Windows PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.



The announcement means that the third in the Max Payne series will see a release during Take-Two's current fiscal year.



The game follows on from the storyline of the previous two titles, with protagonist Max Payne beginning a new life in Sao Paulo, Brazil as he attempts to leave behind the memories of his past.



The game will be the first in the series to feature online multiplayer alongside the single-player campaign. The multiplayer will include a leveling system, clan capabilities and maps that can be dynamically altered during play.



Sam Houser, founder of Rockstar Games, stated, "Max Payne 3 gave us an amazing creative opportunity to evolve one of our most iconic characters. We're excited to show fans a modern version of Max that pulls them back into his dark and twisted story."



Max Payne 3 will be launched in both North America and Europe during March next year.



Rockstar also revealed that a version of Max Payne is coming to mobile devices, although no specific hardware or release date was cited.