Rockstar sheds more light on Max Payne's motivations and his shaven head 

Rockstar's art director Rob Nelson has said the developers wanted to convey the personal motivation of Max in the latest story trailer for Max Payne 3, by focusing on the events that trigger our hero's actions.

Speaking with G4, Nelson said that while investigating the kidnapping of his boss's "trophy wife" Fabiana while under his protection, Max becomes involved in something much larger and dangerous in São Paulo.

"We wanted to convey a sense of desperation and intrigue that is all too familiar for Max," he said. "One of the themes of the Max Payne series is the idea that Max is often in over his head, outnumbered and outwitted by unseen forces, and Max alone, looking for answers on the streets of an unfamiliar city, perfectly plays into the atmosphere and themes of the original games.

"One obvious thing to notice are the many different looks to Max as his appearance changes throughout the story. It reflects not only the progression of the narrative but also Max's mental state. By the time Max decides to shave his head, he is ready to take the fight to his enemies, and feels like this is one way of preparing for the fight that is to come."

Nelson went on to discuss the main supporting characters in game such as the three brothers in the Branco family: Rodrigo, Max's boss, the eldest, is a powerful businessman and real estate mogul; the middle brother Victor, is a local politician; and Marcelo, the youngest, is" a party-loving, euro trash playboy."

"Max gets connected to the Brancos by Raul Passos, a long forgotten colleague from the NYPD," Nelson explained. "Passos has convinced Max to leave New York and work as a private security guard for the family, which is an opportunity for Max, who's spent years trying to drown his own memories with booze and painkillers, to try and leave a lot of his problems behind.

"Since Fabiana is kidnapped on Max’s watch, Max is suddenly forced to re-live the events of his tragic past and so sets about trying to make things right for the Brancos in a way he never could for his own family."

Sounds great. Sign us up for a copy.

Max Payne 3 is out March 15 in the US and May 18 in the UK for PS3 and Xbox 360. The PC version arrives in stores May 29 in the US and June 1 in the UK.