Max Payne is back

Max Payne hasn't graced video gamers' screens for nearly nine years, and when we reacquaint ourselves with the former New York City detective, we find a man drowning his troubled past in bottles of Scotch and prescription pills.

Max, still hitting the bottle following the murder of his wife and daughter, heads to Sao Paulo, Brazil, to join his friend Raul on the security team for a rich socialite family. An exclusive high-rise party provides the opportunity for some detective-style narration to introduce us to some new characters, but Max is quickly thrust into a violent gun battle.

The game immediately highlights a stretching of the familiar shootdodge maneuver as Max gets to blast away intruders gathered on a large balcony while sliding down

an awning. Also back is Bullet Time, a temporary upgrade that slows down motion so Max can concentrate on hitting enemies.

Three targeting options -- hard lock, soft lock or off -- adjust the difficulty to please both hard-core gamers and those looking for an easier experience so they can just enjoy the ride.

Scenes in Max Payne 3 play out artistic yet brutally violent, with bullets splattering blood as they pierce skin and bones. And each scene ends with the perspective shifting to a slow-motion bullet cam that adds an exclamation point before Max moves on.

RATING M for Mature

PLOT A narrated third-person shooter packed with action

DETAILS Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, $60

BOTTOM LINE A cinematic masterpiece