New video game releases in May 2012 belong to Payne. Rockstar Games is bringing back everyone’s favorite brooding, dual-wielding, painkiller-addicted cop Max Payne, and the month rightfully revolves around him. Rockstar releases are almost national holidays at this point and Max Payne 3 should be no exception, especially considering that it’s been nine years since we saw him last… if you don’t count the Mark Wahlburg film (and you shouldn’t.)

Max Payne 3 is the first game in the series not developed by Remedy Entertainment, who went on to achieve success with another afflicted character named Alan Wake. Rockstar Vancouver (makers of the excellent Bully) is behind this one, which people might not recognize as a Max Payne game off the bat. Rather than the dark and dirty buildings, streets and subways of NYC our hero has dropped out of the force and moved to sunny, equally gang-infested Sao Paolo. He still knows his way around weapons better than anyone, though, and gamers are itching to jump back into his shoes.

That’s not to say that there aren’t plenty of other exciting releases this month! PC gamers have been clamoring for for Blizzard to release Diablo 3 for years and years now and it’s finally here. RPG fans get a dose of goodness with the Game of Thrones RPG and Risen 2: Dark Waters for consoles, and the PS3 finally gets a successor to Warhawk with Starhawk.

Check out the full list of upcoming titles below:

New Video Game Releases – May 2012

May 1st

Sniper Elite V2 [360, PS3, PC]

Tera [PC]

Mortal Kombat [Vita]

May 8th

Starhawk [PS3]

Phantom Breaker [360]

May 15th

Diablo 3 [PC/Mac]

Max Payne 3 [360, PS3, PC]

Game of Thrones [360, PS3]

Battleship [360, PS3, Wii, DS, 3DS]

Test Drive: Ferrari Legends [360, PS3]

May 20th

Mario Tennis Open [3DS]

May 21st

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier [360, PS3, PC]

Dragon’s Dogma [360, PS3]

Risen 2: Dark Waters [360, PS3]

Sorcery [PS3]

Rollercoaster Tycoon [3DS]

Men In Black 3 [360, PS3, Wii]

May 29th

Max Payne 3 [PC]

Resistance: Burning Skies [Vita]

Let us know which video game releases you’re excited about in the comments below.

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