Fictional organizations will also be based on real-life counterparts
Onsite research was conducted for various areas in game (sans explosions)
In Max Payne 3, players will once again fill the shoes of the troubled NYPD detective, Max Payne as he breaks free from the trials and tribulations of New York and takes a cushy job providing security for a wealthy family in São Paulo, Brazil.
Rockstar has revealed some of the detailed research that is going into the development of the game. Fighting against the criminals, thugs, and kidnappers in Max Payne 3′s São Paulo are the Unidade de Forcas Especiais (UFE), a fictional special forces based on their real life counterparts found in famous documentaries. The game also features real-life Brazilian teams such as the GATE (Grupo de Ações Táticas Especiais, or Special Actions and Tactics), GARRA (Grupo Armado de Repressão a Roubos e Assaltos, or Robbery and Assault Repression).
To accurately inform and create geniune game level environments, designers and developers took several trips to the area to document everything from posh spots like Avenida Morumbi to harsh high-crime locales such as Favela Japiaçu (Favela do Nove) and the infamous Edificio São Vito (aka Treme Treme or the Vertical Favela).
Max Payne 3 is still on track for a March 2012 release for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.