When one hears “reinventing the wheel” it’s typically used in a derogatory fashion to suggest that the supposed innovation isn’t required, and is in fact inferior to the accepted standard. In the case of Max Payne 3’s third-person shooting, Rockstar Games truly are making advancements with the mechanic’s reinvention.
As explained in a dramatically-narrated new trailer, the player aims and moves as they would in a first-person shooter, but in the third-person perspective to add intensity and visual splendor to the scene. To achieve this feat, which hasn’t even been tackled before, Rockstar have created thousands of animations that Max will dynamically utilize as the reticle is moved, the standout example being Max flipping onto his back from a prone position to tackle an enemy approaching from the rear.