After ten long years since his last game,Max Payneis finally making a return. Remedy Entertainment announced earlier this month that it is remaking both the originalMax PayneandMax Payne 2: The Fall of Max Paynefor the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The endeavor will be funded and published by Rockstar Games, while development will be solely conducted by Remedy Entertainment, just like the originalMax PayneandMax Payne 2were. Production is still in its early stages, but Remedy has mentioned that the remakes will be made using the company’s Northlight game engine - the same engine used to make its 2019 hitControl.
Though the remakes aren’t exactly the full-fledged sequel toMax Payne 3fans have been waiting for, any sort of news concerning the former detective is more than welcome. It has been quite some time sinceMax Payne 3was released back in 2012, but the game has aspects that hold up quite well. IfRemedy Entertainmentwants to makeMax Paynefans happy, it should take into account the thingsMax Payne 3got right and wrong.
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Max Payne Works Best In A Noir Setting
The majority ofMax Payne 3takes place in Sao Paulo, Brazil - a country known for its crowds, cramped spaces, and sunny weather. The setting is a far cry from the dark, dingy New York Streets of the previous two games, which is what Rockstar Studios had in mind forMax Payne 3. The idea was tomake Max feel like a fish out of water; someone who can’t speak the language and has trouble fitting in with the younger, foreign crowd. While the setting worked in the context ofMax Payne 3’sstory, this isn’t where Max thrives.
Max fits best in a setting where people are sparse and the weather is bleak. This reflects his dark mental state - one that constantly doubts itself and looks at the grimmer side of life. Since Remedy Entertainment is working onremakes ofMax PayneandMax Payne 2, it should have no trouble emphasizing the games' noir settings. Both games are set primarily in a nighttime New York City and feature weather that is less than favorable (it always seems to snow or rain inMax Paynegames). Bringing Max back into his element will not only make him feel more at home but make fans appreciate where the series began.
Emphasis on Narrative and Characterization
While Max is the star of the show, he needs other people to bounce off to show his character.Max Payne 3allies like Raul Passos and Giovannacomplement Max’s dark cynicismwith their jokes and optimistic outlook on life. Since both of them are younger than Max and haven’t been through the things he has, their determination and willingness to see things through is a good antithesis to the ease at which Max seems to give up. They push him to change, and by the end of the game, his companions make Max a better man. Max’s adversaries should also be compelling. Villains like Victor Branco have a depth and complexity to them that make them unforgettable. They make Max question just who his allies are and what lows a person will sink to get what they want.
The story surrounding these characters has to be equally riveting. Since Remedy Entertainment already has a blueprint by way of the first two games, it could take the main stories of both games and flesh them out even further. Since most games work on a deadline, certain story beats inevitably had to be cut fromthe originalMax PayneandMax Payne 2. These remakes are Remedy Entertainment’s chance to refine this cut content and add it back into the game in a way that makes the overall package better.
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Action Sequences Should Be Playable
While the narrative is important, Remedy Entertainment should keep in mind that people playMax Paynegames for the action as much as the noir story.Max Payne 3understands this by allowing players to control all the sections wherein Max uses a gun. There are the corridor-shooting segments that connect the story, but there are also times whenMax Payne’s narrativehas to mesh with gameplay. For these sections,Max Payne 3cuts to gameplay seamlessly from cinematics. Whether it’s Max jumping out of a window in every gunfight or hanging precariously from a helicopter, players should be given control of all the gun battles, big or small.
Classic Elements Are Welcome
Max Payne 3modernized a lot ofelements from the first twoMax Paynegamesto fit them for the then-current generation of games. There are those cinematic action sequences that blend gameplay and narrative. A cover system was implemented to provide players with some breathing room amidst all the shooting. Painkillers, Max’s go-to healing item, made a return as the only method of replenishing health. Even Max himself was given more weight to emphasize how old and out-of-shape he has gotten.
Elements from pastMax Paynegames like painkillers and shooting sequences were welcomed inMax Payne 3not just because they were iconic, but because they worked well in the context of the game. Considering Max’s age, it makes sense that he would need painkillers to numb all the injuries he gets in combat. Likewise, the sluggishness of combat and reliance on cover shows how he isn’t as spry and gung-ho as he used to be. Remedy Entertainment can take liberties withclassicMax Payneelements, but it has to do so in ways that they feel appropriate for a title released in this day and age. Seeing as it is making games that are more than a decade apart fromMax Payne 3, Remedy might have to make some changes to fit the new games in with today’s expectations.
Bullet Time Has To Be Included
Last but not least, there’s bullet time - the defining characteristic of theMax Payneseries.Max Payne 3used bullet time as a way to help players line up their shots while reducing the amount of damage taken. Long gone were the days when he could confidently jump and shoot at enemies while remaining unscathed. In this game, the best way to use bullet time in a gameplay scenario would be behind cover, where Max could shoot baddies without fear of taking damage.Bullet timewould also automatically activate during certain cinematic scenarios and during gunfights to signify when the final enemy has been taken care of.
Failing to add bullet time into the remakes would be a big disservice to fans both new and old. Since Max is younger in the first two games, this would be a perfect time to bring back that guns akimbo feeling players could do sparingly inMax Payne 3. There’s nothing quite like busting into a room full of bad guys and taking them out all at once in a single dive. When combined with the refined bullet time mechanics fromMax Payne 3, players will be able to relive the feeling of their first shootdodge that they experienced all those years ago. These are just a few things Remedy Entertainment could take away fromRockstar Studios’Max Payne 3. The gaming landscape has changed drastically since then, so the company should carefully take into consideration what elements of the game still work and which do not.
Max Payneremakes are currently in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.
