When Remedy Entertainment released Max Payne in 2001, the third-person action shooter took the gaming world by storm. Its revolutionary use of bullet time in action sequences set it apart from many similar titles at the time, and its gritty, crime-focused narrative reflected a mixture of a hard-boiled detective story and graphic novels. The first Max Payne helped set the tone for shooters with engrossing stories moving forward, and while the sequel released in 2003 wasn't as commercially successful, both games still hold a special place for many fans.
Rockstar Studios took over development of the third game in the franchise, but while many players enjoyed Max Payne 3's change of pace, some felt it was too much of a departure from the previous two. It's been over 20 years since the release of the original game, and while Max Payne 3 was popular, it didn't quite scratch the same itch. Fans were excited when Remedy announced that it was going to revisit Max Payne and Max Payne 2 in a single remake title.
The Max Payne Remakes
From remasters to remakes, legacy titles are definitely making a comeback, and this has its share of positives and negatives. Whatever fans feel regarding studios focusing on reworking older games rather than releasing brand-new IPs, it is great to bring previous titles back into the mainstream if they came out on now-obsolete consoles. This is particularly true of the first two Max Payne games, which have been out of the gaming zeitgeist for a while.
The Max Payne games may have been replaced with a slew of more modern third-person shooters over the years, but there are elements of the original games that have stood the test of time. The news that Remedy is going to be remaking its Max Payne games and offering them in one package was met with plenty of excitement. Their memorable vibes, mechanics, and plotlines are ripe for a remake with better graphics, smoother gameplay, improved level design, as well as some more considered environmental design.
Improvements That Remedy Should Prioritize
Details have been scarce since Remedy made its announcement in April 2022, so players have been left to fill in the gaps. It's obvious that Max Payne and its sequel will be getting the full AAA treatment, and that means they should be bigger, better, and more polished than their predecessors. There are plenty of aesthetic changes that Remedy can make, especially given the amount of time that has passed since the titles were initially released, and how much video game development technology has improved since then. Alongside the obvious improvements are some more considered approaches that fans hope the studio takes.
In the original games, environments were fairly straightforward, which matched gameplay trends at the time. However, things have become more versatile and creative since then. The combat relied more on players running and gunning rather than utilizing cover or interacting with their surroundings, and this is definitely something the remakes should address. In addition to the practical and gameplay elements of Max Payne's environments, their design should be more sophisticated. The game relies heavily on its neo-noir vibes, and environmental design is a major aspect of conveying the tone of the game. With better graphics, more creative design, and greater freedom within game engines, the Max Payne remakes have the chance to be something truly spectacular.
Max Payne remakes are currently in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
