Max Payne is one of the most legendary third-person narrative-action shooters around. The game was absolutely ahead of the curve when it was launched, with its high-octane action gameplay being absolutely riveting and the story displaying Max's motivations in a seamless and engaging manner. Even after all the years that have passed, there aren't many games around with better narratives than the original Max Payne.
With that in mind, it's easy to see why the gaming world is completely hyped to find out about this legendary game being remade by Remedy Entertainment. After all, Max Payne 3 was a good game but felt like an outsider to this amazing series, and fans can't wait to see how Remedy's vision will help Max Payne come to life in the newest generation. Hopefully, the developer can use the following elements from some of its other titles to seamlessly help the transition.
8 Destructive Environments
Control is one of the best games developed by Remedy Entertainment. The amazing gameplay and brilliant graphics helped the title to stand apart from the rest of the action games present in the genre.
A big part of what sells the action in Control is just how destructive the environments in the game really are. Integrating the same in Max Payne makes so much sense because of the cinematic nature of its gunfights, which will look absolutely incredible in the remake.
7 Cinematic Storytelling
The comic panels in the first two Max Payne games are pretty great and do a brilliant job of conveying the story. This was also a necessity, given the technical limitations of the time that would've made the low-quality 3D models look horrible during these segments.
Now, times have changed, and a lot of people might not be happy with the comic panel storytelling present in the original game. Thankfully, Remedy has made enough progress in character animation to allow for more seamless and cinematic storytelling in this remake.
6 Cover Shooting
This is a point that might make many people groan. After all, cover shooting is a pretty old mechanic at this point and actively encourages passive gunfighting, which is not what Max Payne is all about.
However, there can be no denying that cover shooting adds another element to gameplay, which is pretty great indeed. As long as the game doesn't rely too much on this mechanic, there's definitely a case to be made for cover shooting in the Max Payne remake.
5 A Wide Variety Of Enemies
Max Payne is a pretty engaging game, but there are only so many gangsters that players can shoot before these enemies start lacking any sort of variety. Many games have shown that fighting human enemies with guns doesn't need to feel like the same thing over and over again.
Max Payne's remake can also be an opportunity to improve the enemy variety in the original game. It's a small change but can make a world of difference when it comes to gunplay, with different strategies required for certain enemies.
4 Oppressive Atmospheres
If there's one thing that Remedy excels at, it's creating a unique world where players get immersed pretty quickly. Alan Wake and Control showed just how excellent their environmental storytelling really is.
The first Max Payne pretty much paints Max as a rogue cop who needs to clear his name. With everyone (including the police) against him, it's definitely possible for this game to integrate an oppressive atmosphere where the player feels cornered at all times.
3 A Nonlinear Approach To The Narrative
This could be a pretty controversial change, especially given how tight and engaging Max Payne's narrative is. However, if done correctly, the scope and impact of the game's story could be pretty great indeed.
Letting Max explore multiple leads at his own pace is a great way to make the narrative more engaging and player-driven. Of course, this is just an example, and there are many other ways that Remedy could integrate a nonlinear narrative in this remake.
2 RPG-Lite Elements
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Most modern games include RPG-lite elements that do a great job of making players feel character progression in the simplest of ways. Max Payne features the patented bullet-time technique that can definitely be something that players can upgrade over the course of the game, and that's just one ability.
Skill points might be something that makes people roll their eyes, but this kind of system could fit within the context of Max Payne. Of course, this would depend on how Remedy Entertainment included the system.
1 The Inclusion Of Semi-Open Environments
Max Payne's depiction of New York is hauntingly beautiful, especially since the game takes place during a beautiful time in winter with regular snowfall. While some levels let players gaze upon this beautiful landscape, these moments are few and far between.
Games like Control experimented around with the idea of open environments where players could explore freely. While it's not necessary to make the entirety of New York explorable in the game, a few semi-open segments could definitely feel great if implemented properly.
Max Payne remakes are currently in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.