Remedy Entertainment has given an update on the development of the upcoming remakes of Max Payne 1 and 2. It has been over a year since the initial announcement of the next-gen remakes of Max Payne 1 and 2, with Remedy first announcing the project on April 6, 2022.
In the time between now and April 2022, all that was really known about the project was that the remakes of the two classic games will come packaged together and be sold as a single title in a similar vein to how Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 was released back in 2020. Also announced previously was the fact that the remake will make use of Remedy’s Northlight engine for development, the same software that was used in the development of both Control and Quantum Break.
A recent business review for investors held by Remedy has brought with it the first fresh piece of information in the past 12 months. Thanks to Remedy’s transparency the gaming community now has an idea of how the development of the Max Payne remake is intended to go. All games produced by the studio goes through a process called Stage Gate, which is the starting point for any Remedy project. Remedy Entertainment has announced that the Max Payne remakes have just moved on from the concept stage to the proof-of-concept stage.
According to Remedy, the proof-of-concept stage is expected to take between 3–6 months, with production readiness being the next stage to follow. This stage can also take the same amount of time. Assuming the current and next stages will take 6 months each, the game will be due to enter full production in April 2024. During the review, Remedy also revealed that the small team working on the project is focusing on the core mechanics of what made the original Max Payne games great. The remakes are expected to continue making progress throughout 2023, with the small team gradually expanding in size. The entirety of the production is estimated to take between one and two years, along with an additional six months or so for polish.
While this news is exciting for fans of the Max Payne franchise, it also means that the remakes may not be released for years. In addition to the aforementioned Max Payne remakes, Remedy is also working on highly anticipated sequels for Alan Wake and Control. These games are also progressing through the Stage Gate process and are also expected to be released in the coming years.
Although the news of the Max Payne remakes being in the proof-of-concept stage is exciting, it's important to remember that game development is a long and complex process. However, hopefully Remedy Entertainment's commitment to transparency and its intent to consistently produce high-quality titles results in a product that will have been worth the wait.
Max Payne 1 and 2 is expected to release for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Remedy (via Push Square)