After ten long years since his last game, Max Payne is finally making a return. Remedy Entertainment announced earlier this month that it is remaking both the original Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne for 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 original Max Payne and Max Payne 2 were. 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 hit Control.
Though the remakes aren't exactly the full-fledged sequel to Max Payne 3 fans have been waiting for, any sort of news concerning the former detective is more than welcome. It has been quite some time since Max Payne 3 was released back in 2012, but the game has aspects that hold up quite well. If Remedy Entertainment wants to make Max Payne fans happy, it should take into account the things Max Payne 3 got right and wrong.
Max Payne Works Best In A Noir Setting
The majority of Max Payne 3 takes 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 for Max Payne 3. The idea was to make 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 of Max Payne 3's story, 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 on remakes of Max Payne and Max 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 in Max Payne games). 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 3 allies like Raul Passos and Giovanna complement Max's dark cynicism with 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 from the original Max Payne and Max 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.
Action Sequences Should Be Playable
While the narrative is important, Remedy Entertainment should keep in mind that people play Max Payne games for the action as much as the noir story. Max Payne 3 understands 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 when Max Payne's narrative has to mesh with gameplay. For these sections, Max Payne 3 cuts 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 3 modernized a lot of elements from the first two Max Payne games to 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 past Max Payne games like painkillers and shooting sequences were welcomed in Max Payne 3 not 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 with classic Max Payne elements, 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 from Max 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 the Max Payne series. Max Payne 3 used 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 time would 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 in Max 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 from Max 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 from Rockstar 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 Payne remakes are currently in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.