The Max Payne series holds a special place in gaming for several reasons. It nails the neo-noir aesthetic and tells compelling crime stories focusing on Max Payne, a detective with enough grit to deal with the seedy criminal underworld. The series is also known for popularizing the bullet-time effect which has since become near-ubiquitous in modern action games. Gamers will get to experience Max Payne again thanks to Remedy Entertainment, as the studio has announced that remakes of Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne are on the way.
The announcement of the Max Payne remakes should be good news for Max Payne fans for various reasons. Firstly, Remedy has proven itself capable of delivering quality remakes, which allows one to be confident that it will treat the Max Payne series well. Secondly, the remakes will allow gamers to play the first two Max Payne games in a single bundle that can be played on modern systems, which is a great deal for gamers.
Remedy Can Make Quality Remakes
According to the press release by Remedy, the remakes are being made in agreement with Rockstar Games. This agreement is necessary because Rockstar has been heavily involved with the Max Payne series, and Rockstar published Max Payne 2 before developing and publishing Max Payne 3.
In October 2021, Remedy released a remastered version of Alan Wake on PC and modern consoles. Alan Wake, originally released in 2010, is a suspenseful action-adventure game that centers on the titular author, who must use light as a weapon as he searches for his wife in the spooky town of Bright Falls. It became a cult classic due to its aesthetic inspired by Stephen King novels and shows like The Twilight Zone. The remakes vastly improve the game's visuals and make use of modern features, including DualSense support on the PS5. For added value, the remake also includes the two DLC episodes for the game titled Special One: The Signal and Special Two: The Writer.
Alan Wake Remastered excelled because Remedy was able to retain the core gameplay of the game, allowing the remake to remain faithful to the original. However, the game is polished and updated enough to match the audio and visual quality of modern games. If Remedy can apply the same formula to the Max Payne remakes, then they should be quality remakes.
Two Max Payne Games in One Package
Because the Max Payne remakes are still in the earliest stages of development, details surrounding the titles are limited, though Remedy has revealed a few things. The games will be developed using the Northlight game engine, which is Remedy's proprietary engine that the studio also used for Quantum Break and Control. It is also being used for Alan Wake 2, which is currently in development.
The upcoming Max Payne remakes will be released on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S and, interestingly, will be released as a single title. This provides great value for gamers, as it means they will be able to purchase both games in a single bundle, and jumping from Max Payne to Max Payne 2 will be easy. Recent remakes, including the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves collection and the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy remakes, have demonstrated how attractive bundled games are to gamers, which could prove to be a good thing for the Remedy's sales numbers.
The Future of the Max Payne Franchise
According to Remedy, the Max Payne remakes are still in the concept development stage. As such, it will likely be a while before gamers hear any more about the games. The renewed interest in the Max Payne series is unexpected, and it may indicate that Remedy and Rockstar are planning to do something more with the franchise. Alan Wake Remastered was released a little before Remedy revealed that Alan Wake 2 is on the way, and it could be the case that the Max Payne remakes are being released to drum up interest in an upcoming new Max Payne release.
With several projects lined up, Remedy has a busy few years ahead. In addition to the Max Payne remakes, Remedy also has Alan Wake 2 scheduled to release in 2023. Furthermore, the studio plans on expanding the Control universe with two new titles. One of them is a single-player sequel while the other, codenamed Condor, is a multiplayer game. Remedy's ambitiousness proves that the studio has grown significantly in the last few years, which makes one confident that the Max Payne remakes will be quality produces. If the studio applies the same polish to Max Payne as it did to Alan Wake, the Max Payne remakes are destined to be great value for gamers.
The remake of Max Payne and Max Payne 2 is in the early stages of development, and it is scheduled to release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.