TheMax Payneseries 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 experienceMax Payneagain thanks to Remedy Entertainment, as the studio has announced that remakes ofMax PayneandMax Payne 2:The Fall of Max Payneare on the way.
The announcement of theMax Payneremakesshould be good news forMax Paynefans for various reasons. Firstly, Remedy has proven itself capable of delivering quality remakes, which allows one to be confident that it will treat theMax Payneseries well. Secondly, the remakes will allow gamers to play the first twoMax Paynegames in a single bundle that can be played on modern systems, which is a great deal for gamers.
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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 withtheMax Payneseries, and Rockstar publishedMax Payne 2before developing and publishingMax Payne 3.
In October 2021, Remedy released a remastered version ofAlan Wakeon 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 aestheticinspired by Stephen King novelsand shows likeThe 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 titledSpecial One: The SignalandSpecial Two: The Writer.
Alan Wake Remasteredexcelled 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 totheMax Payneremakes, then they should be quality remakes.
Two Max Payne Games in One Package
Because theMax Payneremakes 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 forQuantum BreakandControl. It is alsobeing used forAlan Wake 2, which is currently in development.
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The upcomingMax Payneremakes 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 fromMax PaynetoMax Payne 2will be easy. Recent remakes, includingtheUncharted: Legacy of Thievescollectionand theGrand Theft Auto Trilogyremakes, 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, theMax Payneremakes 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 theMax Payneseries is unexpected, and it may indicate that Remedy and Rockstar are planning to do something more with the franchise.Alan Wake Remasteredwas released a little before Remedy revealed thatAlan Wake 2is on the way, and it could be the case that theMax Payneremakes are being released to drum up interest in an upcoming newMax Paynerelease.
With several projects lined up, Remedy has a busy few years ahead. In addition to theMax Payneremakes, Remedy also hasAlan Wake 2scheduled to release in 2023. Furthermore, the studio plans onexpanding theControluniversewith two new titles. One of them is a single-player sequel while the other, codenamedCondor, is a multiplayer game. Remedy’s ambitiousness proves that the studio has grown significantly in the last few years, which makes one confident that theMax Payneremakes will be quality produces. If the studio applies the same polish toMax Payneas it did to Alan Wake, theMax Payneremakes are destined to be great value for gamers.
The remake ofMax PayneandMax Payne 2is in the early stages of development, and it is scheduled to release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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