Max Payne, crafted by Remedy Entertainment, is undoubtedly one of the most influential and innovative third-person shooters of all time. It brought two well-received sequels, one being the revered Max Payne 3, the only game in the entire trilogy not developed by Remedy.
The series’ protagonist, Max Payne, is often considered to be one of the most legendary video game characters. Despite facing the absolute worst, he overcomes everything, making him truly an inspiration. Over the years, many players believed certain aspects of his personality were a complete fluke, which made him famous. However, as it turns out, it was all a part of Remedy’s plans.
Max Payne Was Always Meant to Be a Loner
Max Payne has one of the most dreadful stories in video game history, losing both his beloved wife and child to some drugged-up gangers. Following this event, Max only thinks about hunting down people responsible for turning his life upside down, becoming pretty withdrawn and aloof in the entire process.
Sure, even though he does have a good number of friends in the force, Max never ends up bonding with anyone there. He’s always the lone wolf and someone who’s just done with everything around him.
However, many in the community felt that Max’s loner personality was something accidental. Remedy’s developers focused on crafting a dark storyline that was centered around betrayal, loss, and revenge. Due to this, Max’s personality was considered to be an unintentional result of his sad backstory.
However, that’s not the case. In an interview, Max Payne‘s project lead, Petri Järvilehto, opened up about the series’ development and gave us insights into many different aspects. When asked if Max’s character was always meant to be so gloomy and lonely, Järvilehto stated that it was all intentional.
Remedy had intentionally made Max Payne a dark and loner personality with his horrible backstory of losing his loved ones. The entire narrative of the trilogy naturally led to a gloomy demeanor for the character. Remedy also wanted to give Max a “dash of Humphrey Bogart/ Classic Private Eye” type of cool with a bit of sarcasm to make his character come to life.
Rockstar Games Must Revisit Max Payne Franchise
Considering Max Payne‘s popularity among gamers, it’s really mind-boggling how the Rockstar Games hasn’t bothered giving us another entry into the franchise. If you’re unaware, Rockstar bought the rights for the franchise from Remedy back in 2004.
Even though Rockstar’s current focus is the Grand Theft Auto 6, the shift away from Max Payne is a huge missed opportunity. In an industry that’s packed with third-person shooters, the blend of mechanics and the gameplay Max Payne brings to the table remains unmatched.
We’re soon getting a remake of the original games but fans believe the right move will be to bring a brand-new entry and evolve the franchise’s iconic formula.
With modern technologies and gameplay design, a new Max Payne game has all the potential to rival Rockstar’s biggest games and completely shake up the gaming industry from the ground up. All we can do is hope that Rockstar listens to fans of the franchise and gives this franchise another shot.
With that said, do you think it’s time for another Max Payne game? Let us know in the comments below.
