Max Payne is back! Sort of, at least. No, we’re not getting a Max Payne 4, but but Remedy Entertainment are remaking the original two games.
If you’ve only experienced Max Payne through memes and Lets Plays, you’re really missing out. It’s not pretty by today’s standards, but blasting your way through bad guys, slo-mo bullet-time style never gets old. Max’s commentary does, sometimes, teeter on parody but, even today, his gravel-voiced observations retain their charm.
It’s early days for the remake, which was announced yesterday, as it’s “currently in the concept development stage”. In other words, don’t expect the remake to see the light of day this year; at the earliest, we’re probably looking at the second half of 2023. However, the good news is that Remedy and Rockstar have come to an agreement that will let Max live again.
Hang on.. Rockstar? The Grand Theft Auto company? Yes, because while Remedy Entertainment, who’ve gone on to make Alan Wake, Control and more, were partly responsible for the original Max Payne, Rockstar were also involved in developing it. In fact, Rockstar were wholly responsible for the creation of Max Payne 3. Though to further confuse the situation the waters, 3D Realms also helped produce the original Max Payne.
We are pleased to announce that we will remake the iconic Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, in a new development agreement with Rockstar Games.
Read the full press release here: https://t.co/gx9tuH425j
— Remedy Entertainment (@remedygames) April 6, 2022
So, in order for Remedy to get the go-ahead, they’ve had to sit down with Rockstar and come to an agreement. The agreement is that.. “Remedy has a royalty opportunity after Rockstar Games has recouped its development, marketing, and other costs for distributing and publishing the game.”
In other words, Rockstar are funding the remake, and also publishing it. When, or perhaps if, the remake breaks even, Remedy will get an undisclosed share of the profits. It’s not clear who’ll get the bigger share, Rockstar or Remedy, though we suspect it’ll be the former, since they’re funding the game’s creation.
The budget will “..be in line with a typical Remedy AAA-game production”, so Rockstar and Remedy aren’t just treating this as some side-project. Nor will it be a remaster, as was the case with Alan Wake Remastered. We have our fingers crossed it’ll be wholly devoid of microtransactions, though we would pay good money for Control crossover DLC.
The remake of Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne will arrive on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S as one single package. Or if you want to re-experience the original Max Payne, you can pick it up on Steam.
