Max Payne is a video game series developed by Remedy Entertainment (Max Payne and Max Payne 2) and Rockstar Studios (Max Payne 3). The series is named after its main character, Max Payne, a New York City police detective who becomes a vigilante after his family is killed by drug addicts. The first two games were written by Sam Lake, while Max Payne 3 was mainly written by Dan Houser of Rockstar Games.
The first game, Max Payne, was released for Windows in 2001 and for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Apple Macintosh in 2002. A version for Game Boy Advance was released in 2003. The sequel, Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, came out for PlayStation 2, Windows, and Xbox in 2003. In 2008, a movie based on the game was released. The film, titled Max Payne, stars Mark Wahlberg as Max Payne and Mila Kunis as Mona Sax. Max Payne 3 was developed by Rockstar Studios and released for PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360 in 2012.
In November 2021, Microsoft announced that it would add over 70 games to its backwards compatibility program to celebrate 20 years of Xbox. The Max Payne trilogy was included, making the games playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
The Max Payne series is known for using "bullet time" in action scenes and has received positive reviews from critics. By 2011, the franchise had sold more than 7.5 million copies. The movie version of the story was not well received by critics but was successful in terms of money.
In April 2022, Remedy Entertainment announced that remakes of Max Payne and Max Payne 2 are being made with Rockstar Games. The two games will be released together as one title.
Games
Renegade DEA agent and former NYPD officer Max Payne tries to find the people who killed his wife and child. He also seeks justice for being wrongly accused of killing his NYPD partner, Alex Balder. As the story progresses, Max meets several allies, including Vladimir Lem, a polite and traditional Russian mobster, and Mona Sax, a vigilante seeking revenge for her twin sister's death. He also learns about a large conspiracy involving the smuggling of a drug called V, also known as Valkyr, named after figures from Norse mythology. This drug is connected to the deaths of Max's family.
Two years after the first game, Max Payne has returned to the NYPD and been cleared of charges related to his violent actions. This was made possible through his connection to Senator Alfred Woden, who leads a secret group called the Inner Circle. During a routine murder investigation, Max encounters Mona Sax again. She reluctantly helps him with his case. As they work together, they begin to care for each other and discover another major conspiracy involving Vladimir Lem, the Italian Mob, and the Inner Circle.
Nine years after the second game, Max Payne has left New York and works as a private security guard in São Paulo, Brazil. When his employer's wife is kidnapped by a local street gang, Max teams up with his old friend Raul Passos to rescue her. Their mission leads to a larger conflict involving a hidden conspiracy.
In April 2022, Remedy Entertainment, with support from Rockstar Games (which owns the rights to the series), announced plans to remake Max Payne and Max Payne 2 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. At the time, the projects were in early development, and no release date was set. It was confirmed that the two games would be released as one combined title.
Film adaptation
In early 2003, it was found that 20th Century Fox had purchased the rights to make a movie based on the game. The Max Payne film began production in 2008 and was directed by John Moore. The movie was made by Collision Entertainment and Firm Films in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis played the roles of Max Payne and Mona Sax, respectively. Beau Bridges, Chris O'Donnell, Nelly Furtado, and Ludacris played the roles of B.B. Hensley, Jason Colvin, Christa Balder, and Jim Bravura, respectively. On July 10, 2008, a teaser trailer was released, including an instrumental version of the Marilyn Manson song, "If I Was Your Vampire." The film was shown in U.S. theaters on October 17, 2008, with a PG-13 rating. Although it was the top movie during its opening weekend, earning $18 million at the box office, the film received mostly negative reviews, scoring 16% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 129 reviews. In June 2022, 20th Century Studios announced that a new version of the Max Payne movie is being developed.