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 from Rockstar Games.
The first game, Max Payne, was released for Windows in 2001 and for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Apple Macintosh in 2002. A different version of the game was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2003. The sequel, Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, was released for PlayStation 2, Windows, and Xbox in 2003. In 2008, a movie based on the first game was released. The movie, titled Max Payne, features Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis as Max Payne and Mona Sax, respectively. 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 to celebrate 20 years of Xbox, they would add more than 70 games to their backwards compatibility program. The Max Payne trilogy was among the highlighted games, making them 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 received negative reviews but was successful in ticket sales.
In April 2022, Remedy Entertainment announced that remakes of Max Payne and Max Payne 2 are being developed with Rockstar Games. The two games will be released as one combined title.
Games
Max Payne, a former DEA agent and NYPD officer, searches for those who killed his wife and child and falsely accused him of murdering his NYPD partner, Alex Balder. As the story progresses, he teams up with Vladimir Lem, a polite and traditional Russian mob leader, and Mona Sax, a vigilante seeking revenge for her twin sister's death. He discovers a major plan involving the illegal sale of a drug called V, also known as Valkyr, named after Norse mythology figures, which is linked to the deaths of Max's family.
Two years later, Max has returned to the NYPD and was cleared of charges related to his violent actions due to his connection with Senator Alfred Woden, who leads a secret group called the Inner Circle. During a murder investigation, Max meets Mona Sax again, and she joins him in his search for truth. As they work together, they begin to care for each other and uncover another large conspiracy involving Vladimir Lem, the Italian Mob, and the Inner Circle.
Nine years later, Max has moved to São Paulo, Brazil, where he works as a private security guard. When his employer's wife is kidnapped by a local gang, Max teams up with his old friend Raul Passos to rescue her, starting a conflict that leads them to face a bigger secret plan.
In April 2022, Remedy Entertainment, with support from Rockstar (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 remakes were in the early stages of development, and no release date was set. It was confirmed that the two games will be released together as one title.
Film adaptation
In early 2003, it was announced 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, which included an instrumental version of the Marilyn Manson song "If I Was Your Vampire." The film was released in U.S. theaters on October 17, 2008, and had a PG-13 rating. It ranked first during its opening weekend, earning $18 million at the box office. However, the film received mostly negative reviews, with a 16% rating 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.