Max Payne is a third-person shooter video game series with a dark, mysterious style. The series was created by Remedy Entertainment (Max Payne and Max Payne 2) and Rockstar Studios (Max Payne 3). The games are named after 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, and 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 film, titled Max Payne, features 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 in this update, 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. Critics have praised the games, and as of 2011, the franchise sold over 7.5 million copies. The movie version of Max Payne received poor reviews 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
Max Payne, a former NYPD officer and DEA agent, tries to find those who killed his wife and child and who falsely accused him of killing his NYPD partner, Alex Balder. As the story progresses, he teams up with allies like Vladimir Lem, a stylish Russian mobster, and Mona Sax, a vigilante seeking revenge for her twin sister's death. He also discovers a large conspiracy involving a drug called V, also known as Valkyr, named after Norse mythology figures, which is linked to the deaths of his family.
Two years after the first game, 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, who joins him in the case. As they work together, they uncover another conspiracy involving Vladimir Lem, the Italian Mob, and the Inner Circle.
Nine years after the second game, 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, leading to a larger conflict and the discovery of another 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 produced by Collision Entertainment and Firm Films in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Mark Wahlberg played the role of Max Payne, and Mila Kunis played the role of Mona Sax. 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 shown in U.S. theaters on October 17, 2008, with a PG-13 rating. It was 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 Max Payne movie is being developed.