Max Payne is a type of action video game series created 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 users. 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 came out 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 made. 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 to celebrate 20 years of the Xbox console, they would add over 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 a special effect called "bullet time" during action scenes. Critics praised the games, and by 2011, the franchise had sold more than 7.5 million copies. The movie version of Max Payne received poor reviews but was financially successful.
In April 2022, Remedy Entertainment announced that remakes of Max Payne and Max Payne 2 are being made in partnership with Rockstar Games. The two remade games will be released as one combined title.
Games
Max Payne, a former NYPD officer and DEA agent, tries to find the people who killed his wife and child. He also seeks justice for being falsely accused of killing his NYPD partner, Alex Balder. As the story progresses, he teams up with Vladimir Lem, a polished, traditional Russian mobster, and Mona Sax, a vigilante seeking revenge for her twin sister's death. He learns about a secret plan 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 re-joins the NYPD and is found not guilty of his earlier violent actions because of his connection to Senator Alfred Woden, who leads a secret group called the Inner Circle. During a routine murder case, Max meets Mona Sax again, and she reluctantly helps him investigate. As they work together, they begin to care for each other and discover a new conspiracy involving Vladimir Lem, the Italian Mob, and the Inner Circle.
Nine years after the second game, Max leaves New York and works as a private security guard in São Paulo, Brazil. When his employer’s wife is kidnapped by a local gang, Max teams up with his old friend Raul Passos to rescue her. Their mission leads them into a larger conflict.
In April 2022, Remedy Entertainment, with support from Rockstar Games (which owns 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 will be released as one combined title.
Film adaptation
In 2003, it was announced that 20th Century Fox purchased the rights to create 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 plays Max Payne, and Mila Kunis plays Mona Sax. Beau Bridges, Chris O'Donnell, Nelly Furtado, and Ludacris portray B.B. Hensley, Jason Colvin, Christa Balder, and Jim Bravura, respectively. On July 10, 2008, a teaser trailer was released, featuring 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, with a PG-13 rating. The movie was the top film during its first weekend in theaters, earning $18 million. However, it received mostly negative reviews, with a 16% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 129 reviews. In June 2022, 20th Century Studios announced that a Max Payne reboot movie is in development.