Max Payne (video game)

Max Payne
Developer(s)Remedy Entertainment[a]
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Petri Järvilehto
Producer(s)
Programmer(s)Markus Stein
Writer(s)Sam Lake
Composer(s)
SeriesMax Payne
Platform(s)
Release
24 July 2001
  • Windows
    PlayStation 2
    • NA: 7 December 2001[1]
    • EU: 11 January 2002
    Xbox
    • NA: 18 December 2001[2]
    • EU: 14 March 2002
    Mac OS X
    • WW: 16 July 2002
    Game Boy Advance
    • NA: 16 December 2003[3]
    • EU: 19 March 2004
    iOS
    • WW: 12 April 2012
    Android
    • WW: 14 June 2012
Genre(s)Third-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

Max Payne is a 2001 third-person shooter game developed by Remedy Entertainment. It was originally released for Windows by Gathering of Developers in July 2001, and was later ported by Rockstar Games to the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in December 2001, and by MacSoft and Feral Interactive to Mac OS X in July 2002.[4] A version of the game for the Game Boy Advance, featuring an isometric perspective but retaining most of the original's gameplay elements, was released by Rockstar in December 2003, and an enhanced port for mobile devices was published in 2012 to coincide with the release of Rockstar's Max Payne 3. A Dreamcast version of the game was also planned, but was canceled due to the discontinuation of the console in 2001.[5][6] Max Payne was also made available on Xbox 360 as part of Xbox Originals program in 2009,[7] on PlayStation 3 as a PS2 Classic in 2012, on PlayStation 4 in 2016,[8] and on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S in 2021,[9][10] due to the consoles' respective backward compatibility and emulation features.

The game centers on former NYPD detective Max Payne, who attempts to solve the murder of his family while investigating a mysterious new designer drug called "Valkyr". While doing so, Max becomes entangled in a large and complex conspiracy involving a major pharmaceutical company, organized crime, a secret society, and the U.S. military. The game features a gritty neo-noir style and uses graphic novel panels with voice-overs as its primary means of storytelling, drawing inspiration from hard-boiled detective novels by authors like Mickey Spillane. It contains many allusions to Norse mythology, particularly the myth of Ragnarök and several names. The gameplay is heavily influenced by the Hong Kong action cinema genre, particularly the work of director John Woo,[11][12][13] and it was one of the first games to feature the bullet-time effect popularized by The Matrix.

Max Payne received positive reviews from critics, who praised its exciting gunplay and use of noir storytelling devices, while some criticised its linear level design and short length.[citation needed] The game sold 4 million units. It is considered one of the greatest games ever made. It won a large number of accolades,[14] including a BAFTA Award for Best PC Game of 2001.[15] Its success launched the Max Payne franchise, including the sequels Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, developed again by Remedy and published by Rockstar in October 2003, and Max Payne 3, developed solely by Rockstar and released in May 2012. A loose film adaptation of the first game was released in October 2008. In 2022, it was announced that Remedy are developing and Rockstar are publishing remakes of Max Payne and Max Payne 2 for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.[16]

  1. ^ "3D Realms News: Max Payne Archives". 3D Realms Legacy. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  2. ^ "Take 2 Ship Max Payne". XboxAddict News. 18 December 2001. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  3. ^ Calvert, Justin (5 December 2003). "Max Payne targets GBA". GameSpot. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  4. ^ "Max Payne". 4Player Network. Archived from the original on 13 August 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  5. ^ "Max Payne Preview". IGN. 27 July 1999. Archived from the original on 26 October 2007. Retrieved 7 June 2007.
  6. ^ Bacci, Damiano (8 April 2008). "Max Payne [DC - Cancelled]". Unseen64. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  7. ^ Treit, Ryan (24 April 2009). "Max Payne is an Xbox Original". Xbox.com. Archived from the original on 1 June 2009. Retrieved 26 August 2009.
  8. ^ Mead, Francesca (19 April 2016). "New on PlayStation Store: Ratchet & Clank, Invisible Inc., Axiom Verge". PlayStation Blog. Sony Interactive Entertainment. Archived from the original on 7 June 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  9. ^ Warren, Tom (15 November 2021). "Microsoft's Xbox backward compatibility program returns with 76 new games". The Verge. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  10. ^ Lo, Peggy (15 November 2021). "Celebrate 20 years of Xbox with over 70 new Backward Compatible Games". Xbox Wire. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  11. ^ Hermida, Alfred (21 September 2001). "Dark, gritty world of Max Payne". BBC News. BBC. Archived from the original on 12 September 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2007.
  12. ^ "The Making of Max Payne". Edge. 2 November 2008. Archived from the original on 18 June 2009.
  13. ^ "Max Payne Hard Boiled". UGO.com. 19 October 2010. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  14. ^ "Max Payne Game Awards". 3D Realms. Archived from the original on 10 November 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  15. ^ "Max Payne wins prestigious BAFTA Award!". 28 October 2001. Archived from the original on 10 November 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2008.
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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