Remedy Entertainment is still working on multiple Control games, a free-to-play co-op title, and Alan Wake 2, yet the company is still going further into its back catalog by developing remakes of the first two Max Payne games. Remedy announced that it is remaking Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne through an agreement with Rockstar Games. It will be sold as one singular title that is slated to release on the PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S.
Remedy revealed this news on its investor website. The post states that Remedy approached Rockstar with the idea and that Rockstar will be financing the titles, which will have a budget “in line with a typical Remedy AAA-game production.” They are also in the concept development stage, so don’t expect any footage regarding these remakes to come out soon. The pair will run on Remedy’s internal Northlight engine. Sam Houser, Rockstar’s founder and Max Payne 3‘s executive producer, gave a few words on the deal.
“We were thrilled when our long-time friends at Remedy approached us about remaking the original Max Payne games,” said Houser. “We are massive fans of the work the Remedy team has created over the years, and we can’t wait to play these new versions.”
Remedy CEO Tero Virtala also gave a statement.
“Max Payne has always held a special place in the hearts of everyone at Remedy, and we know the millions of fans worldwide feel the same,” said Virtala. “We’re hugely excited to be working with our partners at Rockstar Games once again for the chance to bring the story, action and atmosphere of the original Max Payne games back to players in new ways.”
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Remedy developed the first two entries of the series in 2001 and 2003, while Rockstar Studios developed 2011’s Max Payne 3 after buying the rights from Remedy in 2002. The series has been dormant ever since.
All three titles were lauded for their noir storytelling and bullet-time mechanics, which were quite innovative back in 2001. Rockstar Games also published the second entry, as well as the Rockstar Studios-developed third installment, which notoriously had an arduous and lengthy development cycle. Remedy also gave feedback on Max Payne 3 during its development. These bonds show that Remedy and Rockstar have been linked for decades.
Given how Remedy remastered Alan Wake and added more ties it to its Control series, these remakes might be a way for the studio to more directly link Max Payne to Control. Payne is only lightly tied to the series through a dialogue exchange that describes a person that is strikingly similar to the titular hero. Quantum Break also has ties to Control, too.
