Hello all!
We are here this episode to talk about our buddy Max again. As we finish up our Remedy-developed run of games, we end on a high note (though Remedy never truly misses except that one military shooter that we are going to ignore).
Mitch and I returned to MAX PAYNE 2 to find an even more enjoyable experience some 23 years later since we both last played it. Reflecting on what makes MAX PAYNE stand the test of time is that it built on what made MAX PAYNE great and didn’t get lost in the sauce of pressures of a follow up.
MAX PAYNE 2 shows the jump in writing and level design (even if the levels repeat locations several times) that would make its way over to ALAN WAKE which would be their next venture. And honestly, I’m amazed that they were able to pull this game off in a 2 year development window.
And the game just oozes charm to this day. Lots of the ambient dialogue is a joy to overhear and encourages the player to sit still and listen. One such example is in the police office. Listen in this video:
The Havok physics engine also made for some HAHAHA HOLY SHIT THAT’S FUNNY moments when bodies cartwheel around after getting hit with a grenade. Stuff like this has been filtered out of game development for various boring reasons and I just miss it!
I also recently posted about the manual art of MAX PAYNE 2 and how wonderful it is - you can read about that HERE.
And make sure to listen to our other podcasts on MAX!
And please enjoy more Sam Lake!
Next month we are tackling a Ninja Theory game we have been meaning to revisit, HEAVENLY SWORD. We are turning those fuck-awful Sixaxis controls off, though. We are not ANIMALS.
Thanks for listing and we hope you enjoy the show!
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