Summary
Remedy’s recent confirmation of the first twoMax Paynegames getting remakes is exciting news for many longtime fans of the developer, but there might be more to these remakes than first meets the eye. TheMax Paynefranchise is the series that put Remedy on the map, and although the company eventually had to sell the property, the developer is set to head remakes of the first and second game.
Remedy hasn’t been able to make a new installment in theMax Paynefranchise in years, so the news of these remakes is exciting, especially considering the wider implications.Remedy has been building an extended universefor a while now, and theMax Payneremakes could actually be much more than what they seem.
Max Payne Remakes Have Bigger Implications
TheAlan Wakeseries embraces the highly strange, offering some of the most compelling narratives in gaming. BeforeAlan Wake 2arrived on the scene, Remedy planted the seeds of its extended universe withControlin 2019. To the delight of manyAlan Wakefans,Controlconfirmed that the game was connected to Alanand his odd world.Alan Wake 2further built upon this universe, and the strange supernatural aspects of Remedy’s world could bringMax Payneinto this larger universe.
Remedy Hinting At Many Worlds
A major moment inControlis when protagonist Jesse Faden finally talks with her long-lost brother, Dylan. During their conversation, Dylan mentioned meeting a man in his dreams named Mr. Door who spoke of many different worlds. Mr. Door made his big reveal inAlan Wake 2, further connecting the games. This talk of alternate worlds and realities is abig theme inAlan Wake 2, since he can alter reality through his writing. These many worlds could be the key to how theMax Paynegames become part of Remedy’s universe.
Alan’s Stories
Alan’s gift as a writer has more power than he originally thought, as his stories can transform the world around him. InAlan Wake 2, detectives Saga Anderson and her partner Alex Casey make their way into Bright Falls. What Alan originally believes to be story inspiration while stuck in the Dark Place actually happens to be moments from Alex Casey’s current life, blurring the lines between reality and fiction. With Remedy’s Sam Lake being the face model for bothAlex Casey and Max Payne, the resemblance between the characters could actually be a fun way for Remedy to dive deeper into meta storytelling that it’s become so well known for.
Following theevents ofAlan Wake 2, Alan could still continue to take inspiration from Alex Casey’s life, crafting the character of Max Payne for a new story. One of the most obvious references to Max Payne inAlan Wake 2happens at Oceanview Hotel when Alan has a vision of two police officers talking about an “inner circle” and a “new designer drug”. The Inner Circle is a secret society inMax Payne, while Valkyr from the series could be the designer drug in question. This is already proof that Sam Lake is weaving in details fromMax Payneinto Remedy’s universe, meaning the remakes could dive even deeper into this.
With Rockstar having ownership ofMax Payne, there is a barrier to the franchise being properly included in the Remedy Connected Universe. Additionally, in arockpapershotguninterview, Sam Lake said that the originalMax Paynegames are officially not part of the RCU despite Easter eggs, though perhaps the remakes will be a different story.
Max Payne’s Place In The Remedy Universe
It’s possible that theMax Payneremakes could just be straightforward, but Remedy has established that it has its sights set on growing its franchises and universe.Remedy’s planned projectsare going to expand its mind-bending world, andMax Paynewould play a perfect part in the overarching story.
When it comes to the developer’s future,Remedy has promised exciting thingsare ahead. Though Sam Lake has stated that Max Payne will not officially become a part of Remedy’s universe beyond the various Easter eggs, it would be great to see plans change and Lake finally get to bring his first hit character into the complex world he’s weaving together.
