Sam Lake on Max Payne 2's story

[Wrathstalker]

Don't know if this has been posted already, but this is taken directly from maxpayneheadquarters.com...


...According to Sam Lake, lead writer on both Max Payne and the sequel. "The script for the sequel is three times as big as the original. It's going to be a much deeper game and we're taking a big risk by putting him in a love story this time around. In the original we kept the story seperate so that you could blast through the game even if you didn't want to spend time with the graphic novel but this time around we're working hard to incorporate the story into the game."

Subtitled The Fall Of Max Payne, the title hints at another playful feel-good romp through the streets of New York, although it's also set in New York in the fall (read autumn), so the title isn't necessarily as dark as it sounds. Set a year after the end of the first game (all the characters that were lucky enough to survive the original are back for the sequel), the story starts with Max back in uniform, but once again standing accused of killing his former partner. Instead of shruging it off, he confesses to the murder, which sets up the whole film-noir love angle. But don't worry, Remedy hasn't gone soft on you. According to Sam Lake, The Fall Of Max Payne is "dark, tragic and violent, and mostly in Bullet-Time of course. Love hurts, and you just know there isn't going to be a happy ending? Or is there?"
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial"> The script for the sequel is three times as big as the original<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">sounds like the sequel is going to be longer than the original.. images/icons/smile.gif
Man, I can't wait to play this thing images/icons/smile.gif

[Simon Charles]

Instead of shruging it off, he confesses to the murder, which sets up the whole film-noir love angle.

Might I hunbly ask WTF? From a writer's point of view, this makes no sense. The character wouldn't admit a crime he didn't commit. The guy was framed and set up. Again, WTF?

[Scotty]

A few things:

If he takes a bum rap, the ppl that originally set him up (whatever's left of Aesir Corporation, Al Woden's group, etc) may go back to their dirty business, which can then be shut down for good (or shut down 90%, leaving the door open for MP3 images/icons/smile.gif )

Any number of gangs (Punchinello, Lupino, Gognitti, etc) could infiltrate the prison in an attempt to take out (kill) Max, which could cause enough chaos for Max to escape. Or Vladimir's syndicate could break him out. Or his lover could break him out. images/icons/smile.gif

[Hankman]

Originally posted by Simon Charles:
Instead of shruging it off, he confesses to the murder, which sets up the whole film-noir love angle.

Might I hunbly ask WTF? From a writer's point of view, this makes no sense. The character wouldn't admit a crime he didn't commit. The guy was framed and set up. Again, WTF? <font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">We'll find out the reason when the game ships.

[The Phoenix]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Scotty:
[QB] A few things:

If he takes a bum rap, the ppl that originally set him up (whatever's left of Aesir Corporation, Al Woden's group, etc) may go back to their dirty business, which can then be shut down for good (or shut down 90%, leaving the door open for MP3 images/icons/smile.gif )

Men, if they make Max Payne 3 and replace the charcter once again, i has to be my grampa! You guy got to se he in action images/icons/tongue.gif

[Kev_Hectic]

Cool, thanks for posting that. I wonder if Sam Lake got the idea for the tittle from the movie Summer of Sam, which was based on the real life Son of Sam killings that happened in New York durring the 70's.

[Nessus]

I love that he's back on the force after committing the the biggest murder spree in the history of western civilization, even if they all were "criminals"

[Jade]

That sounds incredibly interesting!!! Sam is a genious! Damn...I can't wait!!! images/icons/smile.gif

[NyNjKid]

I really wish Remedy all the best on this project images/icons/smile.gif You guys are an extroadinary dev. team

[mullen]

Originally posted by Nessus:
I love that he's back on the force after committing the the biggest murder spree in the history of western civilization, even if they all were "criminals" <font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">it does seem a bit odd

[biXen]

Well he wasn't a normal cop a year back, why should he be one now? He might be some suuppa siikriit kickass dude images/icons/wink.gif

[Qtipie]

sounds very good to me. and i do hope there's no happy end. happy ends suck.

"cause it's a bittersweet symphony that's life..."

[Mongorian]

I think a happy ending means there wont be a 3rd, and an ending where mona dies or something worse happens, will set up a 3rd game.

But i could be all wrong. Wait and see i guess images/icons/grin.gif

[0marTheZealot]

wait wat... he's back on the force? after confessing to killing a detective? firing at cops? killing (unproven) innocent people?

thats more unrealistic than me getting into an airplane w/o getting searched!

[Jade]

Originally posted by Mongorian:
I think a happy ending means there wont be a 3rd, and an ending where mona dies or something worse happens, will set up a 3rd game.

But i could be all wrong. Wait and see i guess images/icons/grin.gif <font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Poor Max...I think no...if Mona would die, he will try to suicide this time?

[Qtipie]

Originally posted by Jade:
[Poor Max...I think no...if Mona would die, he will try to suicide this time? <font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">naah, men don't commit suicide, they move on to the next girl. it's only us stupid women who think the world stops going round as soon as the loved one leaves.... *sob*

[ethan[imf]]

there are some new story hints in the latest german pc games (sorry for my terrible translation images/icons/wink.gif ):

"... But what was missing for a real film noir was a femme fatale that utilizes and ruins the hero. That's what we did in Max Payne 2. ..."

interesting ...

"At the beginning of the game, Max Payne is once more charged with murder of his partner. This time, though, he isn't innocent, but has actually committed the murder. I don't want to reveal any more ... except that Mona, who's as well charged with murder, is not really innocent of this situation as well... "

this is goining to be dark ...

[ 06-30-2003, 08:05 AM: Message edited by: ethan[imf] ]

[Jade]

and very intriguing.....wow...

[Warmaster129]

"At the beginning of the game, Max Payne is once more charged with murder of his partner. This time, though, he isn't innocent, but has actually committed the murder. I don't want to reveal any more ... except that Mona, who's as well charged with murder, is not really innocent of this situation as well... "
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Sounds like the first part of the game will be breaking out of the court or jail. images/icons/smile.gif
A large shootout with security, then a sequence where the SWAT team is after you and you basically run like Hell, then a car chase...
images/icons/smile.gif images/icons/smile.gif images/icons/smile.gif images/icons/smile.gif
/eyesglazeover

[j]

I've got some ponderings about the story. The same bald, fat guy with the MP5 can be seen in these two shots:

Shot 1 (http://theposse.maxpayneheadquarters.com/mp2screens/mp2_10.jpg) & Shot 2 (http://theposse.maxpayneheadquarters.com/mp2screens/mp2_08.jpg).

And the guy aiming at Max with the scoped handgun in shot 2 looks a lot like the guy on the right of the screen in shot 1. Maybe these are his fellow policemen (as they seem to move out quite peacefully out the door in shot 1) and possibly shot 2 portrays the situation before Max kills his partner. Or something like that.

And oh, the guy with the AK-47 in shot 2 is standing in the doorway in shot 1.

[ethan[imf]]

well, pc games says these guys are indeed some kind of temporary accompanists (but you won't be able to command them in any way).

can't wait to see how the new ia is doing. in an interview, sam lake compared the ai with a "fire & forget" rocket: payne's enemies react on their own, and scripting doesn't have to be used as frequently as in mp1.

[M]

from what i can see, the guy with the ak47 on the far right (in the picture below) looks like the guy from grand theft auto 3. doesn't he?

http://theposse.maxpayneheadquarters.com/mp2screens/mp2_08.jpg

[mr. moose]

Originally posted by Nessus:
I love that he's back on the force after committing the the biggest murder spree in the history of western civilization, even if they all were "criminals" <font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">It does seem a bit hypocritical too. Max's killing all these people because they're drug dealers/addicts, but how many painkillers did he chew down during the game? Alot in my case. Painkillers strong enough to fight off the effects of bullet holes in your body have to be habbit forming.

[biXen]

j: it's probably all pretty temporary for now, but I have a feeling you gotta drag that bald fatguy around a bit images/icons/grin.gif

[Kevin's girl]

The new game's story plot will make sense once we play it. That way we'll know what Max did and why he did it. The graphic novel in the first game did a good job of explaining everything didn't it?