Max Payne 3 is noir, Rockstar promises

Rockstar VP of product development Jernoimo Barrera defends the changes made for the studio's take on Max Payne 3, and promises that the game will retain many nods to the classic games.

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As the first game in the series to be developed outside of Remedy, Max Payne 3 has drawn the ire of its most passionate fans. Rockstar VP of product development Jernoimo Barrera defends the changes made for the studio's take on the franchise, and promises that the game will retain many nods to the classic games.

"We wanted to make a game that would please fans of the originals and be accessible to newcomers," Barrera said. "As the games are so old now, plenty of people who would like Max were simply not gaming back in 2003."

One of the biggest criticisms fans have about the debut trailer is the seeming lack of noir. Sure, you had Max narrate the trailer, but why have the game take place in sunny Sao Paulo? "Noir is about much more than location," Barrera told Gamespot. "You'll see that we aren't moving away from those styles and techniques at all, and we've come up with what we think is an interesting interpretation of classic noir."

Barrera confirms that yes, the graphic novel style panels will be making a return to Max Payne 3--something that we have yet to see from the game. Also missing from the game so far: precipitation. Thankfully, fans are guaranteed that "there are, however, enough rain-sodden, pitch-dark nights in the game to satisfy the most ardent fan of dark and wet locations."

The reason why the Max Payne 3 seems so sunny so far is because the story "now takes place over a few weeks" instead of a single night. Consequently, Rockstar was unable to tell a story "realistically" by having it take place exclusively at night. "And while Sao Paulo may be a more colorful place in the daytime, it's a very different story at night."

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    September 22, 2011 7:00 PM

    Andrew Yoon posted a new article, Max Payne 3 is noir, Rockstar promises.

    Rockstar VP of product development Jernoimo Barrera defends the changes made for the studio's take on Max Payne 3, and promises that the game will retain many nods to the classic games.

    • reply
      September 23, 2011 1:26 AM

      Max Payne is fat.

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        September 23, 2011 6:24 AM

        No need for bullet time, since Max moves like a sloth...

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          September 23, 2011 7:43 AM

          Exactly. How will he dodge bullets when he's so fat?

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            September 23, 2011 8:14 AM

            No need to dodge. They will bounce off his tummy.

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          September 25, 2011 8:59 PM

          It's been renamed burger time.

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      September 23, 2011 4:40 AM

      I think it looks awesome. I feel much more pumped after that trailer than I expected I would be.

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        September 23, 2011 5:28 AM

        ^^^^^^^

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        September 23, 2011 6:29 AM

        JPB I agree!

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        September 23, 2011 6:37 AM

        I think it looks good, but it does also seem to be breaking away in tone.

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        September 23, 2011 6:42 AM

        [deleted]

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        September 23, 2011 7:52 AM

        agreed, I think the developers were quite thoughtful and creative with how they handled this character. I was very skeptical when the first images were released, but now I'm totally on board.

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        September 23, 2011 8:12 AM

        I think the backlash was just from the fact that Remedy is not doing the third game and all of the initial imagery made it look like Rockstar was just taking the name and doing whatever with it. To hear them explain it, you can see that they are taking the story someplace new but they are staying true to Max Payne. The new settings, the new look for Max, new gameplay elements. All of that is fine if we are to understand that the game is being treated with respect. It was the assumption (the Rockstar was just doing their own thing with the property) that scared people.

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        September 23, 2011 8:21 AM

        [deleted]

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      September 23, 2011 5:32 AM

      [deleted]

    • SLI legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
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      September 23, 2011 5:43 AM

      "This trailer created entirely from in game footage"

      Bravo!

      If your going to show us your game, show it in engine or dont show it at all. CGI BS is nothing short of false advertising and makes your game look WORSE.

      Bravo to Rockstar for being true to thier creation, and faith in thier engine.

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      September 23, 2011 5:48 AM

      Max on Fire?

      tbh, this does look like it should be good fun.

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      September 23, 2011 6:21 AM

      But it's got sunlight! How can it be noir if it's got sunlight!! Waaah waah waah derp!

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      September 23, 2011 6:34 AM

      [deleted]

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      September 23, 2011 7:52 AM

      My biggest concern is the lack of comic paned cutscenes. Everything I've seen has been the typical rockstar style cutscene made in-engine, and losing the comics style from the first two games would be a huge blow to the "feel" of max payne.

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        September 23, 2011 8:04 AM

        Barrera confirms that yes, the graphic novel style panels will be making a return to Max Payne 3

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          September 23, 2011 8:25 AM

          In that case I don't really have any concerns!

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      September 23, 2011 8:18 AM

      [deleted]

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      September 23, 2011 9:18 AM

      for their next game I hope they get the Batman IP, and put Batman in the Bahamas and also make him fat and not wear the batsuit.

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        September 25, 2011 2:18 PM

        LMFAO.

        They just don't get it, do they?

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      September 23, 2011 9:20 AM

      I miss the snowy winter set pieces.

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