Stolen Pixels #193: Max Blame, Part 4

By Shamus Posted Tuesday May 11, 2010

Filed under: Column 18 comments

And it ends.

This was a fun series to write. And I got to play through the original Max Payne again. So it’s a double win for me.

 


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18 thoughts on “Stolen Pixels #193: Max Blame, Part 4

  1. krellen says:

    Maybe I’m just remembering wrong, but when we were young, game companies didn’t just churn out the same IP over and over and over again; each new property was a brand new idea, and the only games that got sequels were the ones with stories that logically led to a follow-up story (and got sales to justify another; I remember a good handful of games that clearly left things unanswered and never got followed up upon).

    The funny thing is, it’s our generation making games now. Why are they such crap, when we grew up with gems?

    1. Someone says:

      The industry evolved. Tiny grocery store on the second street grew into Wal-Mart. The hobby turned into big business. The expenditures increased tenfold, making price of a “mistake” product too high. Though the gems are still being made, mostly on the independent scene, where the development process is still a hobby, and misty eyed visionaries of game design roam free of marketing and ivestors.

      P.S. Who is that “mystery man” guy?

      1. Irridium says:

        I said it many times before, and I’ll say it many times in the future. Becoming a business was the best and worst things to happen to gaming. Best because now we get more great games more often, bad because most of those games play the same, and lack original interesting ideas.

        Good story Shamus.

        And I hope the Max Payne 3 game is good. Since its from Rockstar I doubt it will suck, but it just won’t be a true Max Payne game. I really hope I’m wrong, and if I am I will gladly eat my words, but I’m not holding my breath.

        1. krellen says:

          Define “great”.

          I’m lucky if there’s one game in a year I want, and one in every other year I’m actually glad I bought.

          1. Irridium says:

            Eh, its all subjective. Most games these days aren’t inherently bad, they’re just boring and play the same. Most games I play I have a decent amount of fun in, but not many are worth full price in my opinion.

            With many games apparently getting high review scores, it seems many great games are getting released.

            Good god, I’m going by what review scores say to determine quality, SOMEONE SMACK ME!

      2. Bryan says:

        > P.S. Who is that “mystery man” guy?

        Looks to me like the Mystic Man (not quite Mystery Man, but close — and yes, that was the character’s name…) from Tin Man. Played by Richard Dreyfuss.

      3. Michael says:

        It’s Alex Woden, one of the characters from the original game.

    2. Dev Null says:

      Maybe I'm just remembering wrong, but when we were young, game companies didn't just churn out the same IP over and over and over again

      Someone remind me; how many Kings Quests were there again? (Which were totally awesome, but there certainly more games in those series’ than in anything I’ve seen since…)

      1. krellen says:

        Well, okay – except for Sierra. But they did other things too – Conquest for Camelot, for instance, was one of my favourites.

    3. silver Harloe says:

      You’re both remembering wrong and not remembering wrong. Zork, Wizardry, Ultima, Bard’s Tale, King’s Quest – sequel after sequel after sequel.
      But also, right next to them and for the same price, games like Worms, Archon (though it had a sequel), Planetfall…
      It was a time of experimentation. No one knew what everyone wanted, but they were also more than happy to keep pumping out things that were popular.

      1. Yar Kramer says:

        Planetfall had a sequel too, Stationfall. But I suppose the point is, it only had one, and it wasn’t the only game they worked on.

        I suppose a weird example of an indy game “churning out sequels” is the Touhou Project series (yeah, I’m a fan, sue me), which is up to the twelfth installment with five spinoffs of various major-gameplay-changes, but in that case it’s the creator doing it because he honestly likes making the games and the music, and doesn’t actually care about the money. (If he did, he’d probably be a lot more interested in getting it officially released outside Japan, but that’s another story …)

  2. Stellar Duck says:

    That was a bitter-sweet ending. I loved it. Even if it hurt to be reminded of the new game once again. I have to work a bit to keep pretending that the second game was the last.

    It’s sad that a series as unique as Max Payne has to be dragged down to this level. For the world, I can’t understand what the point is. I imagine they are alienating a lot of the fan base. But I guess that’s not so important.

    This series was great Shamus. Very enjoyable and well done.

  3. David V.S. says:

    Mmm…a bullet-time, noir bowling game with a wry narrator.

    Set in a bowling alley that is clean and loved by its regulars yet is still a bit drab and obviously in the wrong part of a big city in the late 1950s.

    As an Easter Egg, if you figure out how to leave the bowling alley the adjacent property is an old drive-in movie lot, whose patrons are just starting to arrive for the night’s black and white silent film. You can steal a pair of roller skates from the concession booth’s employee area.

    1. Meredith says:

      Leaving aside the question of why it would be silent in the 50’s, in a noir game, it should totally be a Bogart film.

      1. Michael says:

        Most drive in theaters used sort of cup speakers that you’d stick inside your own car to listen to the film, to someone on the outside that could sound like a silent film.

  4. Galad says:

    That was a beautiful ending to this small series of comics, excellently done and with a heart. Thank you.

    I followed the link to Andy Chalk’s take on it and something died inside me when I read the voice actor will be different. Farewell Max, we had a good time together =(

  5. Deoxy says:

    Ah. That’s more like it.

    Perfect. :-)

    But Max Payne 3 is being made by Rockstar. If we’re very lucky Max won’t spend half the game taking his cousin bowling.

    Ouch.

  6. Joe says:

    Loved the comics.
    And I need to play the game now. Dangit Shamus, you’re makin’ me want to buy stuff again!

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