Thanks, I’ll have to load that up. I’ve seen videos of fighting-game style juggle combos (knock them in the air, hit them on the way down) in this latest version, so it sounds right up my alley. I didn’t really think the absence of more hand-to-hand combat was to the detriment of the first game (as much as I love a good hand-to-hand fighting system in games), since there’s no reason to believe Max is a brawler. But this kung fu mod is apparently so good that I wonder if the Remedy will incorporate any stuff like this into the sequel. Hopefully they’ve at least acknowledged the author of this mod for a job well done. He should have been the one doing Enter the Matrix apparently.
The action part of Max Payne was really quite enjoyable. And even though you basically were led down a linear path doing slow-mo dives and rolls against the same brainless bad guys all the time, it never really seemed to get old.
It’s problem was the the writing sucked. And I don’t mean just the dialogue, I mean the absolutely stupid stereotype characters, too (ooh, the russian guy has a license plate that says VODKA. How… retarded). That’s not a problem when it’s really easily ignored, but Max Payne interjected plenty of dialogue and had tons of those storyboard moments (whose art style I quite enjoyed). When there’s a lot of writing in your action game, and it sucks, that’s a problem. It’s not a problem that the writing in Serious Sam is ass, because it’s hardly even THERE, y’know?
I worry greatly that they say Max 2 will have MORE story, more tightly integrated, and it’s written by the same guy. I hope Sam Lake had his nose to the grindstone studying how to write noir and reading as much of it as he could get his hands on this time around. But according to everything 3D Realms said after the first game shipped, they don’t feel there’s anything wrong with the plot, dialogue, or characters in the game at all…and I guess they should know, being that they shipped that one literate masterpiece seven years ago, and then Shadow Warrior.
I read that as meaning I should expect more women behind bars giving oral to ugly fat guys in their boxers. Certainly the most charming moment in the game.
In Max 2 he’s supposed to fall in love. Those love parts in action movies are when I go get the popcorn. I’m not sure what to expect from love scenes in a game.
I enjoyed Max Payne, but when I was done I was really done. I tried playing it again, including the Matrix mod, and it just didn’t hold my interest anymore.
The Matrix Mod utterly failed to try my interest when it first came out. Then again, I loathed EtM as well, so I guess I’m not the target audience.
I hope like in Golgo 13, you are energized after a “love” scene.
Chet
Jason,
Can’t really go into any details on Max2, but I just want to point out that we feel that Max1 storyline certainly could be improved on. Max1 storyline was locked down very early in the the dev cycle, and on hindsight that was a mistake (and one that I carry the responsibility on).
Having said that, I’m still very happy with how most people seem to enjoy the story, and while the over-the-top style turned off some people, it certainly differentiated the game pretty well from all uber-neutral “playing it too safe” shooters.
Jason,
Can’t really go into any details on Max2, but I just want to point out that we feel that Max1 storyline certainly could be improved on. Max1 storyline was locked down very early in the the dev cycle, and on hindsight that was a mistake (and one that I carry the responsibility on).
Having said that, I’m still very happy with how most people seem to enjoy the story, and while the over-the-top style turned off some people, it certainly differentiated the game pretty well from all uber-neutral “playing it too safe” shooters.[/quote]
The story was ok. It helped drive me through the game. I wanted to see what would happen next, etc. My utter lack of interest in replaying Max Payne may have something to do with knowing the story the second time through.
The story was a bit convuluted at times, but it was the corny writing, not the plot, that was most difficult to stomach.
I liked the writing. Yeah, it was corny, but really it added some humor to the game, even if it was unintentional. The story was fine.
And I liked the dream sequences too, except that the bloody labyrinth was a bitch to navigate.
Yeah, I railed on the dream sequences in my review, but it was the stupid blood-trail jumping puzzle maze that drove me up a wall. The rest of the dream sequence as just fine. Corny, sure, but fine. The boards appearing from nowhere to lock a door, the hallway that kept getting endlessly longer - it was a nice dramatic touch. But that god damned blood maze. What were you guys THINKING?
The blood trail puzzle was damn atmospheric, if a bit too long, but I liked it a lot. The endless hallway maze what was drove me nuts. I spent literally an hour trying to navigate that thing.
I know what they were thinking:
“This whole game is pretty much nothing but running through valleys disguised as urban stuff, jumping into rooms and shooting three guys, and then doing it again. We really need something to break it up and distract the player. Ideas?”
“Oral sex that’s uncomfortably unappealing?”
“Already have that in.”
“More?”
“No, something else, OK?”
“Well, how about we make Max move molasses slow and then while the player is getting used to controlling him that way, we make him do a jumping puzzle.”
“That sucks. Anything else?”
“…anyone?”
“Well, OK, jumping puzzle it is.”
Well that’s sort of my point. It really wasn’t SUPPOSED to be at all funny, in the least bit. The worst thing you could say about it is “it kept me laughing.” It was totally serious.
I feel that I should seperate the “writing” (characterization, dialogue, Max’s inner monologues/narration) and the “story” (plotline). I thought the storyline was actually pretty good. I appreciated the tragic opening and the way it was portrayed, and I dug the Norse Mythology tie-ins and stuff. Like Mark, I wanted to find out what happened next.
Petri - I KNEW you were lurking here! :P Anyway, the story wasn’t the problem, it was how it was deliverd. The sun set with practiced bravado? Come ON. I think when “people” say they like the story, they mean they like the “style.” They like that it was a noir, or tried to be, instead of flaming skulls or whatever. And that I agree with.
The dream sequences were fine and pretty refreshing actually, but like everyone said here…jumping puzzles in my shooter = bad. But that part about how he imagined he was in a videogame and all that, that was a perfect example of how the writing was awful and the story wasn’t.
question, since Petri is reading: TELL me you guys will have some sort of integrated benchark doohicky? That mod someone came up with was allright, but pretty klunky.
Scott’s gone on record saying that the writing in MP2 is “improved”. After running that through a complicated series of Spin Filters, it reads: “We think it’s better, but if people still end up ridiculing it we reserve the right to laugh it off as postmodern cheese.”
At least Judge Dredd has professional writers producing the story, and creative oversight from people who don’t confuse slogans with Shakespeare. Still, nobody said you had to be be clever to produce a chase-the-money game. :D
Nice tie. :roll:
Well that’s sort of my point. It really wasn’t SUPPOSED to be at all funny, in the least bit. The worst thing you could say about it is “it kept me laughing.” It was totally serious.
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Spoiler…
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It was totally serious? Where at one point in the game he takes drugs and then says “I fell like I’m in a video game and being controlled by a sadistic player who kills me over and over for fun” - how was that anywhere near serious?
That’s probably the only moment of intentional humor.
It’s been a while since I played the game - but the drug sequence was pretty damn funny. I remember it having a few other things that were too campy not to be intentional jokes, but maybe they weren’t shrug
The bit where he found his dead wife on the bed was funny.
Uh, oh. :oops:
/Gets coat.
Baseball Bat Boy!