Two things to comment on:
Andy Chalk said:
So how exactly is this a new Max Payne game, and even more to the point, why? Maybe I'm being premature but I can't stop thinking that Rockstar got it backwards: It's ripped out everything that made the games unique and memorable and left behind only those parts that have, in the six years and counting since the last release, become thoroughly generic. And if that really is the case, then why tack the Max Payne name onto it rather than starting fresh with an all-new character?
A man has still hit rock bottom. He's still lost everything. You have Brazil, which is heavy into drug trafficking, possibly making Valkyr at a lower rate and causing more chaos in the process. You have Max Payne, who already has a sense of closure at killing the ones that killed his family, moving on to new things. You have Bullet Time and you have a franchise making a new step and a new beginning. It's not as if noir filming is conclusive only to New York. I'm fairly sure that Brazil has that unique style of depression and darkness in film, overflowing even on the brightest day.
Was I surprised at the change? Lemme think... Twelve years is a long time for anyone to change. In twelve years, will you have changed for the better? Will you look exactly as you did at 20 that you did at 32? I think the series needed a reboot. Granted, this is far from what I expected, but if we're still going with the noir style maybe, just maybe Rockstar can pull off another "out of left field" victory for themselves.
Shane Young said:
The usual explanation when something like this happens (as with Xcom) is that they?re just harvesting the brand name to garner a few sales, but, it?s not like Max Payne is this obscure, struggling series that needed an overhaul to make it more ?mainstream?.
No. I personally believe they're taking the franchise in a new direction. I also believe that Rockstar has considerable ability to tell a story as proven with GTA (we'll leave GTA III alone... That was a work in progress. Damn Clyde...) I say let them work on it. As I mention with Andy, a lot changes in 12 years. I wouldn't be the slightest interested in yet ANOTHER game in New York, that had a momentous blizzard interfering with everything. ESPECIALLY when all the unique characters are dead or gone in some way.
Also, one thing about film noir:
wiki said:
Worldview, morality, and tone
Film noir is often described as essentially pessimistic. The noir stories that are regarded as most characteristic tell of people trapped in unwanted situations (which, in general, they did not cause but are responsible for exacerbating), striving against random, uncaring fate, and frequently doomed. The movies are seen as depicting a world that is inherently corrupt.
You can't get much more corrupt than Brazil. With drugs rampant, a very violent police force, and guns everywhere, it truly is a unique locale to feel like you're doomed. With it being closer to release, perhaps it can surprise us by actually keeping that style of play.
