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Max Payne 2’semotional depth was achieved largely due to a big risk that Sam Lake took while writing the game. He was not sure whether the journey he had penned down would sit well with the audience or not, leaving him with no choice but to trust his instincts and take a leap of faith.
The risk taken by Lake worked well in his favor since that aspect of the game was widely celebrated by the players, establishing Lake as one of the best developers in the market.Max Paynestarted a journey for him that eventually led him to create the world ofAlan Wake.
Sam Lake Went With His Gut While Writing Max Payne 2
Max Payneis a story of revenge based on a cop that goes by the same name. On paper, it is an action-packed game that involves killing a lot of bad guys. However, there is a lot more to the story than just a revenge arc.
The entry of Mona Sax, a professional assassin, and Payne’s love interest adds spice to the game, gives the story an overarching depth, and helps build strong relations. The addition of a romantic angle in an action-adventure game from 2003 was not the norm and this became the biggest cause of worry for the developer.
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Mona Sax’s disappearance in the first game leaves a lot of questions unanswered. However, Lake was not too sure about how well players would respond to her reintroduction in the second game. During an interview with Gamespot back in 2003, he talked about it. Hesaid:
We, obviously, hope gamers out there will enjoy the story. The idea was simply too delicious to pass over, and, as with the first game, our objective has been to evoke emotion with the game and to create strong characters. Basing the storyline around a cop and a murder suspect was such a great way to bring tension to the story that we couldn’t resist it.
This was the biggest risk taken by Lake while developingMax Payne 2. Basing a story around a murder suspect and a cop does create conflict and tension, but it could easily have gone in a completely different direction from what the games stand for. Nevertheless, the game was well received and even established Mona Sax as a pop culture icon.
Things Worked in Favor of Sam Lake And Team
The risk taken by the developers was rewarded well.Max Payne 2was a hit, and players enjoyed the storyline between Payne and Sax. To this day, their story is considered one of the most tragic in video game history.
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Max Payne 2heavily focuses on the relationship between the two. Their relationship ended on a bitter note, with Sax dying in his arms after the final boss fight of the game. However, if the game is completed on the hardest difficulty setting, Mona survivesbut is not seen anywhere in the following game.
This tragedy reiterates the themes of the game revolving around love, pain, loss, and grief. The second game concludes the story of Mona Sax once and for all. What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments below.
Anupam Lamba
Articles Published :574
Anupam Lamba is an avid gamer and film lover. After completing his bachelors in Mass Communication he started working as a writer in the Indian film industry before his love for gaming made him venture into the lanes of Fandomwire and he started working as a gaming writer here.
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