Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser recently admitted to publically calling Max Payne 3 a creative failure on his part. The narrative now changes from financial failure for the 2012 game to a creative one. It's important because it changes the context. It becomes disconnected from the technical accomplishments of the game and more towards a developer's self-realization. It's something people that bought the game or are fans of the series can look up to now and get that input from the creator about the project's flaws.
Houser admits missing the noir tone of the original series
The interview with IGN sees Houser taking the full blame for not getting the game's tone right and failing to embody the very core of the original series made by Remedy Entertainment. The co-founder admits that the third iteration just didn't get right the unique noir style and the bullet time mechanics the first two entries had. It's an insight into the dissonance between Rockstar's vision as a design concept in general and the very specific artistic requirements of the Max Payne franchise.
Max Payne 3 released in 2012. Despite the shortcomings in meeting sales numbers, the game was well-received for its gunplay and movement. It actually was criticized for contributing to the publisher Take-Two Interactive's $110m loss for that particular quarter. The game underperforming in sales is what caused that loss. On the other hand, the core mechanics were celebrated as one of the best examples of a third person shooter. The game built a good reputation amongst action-gamers.
Remedy Entertainment is now fully in the process of a remake of the first two Max Payne games. So it seems that the franchise is going back to its roots. It implies a renewed interest in that original feel and mechanics that Houser claims was missing in Max Payne 3. The remake can be expected to be a corrective version of the story and tone that Max Payne 3 had lost. There's an attempt to bring back the essence of the first two games.
Source: TweakTown
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