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Control Resonant isn’t the first time Remedy has visited Manhattan
Remedy Entertainment’s forthcoming Control Resonant will return to a stylised Manhattan in 2026, but Polygon argues that the studio’s memorable treatment of New York began 25 years earlier with Max Payne. The retrospective highlights how the original game used a snowy, threatening city and a hard-boiled noir story to make its setting central to Max’s grief-driven quest for revenge.
Released first on PC before arriving on PlayStation 2 and Xbox, Max Payne follows a former New York police officer whose wife and daughter are killed by drug-addled intruders, leading him undercover into the criminal network behind the drug. Its graphic-novel panels, narration by James McCaffrey and pioneering “bullet time” gunplay remain distinctive, although the article notes that ageing visuals, an inverted console camera axis, scarce healing items and limited checkpoints can make modern console play frustrating.
In short
- Max Payne established Remedy’s dark Manhattan vision 25 years ago.
- Noir storytelling and bullet time made the shooter memorable.
- Ageing console controls and checkpoints remain significant drawbacks.
Explained simply
Remedy Entertainment is a Finnish video game studio known for distinctive action games with strong storytelling. The studio's upcoming game Control Resonant will be set in a stylised version of Manhattan, continuing the studio's long history of using New York as a setting for dramatic narratives.
The studio's original foray into Manhattan was with Max Payne, released 25 years ago, which followed a former New York police officer whose wife and daughter are killed by intruders. Seeking revenge, the protagonist infiltrates the criminal network responsible for their deaths, with the snowy, threatening city serving as a central part of his emotional journey.
Max Payne became memorable for its distinctive presentation, including graphic novel-style panels, voice narration, and innovative slow-motion gunplay mechanics. Though it was groundbreaking at its release on PC before arriving on consoles, modern players sometimes find the dated visuals and challenging gameplay mechanics less accessible than more recent games.