Rockstar Promises “Sophisticated” Max Payne 3
Developer acknowledges games and gamers have moved on since world-weary Payne’s 2001 debut.
Rockstar Vancouver promises that it is pulling out all the stops in development of Max Payne 3, recognising that gamers have far higher expectations than when Payne made his debut in 2001.
“Both the games and the audiences have become more sophisticated,” art director Rob Nelson tells us. “Gamers expect a more fully realised cinematic experience, even if the main mechanic is still shooting. And though this is a more linear game for us, people want to be constantly surprised and entertained in new ways.
“So you need a lot of custom setups, the environments need to be varied, and all of that while keeping the gameplay fun and responsive – people have become really specific about how they want things to be controlled. It’s a lot more work!”
Much of that work, Nelson reveals, has been put into NaturalMotion’s Euphoria, the physics engine used to such fine effect in Grand Theft Auto IV and Red Dead Redemption. “Every game we do, we’re thinking about how to push NaturalMotion in new directions,” he explains. “I think Red Dead was a nice evolution from GTA, and Max is going to be the same thing again.
“We’ve put a lot of attention on AI reactions, making sure that the force of the bullet feels right. It adds a level of weight and realism to every character, and the beauty of it is we can vary the level of control we have over the system to suit a situation, which really helps us to make it as cinematic as we want to be.
“Euphoria is really helpful in making those situations feel natural, rather than having Max crash into things and ragdoll. We can make it feel like he’s anticipating an impact before it happens – that’s an exciting thing we’re working on.”
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