On this day, 25 long years ago, the first Max Payne game was released. It was the first game in a series that would spawn two more sequels, one good one and one that had no idea who or what Max Payne is, and it remains one of the most influential and memorable noir action titles ever made.
Created by the now-legendary Sam Lake and his team at Remedy, Max Payne released on July 25, 2001, exactly a quarter of a century ago and about a month after I was even born. It was a gripping, dark, and emotional neo-noir game set in New York City, following a detective whose family was killed by drug addicts. It was written by Lake himself, who also gave the character his likeness, though he was voiced by the late James McCaffrey, who passed away in late 2023.
