Action Adventure Remedy Entertainment, 2001

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Max Payne

Action Adventure

Remedy Entertainment, 2001
Max Payne is an action based game developed for Windows (July 2001) and later released for the Xbox and Playstation 2. It is a third-person shooter with quite a large cinematic influence taken from John Woo styled films. It was one of the first games to introduce a gameplay feature called “bullet time” that slows the game down allowing for “Matrix” style gun shootouts. There have been two sequels to this game and also a movie based on the game is now being developed. It has been a highly popular title due to its fast paced action and gritty adult storyline.
The player takes control of a New York detective who is on the road for revenge after coming home to find his family murdered in a brutal attack. It is very much a film noir plotline and many of the plot sequences are told through comic strip and voice dialogue. Max himself is a very troubled character living in what appears to be a rather sinister representation of New York. The game manages to pace itself effectively by having areas of action based scenarios usually followed by a comic style dialogue to continue the narrative. This study will hope to find correlation between this game’s narrative structure and Campbell’s model of a Hero’s Journey.
Characters
There is not a great deal of characters within Max Payne that will play an intrinsic role in the dialogue. However, certain classic stereotypes and archetypes can still be identified throughout the story’s layout.
The Hero – Max Payne is the obvious character for this role and the player will take control of this protagonist throughout the game’s entirety. He has a particularly dark, brooding persona and could be said to suffer from psychological issues.
The Tyrant – Nicole Horne is the CEO of the Aesir Corporation that manufactured the “Valkyr” drug that is the focal destructive force within the game. She is revealed in about the middle of the game’s story and it turns out she was responsible for murdering Max’s family. She uses her governmental powers to keep a grip on the city and blackmail anyone that crosses her path.
The Trickster / Temptress – Mona Sax is the sister of a crime boss’s wife that Max Payne takes down early on in the game. She appears to want to help Max although she ends up tricking him by spiking his drink with “Valkyr”. There is also a potential love interest between Max and Sax but she seems to use that to her advantage when deceiving him.
The Wise Old Man – Alfred Woden is the main member of the inner circle that was involved with the Valkyr project and offers to help Max get out of his situation. He is blackmailed later on the game by Horne and so requires Max to take her down for him. He also lets Max know that if he succeeds, he can walk away a free man due to the criminal charges being dropped.
The Shadow – This appears in one of Max’s nightmare episodes and is just Max himself represented almost like a monster. Max has to defeat him in order to leave the nightmare and return to the real world.

The Departure
The Call to Adventure (10)
This is the initial tragedy that occurs in regards to the death of Max’s Wife and daughter. Max is now called upon to avenge his family and find out if there was any reason behind their murder. The next stage of the game is set three years in the future whereby Max is now undercover within the Punchinello family, a mafia group that deals in “Valkyr”.
Refusal of the Call (0)
There is no refusal contained within the game’s narrative as it is meant to show the Hero giving up on what his focal interest. Max never stops proceeding throughout the game and is probably not given the chance to do this anyway.
Supernatural Aid (5) - out of sequence

Vladimir Lem is the head of the Russian Mob and suddenly appears out of nowhere to help Max out of his predicament. He asks Max to rid him of a traitor within his mob and in return, supplies Max with weapons and information regarding the Puchinello Mob.

The Crossing of the First Threshold (8)
This is initiated at first by the death of Max’s partner Alex Balder, which in turn causes Max to be made the prime suspect for the murder. Max’s true identity is then destroyed and he is made out to be the criminal to which his undercover identity is perceived to be. His true identity is then made public to the Puchinello family who take a warrant out on his life, he is left utterly alone. However, he encounters Jack Lupino who is an insane mafia boss and Max takes him down and finds out whom to move onto next.
The Belly of the Whale (7)
This is encompassed by the two periods in which Max lapses into a nightmare unconsciousness and has to find his way out of his own psyche. He is plagued by his inner demons and confronts his nightmarish past in an even more sinister manner. Both of these are caused by him being injected with “Valkyr” against his will, he returns from these illusions with even more determination than before.
Initiation
The Road of Trials (6)
These are represented by the continuous battles and ordeals that Max’s faces throughout the game.
The Meeting with the Goddess (0)
There is not an aspect of Max Payne that accurately represents this part of Campbell’s structure. This event is usually involves the Hero meeting a figure that helps represent his perception of the world around him. It may possibly be touched upon by Max's meeting with Mona Sax, but this event corresponds more to the next section.
Woman as the Temptress (7)
This is literally Mona Sax and her almost seduction of Max, which leads to him being spiked and being sent into his nightmare world. There is a love interest between both of them but Mona is generally seen to be using Max for her own ends although maybe with a degree of sympathy. Max did not reject the temptation of Mona and therefore was punished for this.
Atonement with the Father (7)
There is a possible aspect of atonement with the NYPD chief Jim Bravura but it is not essentially realised within the narrative. Max realises that Jim is a good guy but is caught on the other side of the fence. Jim doesn’t want to believe Max is guilty and so is possibly relieved when he turns up at the end.
Apotheosis (5)
This is Max’s realisation of who was behind his family’s murder and the reasons for why it had occurred. Whilst in an old military bunker, he discovers the truth behind the drug “Valkyr” and its use on improving soldier’s stamina and morale. He finds out that his wife had discovered information that would threaten the drug’s survival and so Nicole Horne had sent psychotic addicts to her house. He is then informed by Woden that killing Horne would result in his life back. He then can focus his anger and determination on finding Horne and satisfying his craving for revenge.
The Ultimate Boon (2)
Max has finished Nicole Horne and therefore opened up the investigation for the NYPD to take down what is left of the organisation. He has also saved Woden from potential embarrassment and cleared his reputation with the NYPD. His main boon is essentially placed upon himself as he has avenged his family’s demise.

Return
Refusal of the Return (0)
This event does not occur within the game as it is meant to show the Hero unwilling to return to his previous existance. Max is never shown to be returning to his previous life as his life was pretty much destroyed in the beginning.
The Magic Flight (0)
This event is not represented within the game as it would show the Hero facing an ardous path to a normal existance. The story and game end before Max is seen to undertake this journey.

Rescue from Without (3)
It is hinted that Max will be saved by Woden’s influences and will be able to return to his life even after his ordeal.
The Crossing of the Return Threshold (0)
This event does not occur within the game as it would represent the Hero struggling to re-enter his life from before the journey. The epilogue does not show Max having to deal with this scenario.
Master of the Two Worlds (0)
We do not find out how Max deals with the situation after the completion of the Journey, therefore it is uncertain if Max can really succeed returning to his previous existance.
Freedom to Live (2)
Max understands that he has been successful in his encounter but no more is said of it. There is still many unaswered questions to what will happen to Max after this ordeal.
Conclusion
It would be fair to say that Max Payne follows Campbell’s structure, but with some aspects appearing out of sync with the set pattern. The return is not particularly well represented but that is to be expected due to the nature of videogames in general. As there is a sequel to this game, a vast amount of the conclusion may have been left a little vague by the designers.