Introduction

Developed by: Remedy Entertainment
Published by: 3DRealms
Distributed by: Gathering of Developers
Release Date: "When it's done" (Probably late 99)

The Setting

Imagine a dark, crime-ridden city, a place littered with hookers, pimps, junkies, dirty cops, and dealers around every corner, graffiti marring every wall. Nights are chillingly quiet here; the silence pierced only by the shrieking sounds of police sirens wailing down the street. Its inhabitants gather around burning barrels to seek shelter from the penetrating cold, occasionally shooting up when they can no longer fight their addictions. A moist steam rises through the sewer-grates, filling the streets with a vile stench only those who live here can bear. What is this place, Hell?! Close - this is present-day New York City, in Max Payne's world.

The Story

Everything upon which this story is based is on real-world realism. In the worst winter storm in ages, a rage-invoking drug called Valkyr is spreading rampant throughout the city. Max Payne, a cop working undercover for the dirtiest local Mafia mobsters in town ala Donnie Brasco, is diggin' deep to find the source of the drug, and will stop at nothing until he uncovers the truth. Max is a gritty ol' chap who's endured quite the load over the past few years, having come home one night to find his family slaughtered senselessly by a gang of drug-crazed junkies. To make matters worse, the only person who knew about his true identity as an undercover agent was his DEA boss and best friend, Alex Balder, whom was also murdered. Max was then framed for the slaying and was labeled as a "cop-killer".

With anyone else, a shot to the temple would have been the easy way out, but not for our resilient boy Max. Even with the mobsters bearing down on him because they learned he's with the Feds, and the entire city police force hunting him down as a cop-killer, Max isn't going to fade away into non-existence. He's going to hunt down the drug-creators, and make them wish they were never born. He's going to avenge the murder of his best friend, and kill the dirty cops and politicians that were behind the whole scam. There are no rules now - It's going to be a cold day in hell before anyone can stop him.