On April 6, 2022, Remedy and Rockstar announced brand new remakes for Max Payne 1 and 2 and these will be running on the Northlight Engine - Here are all the other games released using this engine.

Many fans awaiting the return of Max Payne were excited to learn that while we aren't getting Max Payne 4, the first 2 games are getting remakes. Remedy Entertainment announced a new partnership with Rockstar Games to remake the first 2 Max Payne games. Both games are currently early in development and will be fully handled by Remedy, with Rockstar supplying the necessary funds.

Max Payne 1 Remake and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne Remake will be single-player games for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S using the Northlight Engine. Remedy also has a royalty opportunity after Rockstar Games has recouped its development, marketing, and other costs for distributing and publishing the game.

All Games Running on the Northlight Engine Used by the Max Payne Remakes

Control

Control is one of the most acclaimed third-person action shooters of these last few years. The game was first released in 2019 and had several expansions since. It's one of the biggest successes of Remedy, often praised for its graphics. If you want the Max Payne Remakes to look beautiful, then the fact that they're running on the same engine as Control means they're in good hands in that regard.

Quantum Break

Released in 2016, Quantum Break was a mix between an action game and a live-action series, with a heavy focus on players' choices changing the course of the story thanks to time travel shenanigans. The game too was praised for its engine and graphics.

Codename Condor

Just like Control, Project Condor will run on the Northlight Engine. Codename Condor will be a player vs enemy multiplayer game with up to four players cooperating with each other, taking place in the same world as Control. In other words, it's a spinoff currently in development at Remedy. The game is still several years ahead though, as at the end of 2021 it was only in proof-of-concept stage.

The Alan Wake games

Technically, the first Alan Wake game was running on the predecessor engine to the Northlight Engine, but they're quite similar. In other words, you can also expect the Max Payne remakes to have an Alan Wake feel to them. Alan Wake 2 meanwhile will be fully running on the Northlight Engine and is planned to release in 2023 on PC via Epic Games Store, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

Personally speaking, I played the first Max Payne game at release and its influence is undeniable. The original Max Payne popularized the Bullet Time, the ability to slow time at specific points given to the player, allowing them to attack enemies in slowmo. The concept inspired many other games such as the Witch Time system in Bayonetta, or the perfect dodge systems found in masterpieces like The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, or the Ys series by Falcom.