A few months ago we reported a story which revolved on the sudden appearance of an image that looked to be originating from a very early Max Payne build. As it turned out, after reaching out to Remedy for a comment, the image was captured from a GDC presentation of Dark Justice. Before Max Payne became the game we now know and love, the project actually went through various iterations and revisions, Dark Justice being one of them.
Nevertheless, fans of the series always had a great interest in these early builds and it seems their curiosity to find out more about them never sleeps.
Today on Twitter, a one and a half minute long video of a Max Payne build originating from 1998 appeared. The video seems to be published late last year and according to the video’s description it was uploaded first in the 3D Realms Discord. This build was also used in very early E3 trailers of Max Payne.
Although the build graphically doesn’t look anywhere near the final game, it’s funny to see a handful of animations featured in this video did seem to make the final product. The level clearly did not. The interiors and outside area seem to resemble “The Fear That Gives Men Wings” but this section was either removed or completely rebuild. A still image of South Park featured on the TV and some missing prefabs and textures seem to further indicate the game was still heavily under construction.
It’s unlikely we’ll ever get to see more from this early build. But as the years progress, it has proven not to be impossible.
