It’s a small world. A phrase that has become a cliché to illustrate that even though the world is actually pretty big, it’s often surprising how people or events are connected. To quote our friend Max Payne once again, “Nothing is a cliché when it happens to you.”. Ever since PayneReactor started to increase its focus on indie games we have gained a lot of support from publishers like 1C Company. Indie games generally have interesting, new and unexplored gameplay concepts or art styles and thus are always rewarding to write about. During Gamescom these are also usually the titles that tend to stand out and leave lasting impressions. Without a doubt, we gladly accepted 1C’s invitation to visit their Gamescom business area booth while enjoying a drink or two.
As soon as we arrived at the entrance, I noticed a stack of business cards on the counter. One of their employees present there had an awfully familiar name. Jan Olejnik. Within seconds I remembered. Jan, or Janys as his nickname was back in the day, was the mind behind the “The Hell Unchained” modification for Max Payne 2. I was amazed, my jaw literally hit the floor. I went in and started searching for him.
Twelve years ago, Janys and I were in close contact while we were both working on our Resident Evil-styled mods. I was fairly new to modding at the time and Janys made sure I learned a trick or two along the way. The skills and assets might have been lost over time but the memories sure as hell didn’t. Janys, who was plumped upon with my enthusiasm at first, instantly remembered our history too. We had a great trip down memory lane and Janys made sure we had a great impression of 1C’s upcoming games too. It’s a small world indeed. Great to see another member of the Max Payne community to have chased his dreams and acquired a job in the gaming industry.
The first game to be released by 1C Company is called “Fall of Light”. Fall of Light is a story-driven dungeon crawler set within a world consumed by Darkness, where an old warrior takes his daughter to see the last remnants of sunlight. Inspired by games such as Dark Souls and ICO, Fall of Light rewards those who dare to venture into the unknown and explore the world. Keep checking PayneReactor if you’d like to learn more about this game.