Max Payne trailer

Let’s be clear from the off: the Max Payne games, at least in the opinion of this writer, are two flat-out classics that deserve an awful lot more respect. Max Payne 2 in particularly was a stand-out example of how to make a game atmospheric, tense, and superb fun to play. Sure, both games were short, and there's the old linear game argument, but the Max Paynes remain outstanding pieces of gaming wonderment.

It’s with some irony that a game series so influenced by the movies should go full circle and make its way to cinema screens. But heading to the big screen it is, with Mark Wahlberg in the title role. This isn’t, to be fair, a hugely inspiring choice, and there’s little in the trailer to make us think otherwise. But the film does, from the aforementioned trailer, seem to have a few things going for it. There are signs that the tone of the film has been captured, with the melancholy narration and gloomy visual style. And then, conversely, there are signs that it’s another homogenous blast ‘em up, when all the action kicks in at the back end.

That said, we’ve not got long before we find out for real just how good or otherwise the film is, given that it’s out over here from 14th November (17th October in the States). Behind the camera, incidentally, is John Moore, who last gave us the 2006 remake of The Omen, and also has Behind Enemy Lines and Flight Of The Phoenix to his name.

Let's not forget too that if this hits big, it might make another game a reality.

Here’s the trailer…