Tomb Raider Legend

The original Tomb Raider trilogy is one that has remained relevant through generations, and a lot of that praise could be credited to the constant innovation that the developers had done to each game back then. However, Tomb Raider Legend proudly stands above the trilogy thanks to an excellent amalgamation of brain-tickling puzzles, thrilling chases, and challenging platforming segments that never fail to keep you entertained throughout its run. If you had to experience just a globe-trotting adventure on the PS2, it definitely has to be this one.

]]> 620873 https://gamingbolt.com/10-amazing-games-that-had-next-to-no-boss-fights Tue, 19 Nov 2024 11:30:06 +0000 https://gamingbolt.com/?p=586523 Most games nowadays – games with combat especially – feature some sort of boss fight. A brute force test of player skill, a robust assessment of upgrades and augmentations, a cat-and-mouse encounter against an overpowered foe. However, not all combat-centric games rely on this trope. There are tons of great games out there that had next to no boss fights; distinct, memorable, narratively significant encounters, sure, but not something that can be called a true brute force test.

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune

There isn’t a heap of enemy variety in Nathan Drake’s first outing in Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. Mercs and pirate-types aside, the monster-like infected Descendants at least provide a terrifying alternative when they first arrive. Their persistence does start to wain though, but still, the game excels as a piece of cinematic storytelling more than anything, and the Descendants provide a firm narrative backbone to support ultimate final boss Atoq Navarro’s stance that the pathogen which formed the Descendants is far more valuable than any golden treasure. Drake and Navarro’s showdown is more a stand-off than battle; Drake waits for him to reload, edges closer in three movements, a brief bit of hand-to-hand, QTE, done.

Far Cry 2

Yet another excellent game that doesn’t really have a boss battle. It has enemies, of course, some weaker, some stronger, but in a genre where there are at least one or two boss fights, Far Cry 2 stands alone. The assassination of the game’s faction bosses and old lieutenants is rudimentary, with primary antagonist The Jackal – the arms dealer whom your mercenary was originally hired to kill – serving more as a narrative think-piece as the story goes on. He’s someone believed to be bad by profiting from death, but that’s exactly what you do in order to get close to him. A final showdown wouldn’t make sense in this context.

Prey (2017)

Prey (2017) has no boss fights whatsoever. Sure, the substantially dangerous form of Typhon the Nightmare perpetually antagonises the player throughout the game but the fact killing it is optional, either slay or evade, means it can’t be considered a true boss fight. It’ll respawn anyway, whatever you do. The most humungous of all Typhon, the Apex, doesn’t need to be fought in the traditional sense either. There are two ways to kill it: one, self-destruct Talos I, and two, detonate the Coral to destroy the Apex without damaging Talos I. Even central antagonist Walther Dahl doesn’t need to be killed, with distinct outcomes depending on whether you choose to kill or stun him.

Deus Ex

In Deus Ex, you will engage enemies on the elite side of difficulty but the game’s usual fayre of tactical, first-person combat involving stealth, cover, and hit-and-run strategy is consistent with regular hordes of enemies as it is the elite. A principal idea – and a relatively ground-breaking one for the time – in Deus Ex is for the player to spend their time developing their stealth skills alongside augmenting their character’s nano-tech. It’s a system seen today in games like Cyberpunk 2077, a multi-directional upgrade tree that can tune player-characters towards damage absorbing human tanks, weapons specialists, or hacking and lock picking experts. There just aren’t any major bosses with which to test your builds and skills, but Deus Ex still shines as a bright forbearer for dystopian RPGs to this day regardless.

The Last of Us

Another Naughty Dog entry on this rundown. Plainly, the studio just isn’t that fond of boss battles, and this is true of their zombie-ravaged post-apocalyptic survive-a-thon series (the horrifying Rat King from The Last of Us 2 aside). Joel and Ellie’s first outing sees the pair face-off in arena-type locales against overpowered enemies – the bloaters in the school gymnasium and the creepy hotel basement spring to mind – but these are strong, recurring enemies consistent with the timeframe in which the host has been infected, according to The Last of Us lore. The one possible exception in is Ellie’s battle with David inside the burning restaurant. It’s a one-on-one battle of wits, but Ellie at the time doesn’t have any of her inventory so it can be argued this encounter is not a true boss fight.

Max Payne 2

Remedy Entertainment’s bullet-time third-person shooter started out with numerous boss fights; mobsters, in the first Max Payne, who could withstand heaps of punishment. Max Payne’s second entry largely did away with this formula. Leader of the Squeaky Cleaning Company Kaufman was a tougher than usual foe, but still didn’t take too many bullets before going down. The game’s final battle against Vladimir Lem plays out more like a puzzle encounter than a one-on-one fight of brute force. Max must shoot the legs of the scaffolding Vlad is standing on then take out the support of the spire above him before being able to target him directly. The final phase is akin to a boss fight, to be fair, but it’s barely a test.

Red Dead Redemption

Like Naughty Dog, Rockstar are a studio which by-and-large eschew boss battles in their open world games. Red Dead Redemption is no different; there are no major boss fights to speak of. Central antagonists Bill Williamson, Javier Escuella, and Dutch van der Linde whom John Marston is forced into hunting down across the vast Wild West don’t have final encounters resembling boss fights. The only encounter close to a boss fight is Jack Marston’s duel with Bureau of Investigation ringleader Edgar Ross, but this is just a duel – a dishonourable one for Ross – but a commonplace duel all the same. This encounter only has notoriety for the gravitas of revenge attuned to it by John’s son Jack.

Grand Theft Auto IV

The only conceivable boss fight in Grand Theft Auto history is the showdown with Big Smoke in GTA: San Andreas. All other fights, even against central antagonists, are gunfights or chases against narratively significant adversaries, but they’re not stronger than regular enemies. Niko’s final showdown and execution of Pegorino, accessible via the revenge ending option, is a thrilling chase sequence rather than one-on-one boss fight. Prior to this, Niko’s final encounter with major tormentor Dimitri Rascalov involves sneaking through the decks and cargo holds of the Platypus, with a brief cutscene emerging once Niko has wiped out all Rascalov’s goons.

Watch_Dogs 2

Another game with next to no boss-like encounters in this rundown, this hacktivism sequel takes a more nuanced approach to dealing with its antagonists. Case in point, Mark Thruss’s comeuppance comes when player-character Marcus Holloway downloads and releases evidence of vote rigging before election day. Blume Corporation CTO and chief antagonist Dusan Nemec’s downfall comes after Marcus infiltrates Blume HQ and steals data corroborating DedSec’s accusation of Nemec’s wrongdoing. Henceforth he rots in jail forever.

Alien: Isolation

Yeah, you’re probably thinking that Alien: Isolation is a game with a boss encounter; the persistently stalking Xenomorph is surely the boss, right? Well, yeah, maybe. However, there’s no distinct boss battle or one-on-one fighting section to speak of. The Xenomorph, truth be told, is so overpowered, it’s an unkillable nemesis, so dangerous in fact its more prudent to run and hide than face it head on. You’ll only lose.

Tomb Raider Legend

The original Tomb Raider trilogy is one that has remained relevant through generations, and a lot of that praise could be credited to the constant innovation that the developers had done to each game back then. However, Tomb Raider Legend proudly stands above the trilogy thanks to an excellent amalgamation of brain-tickling puzzles, thrilling chases, and challenging platforming segments that never fail to keep you entertained throughout its run time. If you had to experience just a globe-trotting adventure on the PS2, it definitely has to be this one.

Max Payne 2

Remedy Entertainment delivered a great first game with Max Payne, but the full potential of the franchise was realized with the sequel. Max Payne 2 spins an appropriately complex tale with twisted characters and never-ending conspiracies, and that paired with the metaphor-heavy writing makes for a consistently engaging time. On top of that, you have some amazing third-person gameplay characterized by slow-motion mechanics which makes for some really cool moments as you swoop through dozens of enemies before they have an opportunity to properly blink.

Black

Criterion Games is most known for its work on Need For Speed: Most Wanted, but it’s first-person shooter Black remains underappreciated. And that’s a shame since Black is an adrenaline-pumping ride through macabre factories and large open arenas complete with realistic shooting mechanics, destruction physics and graphics that were quite ahead of their time. It wasn’t a flawless experience by any means, but Black definitely had its own distinct charm that made it memorable all these years later.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Grand Theft Auto 3 is what put the series on the map, and 2002’s Vice City is what catapulted the franchise to greater heights. Set against the backdrop of a beautiful rendition of sun-soaked Miami, Vice City provides a playground of possibilities that will keep you engaged for dozens upon dozens of hours. Between an engaging story and flexible gameplay mechanics, Vice City is a really special game that will stay with you long after the credits roll.

God of War

2005’s God of War was the first stepping stone for a franchise that would morph into a massive behemoth, a game that would go on to represent the crown jewel in Sony’s roster of first-party releases. And that prestigious status can be attributed to a simple yet satisfying gameplay loop of toppling down one enemy after another, solving the occasional puzzle, and partaking in an engaging story of vengeance. Sony Santa Monica stitches all these elements in a splendid fashion, which makes this a rollercoaster of an action experience that’s characterized by brutal levels of violence.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty was one of the earliest games to be released for the PS2, and it’s safe to say that it set a high benchmark at the start of the generation. Kojima spins an intricate tale about the rapid spread of misinformation with its story, and the gameplay massively improves upon the concepts of the original in new and interesting ways. Add to that memorable boss fights and a clean visual style that surprisingly holds up well to this date, and Metal Gear Solid 2 becomes an unmissable game for fans of this ilk.

Hitman Blood Money

Hitman Blood Money took what worked in prior entries, and crafted a game that’s bigger and better in almost every regard. A suite of highly replayable levels, plenty of new gameplay mechanics, and improved graphics are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the improvements that Blood Money provided over prior entries. It’s safe to say that the pre-reboot series peaked with this game, and it remains a beloved entry in this long-running series even after these years.

Kingdom Hearts 2

The original Kingdom Hearts was an interesting mix of combat and several other gameplay mechanics, but Kingdom Hearts 2 was the true realization of that potential. The sequel makes great use of the expanded horsepower of the PS2 and renders beautiful worlds brimming with imagination, and combined with its unique combat makes for an unforgettable trek that’s punctuated with memorable sequences and unforgettable boss battles.

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal

Before Insomniac Games would become synonymous with story-driven action adventure experiences, it made a name for itself on the back of amazing action platformers – including but not limited to Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal. Released in 2004, Ratchet and Clank takes you on an entertaining quest to defeat Dr. Nefarious and put an end to his evil schemes. In addition to a simple yet satisfying combat loop of defeating waves of enemies, the game also offers a set of diverse levels and wacky weapons that will keep you glued to the edge of the screen at all times.

Onimusha 3

The third and second last chapter in the Onimusha saga, Onimusha 3: Demon Siege does everything to take the monster slaying experience to the next level. It tells a wonderfully eccentric story about Jacques and Samanosuke traveling through time to reach alternate dimensions to slay demons. The gameplay of slashing through waves of enemies is just as refined as one would expect. With plenty of memorable levels and solid combat loop, Onimusha 3 is a game that will stay with you long after the credits roll.

Silent Hill 4

When it comes to the Silent Hill series, the majority of praise is bestowed upon the second game. And while there are plenty of reasons why that is the case, Silent Hill 4 is also deserving of love. Konami’s Silent Hill 4 was the last game in the franchise to be developed by Team Silent, and it pays homage to what came before while also being its own thing. Set against the eerie backdrop of Ashfield, players have to find a way out of this nightmare before they get caught in a demonic cult. The music and voice acting shine brightly as they elevate the tension and create a sense of loss and anguish. It’s not a perfect game by any means, but it definitely does more things right than wrong – making for a great time for horror fans.

Gran Turismo 4

Developed by Polyphony Digital, Gran Turismo 4 provided a significant bump over A-Spec in almost every conceivable way. Right from the dozens of carefully curated car models and tracks to a strong simulation core and much more, Gran Turismo 4 impresses with its attention to detail. It’s a game that’s meant to be played for a long time, and the intrinsic motivation to get better at drifting across tracks in an effortless fashion will keep you grinding for days without getting bored.

Timesplitters

It’s safe to say that Timesplitters was one of the most creative shooters to be released for the PS2, and that’s largely due to its unique story of taking down time-traveling bandits in a bunch of diverse levels. The shooting mechanics were extremely enjoyable, and the writing also exudes a sense of personality which is something that not many games of the time can boast. While it has definitely aged in certain aspects, there is still quite fun to be had in revisiting this classic all these years later.

Bully

Rockstar Games’ Bully differs from its contemporaries thanks to its unique open-world setting, making it stand out all these years later. Jimmy Hopkins’ journey through the classes and dorms of Bullworth Academy is punctuated with plenty of memorable missions and fun activities – and you could easily spend hours upon hours wreaking havoc and causing mischief without getting bored. While the game has definitely aged in some aspects like the visuals, the gameplay remarkably holds up well to this date.

Freedom Fighters

IO Interactive delivered a great game with Freedom Fighters, an action-adventure game with plenty of interesting mechanics and an engaging story about leading a revolution. There’s great fun to be had in commanding your army of rebels; strategically placing them around corners and Manning a machine gun to clear out a massive herd of enemies. Between excellent level variety and unique gameplay, Freedom Fighters was a game that many more players needed to experience from start to finish.

McCaffrey was best known for his role as Max Payne in Remedy Entertainment’s Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, as well as Rockstar Games’ Max Payne 3. He collaborated with Remedy Entertainment on a number of other titles over the years, voicing Alex Casey in 2010’s Alan Wake and its recently released sequel Alan Wake 2, and Zachariah Trench in 2019’s Control. 

Though McCaffrey did not reprise his role as the titular protagonist in the Max Payne movie, he did make a cameo appearance.

Remedy Entertainment is currently working on a combined remake of Max Payne 1 and 2, though it hadn’t been officially confirmed whether McCaffrey was set to return in the lead role. The remake had moved into the “production readiness” stage as of the end of October.

Please note that there will be spoilers for God of War: Ragnarok, Horizon Zero Dawn, Red Dead Redemption 2, Max Payne 2, Batman: Arkham City, Metal Gear Solid 2, Fallout 4, and Control.

With that out of the way, let’s begin:

God of War: Ragnarok – Tyr’s Real Identity

Throughout the entirety of God of War 2018, players hear many tales about Tyr – who will lead the fight when Ragnarok comes. So naturally, Atreus wants to seek him out during Fimbulwinter, and with the help of Kratos – he is able to track him down and free him from a prison deep within Svartalfheim. But unlike his descriptions, Tyr comes out as someone who has abandoned all forms of violence and will no longer raise his spear and bring about Ragnarok.

As the father-son duo continues their journey, Tyr gets to rest in the realm between realms – where he acts as an advisor on every move of Kratos and Atreus. But when he decides to take up arms once again all of a sudden – Brok instantly grows suspicious of his actions. And as he closes in to interrogate him, he promptly kills him and assumes his original form.

Tyr, who was actually Odin in disguise, quickly flees to safety in Asgard – though Ragnarok ultimately results in his death. We also come to know that the real Tyr is still imprisoned in an Asgardian prison – the remains of which have descended into Niflheim.

Horizon Zero Dawn – Aloy’s Real Parents

Horizon Zero Dawn is a pretty compelling adventure through a gorgeous open world filled to the brim with interesting side activities and distractions. As such, having a well-written main plot with plot twists is a neat surprise, one that we really appreciate. The game opens up with Ross raising Aloy to be a warrior, and since she doesn’t have any parents – she belongs to one of the shunned tribes.

Aloy continues to struggle with the fact that her parents disbanded her in the first place, but later on – it is revealed that she is actually the biological daughter (more precisely, a clone) of Elisabet Sobeck. She was the creator of the Zero Dawn project, which sought to create new life and the rebirth of humanity on Earth. Sobeck’s DNA was extracted by the GAIA AI, which was used to birth Aloy without parents.

Max Payne 2 – Mona’s Betrayal

Max Payne 2 is a complex plot with plenty of layers that you slowly peel away as you learn more about the secrets and conspiracies of the Inner Circle. At the same time, Max Payne 2 is also a love story about Mona and Max – who work together and manage to reach Alfred Woden’s office to end it all. They get to Woden’s panic room after making their way through hordes of enemies, but then Mona disarms Max and points a gun to his head – confirming her involvement with Woden. But due to her feelings for Max, she is unable to do the deed and Vladimir emerges from the shadows to kill both of them. After all, love hurts.

Batman: Arkham City – The Real Joker

Batman: Arkham City sees the world’s greatest detective trying to find a cure for the venom, and his biggest archnemesis the Joker is also suffering from the same condition. After trudging through multiple rough battles, Batman is able to find that cure and he reserves half of the dosage for Joker. But when Joker – the real one – stabs him in the back, which causes it to break. Of course, it is also here that you find out that the healed Joker you previously fought was actually Clayface. Batman then reveals to the Joker that he would have given the cure vial to him willingly and that his death is by his own hand, and not Batman’s.

Fallout 4 – The Institute

Fallout 4 sees the player trying to find their long-lost child after they wake up from a years long cryosleep. As you explore the post-apocalyptic remains of the Commonwealth, you come to know about an organization called The Institute and that they would know the whereabouts of Shaun. So, after completing dozens of quests and favors – you finally infiltrate the corridors of The Institute which sets you up for the grand revelation. It turns out that Shaun, your son, is actually the Director of the Institute. You know, the main antagonist of the game. He won’t budge from his goals, and has little to no feelings for his long-lost parents – so you must decide whether to side with him or put an end to The Institute.

Control – Dylan Tricks Trench To Release The Hiss

At its core, Control is a story about siblings and Jesse’s quest to find and save Dylan – so it makes sense that the ultimate twist would revolve around these two entities. The game opens up with former FBC Director Trench releasing The Hiss in the bureau, and Jesse must stop the corruption as part of her duties as the new director. The story takes you to many places, and along the way we get to know about how Dylan was treated within the FBC and how that resulted in strong feelings of hate and disgust towards the agents. And even after being trapped in isolation – he was able to trick Trench into releasing The Hiss, and caused him to commit suicide – opening a path to the new Director.

Metal Gear Solid 2 – The Big Twist

Metal Gear Solid 2 is based around the single premise of exploring the many dangers of the Information Age. And throughout the events of the story, we see how the rapid spread of misinformation can have huge ramifications on world order. The plot is naturally ripe with plenty of plot twists, but the biggest one will definitely get you scratching your head in awe. It turns out that everything you conquered during the campaign wasn’t happening in reality; it was just part of a simulated training program that was built by The Patriots.

Red Dead Redemption 2 – Dutch’s True Colors

Red Dead Redemption 2 is a game about characters, and while most if not all of them are well-realized – no one is as complex as the main antagonist, Dutch. He is a man with a silver tongue who can convince anyone, but underneath that charismatic veneer – he is a selfish man who will double-cross anyone to get what he wants. We see plenty of betrayals throughout the story, but the most shocking one comes during the state bonds robbery mission.

After successfully getting those bonds, Arthur and Dutch escape from the compound only to be ambushed by enemies. Dutch manages to get further ahead, but Arthur gets trapped and is about to be arrested when he sees his Dutch leave him behind. Thankfully, Eagle Flies jumps in at the right moment to save him.

Of course, each of these approaches caters to different kinds of audiences, but in recent years – the industry has seen a shift wherein the length of a game becomes a bullet point in the marketing of a game itself. A prominent example of this kind of marketing is Techland’s Dying Light 2: Stay Human which claims to have 500 hours worth of content. Another example of such behavior was Bethesda’s showcase of its upcoming Starfield, which is said to have over 1000 planets that players would be able to explore during their space travels.

But does more always amount to better? Well, not necessarily. Like most things, there are two sides to this argument as well. You see, unlike movies or TV – the cost associated with a purchase of a game is dramatically higher. Furthermore, prices of games are getting higher and higher, with Sony and most major multi-platform publishers asking upwards of $70 for their hottest current-gen games. So when you are spending that kind of money on a product, you’d naturally want it to last a while. You’d want to have it last more than just a weekend, and when viewed through this lens – a longer game offers a better value proposition than a shorter game.

But for a long game to work, it needs to nail a handful of things. Let’s take the example of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which is an excellent action RPG that’s bursting with engaging content throughout its gargantuan open world. The developer has filled the landscape with different types of activities such as character-driven side-quests and adrenaline-pumping monster hunts. But most of this side content is optional, and anyone wanting to make a beeline through the critical path can do so without noodling around the open world so much. And even if you venture off the beaten path and pursue these side activities, you will be rewarded with useful gear, engaging stories that are just as interesting as the main story, and much more.

Sectioning out the main content clearly from the side content like this without compromising on their quality allows different players with different amounts of free time and attention spans to enjoy the game the way they choose. So, completing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt can be a pretty lengthy endeavor if you want it to or it could be a relatively brief one at least when compared to other contemporaries of the genre. Either way, you are getting a great experience on both ends which is what ultimately matters.

Compare that to something like Odyssey, which is also a sprawling open-world RPG filled with oodles of content. But unlike The Witcher, this open-world forces players to invest copious amounts of time into pursuing side-content by gating story-critical missions behind arbitrary power levels. As such, completing the game can quickly become an exercise in pain – since there’s a clear distinction between the many grindy fetch quests peppered throughout the game and the main missions that advance the story forwards. Having such a grindy progression system makes a game artificially bloat up in length, which makes getting through the game straight-up not fun. To add fuel to the fire, such stingy progression systems and artificially elongated games can’t be enjoyed by most players who don’t have a lot of free time – even if they may have a lot of interest in the game’s premise or setting.

Pacing is also important in the case of a lengthy game, especially when the gameplay doesn’t evolve much over the course of the campaign. A good example, in this case, would be Red Dead Redemption 2, which is a great game with a lot of merits – but mandatory sections like Guarma adversely affect the game’s pacing as they don’t contribute much to the overall plot and instead subject players to one shootout after the other. Kojima Productions Death Stranding also suffers from the same issue – as the game’s story beats are scattered far away from each other and the supporting gameplay isn’t as thrilling as fans have come to expect from modern AAA releases.

But what about games that aren’t expansive trudges through a litany of distinct locales? Short games can use their length to their advantage and craft experiences are more focused in their scope – both from a narrative and gameplay perspective. Something like Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice can serve as a good example here, as it uses its short runtime to firmly establish an intimate connection between the player and the protagonist. Supporting gameplay elements like the combat and puzzles aren’t as fleshed out as a longer game, but that works well for the game’s relatively short runtime and you don’t get bored of these one-note mechanics.

But that comes with a catch, of course. Having experiences that last for just a handful of hours is fine if the game isn’t full-priced, but if that isn’t the case – such experiences become a hard pill to swallow despite their many merits. Good examples of this would be Max Payne 2 and The Order: 1886 just to name a few. Each of these games has a ton of great things going for it – but those qualities can get undermined when you try to evaluate these games against the money you’re spending on them. Something like Dishonored can get away with having a short campaign, since the game is built around repetition and obtaining a mastery of the handful of levels – but that isn’t the case with the examples I mentioned before. The price of a game can be a non-factor for a utopian world, but practically speaking – these are factors that the majority of gamers consider before a purchase.

To conclude, both long and short games have their own sets of pros and cons – and none can be termed definitively better than the other. Everything depends on the quality of the experience that a game delivers within that runtime, and whether you’re left wanting for more after the credits roll or not. With subscription services like Xbox Game Pass becoming more and more popular as of late, the runtime of a game is starting to become a non-factor for many more people than before which should hopefully, nudge developers to focus on what matters the most instead of trying to market their games around the amount of content they offer for the price tag.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

While this was initially thought to be just secrets, Remedy has now revealed that these games are part of a larger universe, rightly dubbed the Remedy Connected Universe. While the only two confirmed games within the universe are Alan Wake and Control, almost every game by the developer somehow fits into this overarching universe – intentionally or not. With Alan Wake 2 slated for release next year and Max Payne 1 and 2 remakes on the horizon as well, it’s the perfect time to dive into this maze of connections that all collectively form the Remedy Connected Universe.

The baseline for this universe was established with 2019’s Control, so let’s start from there. As fans of the game might already know, Control sees players controlling Jesse Faden – a woman who’s on a quest to find her long-lost brother Dylan and uncover the truth behind the mysterious entity called Polaris. This quest leads her to the FBC headquarters, where she is promptly chosen as the director of the institution all while an otherworldly plague known as the Hiss has invaded the building’s premises. Keeping further plot details aside, Control is all about this organization that deals with the supernatural events which the game calls AWE or Altered World Events. Things that bring about these altered world events are called Objects of Power, and they can be anything from a flamingo statue to a slide projector to a well, you guessed it – a typewriter.

This is where Alan Wake fits into the connected universe. You see, Wake’s typewriter is actually considered to be an Object of Power – which combined with some magical properties of Cauldron Lake, makes the works of art created there somehow come true. Control’s DLC expansion AWE establishes even more connections between the two games, such as revealing that Alan’s wife Alice had been visiting the offices of FBC to talk about Alan’s sudden disappearance in Bright Falls. The FBC was, of course, well aware of the strange happenings in Bright Falls and the run-in of the Dark Presence with Wake – and had even nominated him as a prime candidate for the position of director.

According to Control‘s optional documents, FBC had also conducted an extensive investigation of a possible AWE in Bright Falls back in the 70s, when the famous poet Thomas Zane suddenly went missing, but the investigation never reached a definitive conclusion. During the end of the DLC chapter, fans are also teased of a future AWE set to happen very soon in Bright Falls – which we are assuming directly relates to whatever Remedy has in store for Alan Wake 2.

Another solid connection between the two games is Night Springs – a TV show dealing with paranormal activities that players can see throughout Alan Wake. As it turns out, Night Springs is actually produced by none other than the FBC – in an effort to normalize the supernatural for the common people. What’s more is that Alan is said to have written multiple episodes of this TV series, one of which seems a direct nod to the events that take place in Control. Fan theories suggest that Control and FBC may actually be all a part of a story that Wake might be using to somehow climb out of the Dark Presence – although that’s something we will get to know in the upcoming Alan Wake 2.

Control protagonist Jesse Faden found the Slide Projector object of power in the town of Ordinary, which kickstarted an AWE leading to a sudden disappearance of all the adult population of the city. This town of Ordinary connects Quantum Break to the RCU, as players can actually see multiple references to the events of Alan Wake and Control through graffiti and notes scattered around the game. Furthermore, an optional cutscene in Quantum Break shows Will Joyce preventing a critical miscalculation in a time-traveling experiment, which leads to a massive power outage in Ordinary. These are all loose connections and probably wouldn’t be built upon with future games from the developer, since the rights to the Quantum Break IP reside with Microsoft and not Remedy.

Then there’s Max Payne. Since that was the developer’s first proper game (if you exclude Death Rally), there wasn’t any concept of a connected universe, so the game doesn’t have any bespoke connections with Alan Wake or Control. However, we do know that Alan Wake was the author of a neo-noir drama by the name of Alex Casey, which saw an undercover cop exacting revenge for the death of his loved ones. We see a couple of pages of this novel during one of Alan Wake’s early sequences, which match the script for Remedy’s breakout success. Between this and the appearance of Sam Lake in an in-game interview, the original model for Max Payne being the model of the protagonist in Wake’s novel – we can more or less come to the conclusion that the events of Max Payne were indeed fabricated by Alan. It’s possible that we see more of these connections and references fleshed out with the Max Payne remakes, but given the fact that the Max Payne rights are owned by Rockstar and not Remedy – one shouldn’t expect these connections to be further expanded upon even if Max Payne as a series returns with a new entry in the near future.

Remedy also produced an Alan Wake spinoff in the form of 2012’s Alan Wake: American Nightmare, but the game is believed to not be a part of the canon universe – and apart from a mention of the town of Ordinary, there’s little to no connections of the game with the connected universe. Lastly, there’s CrossFireX, whose single-player campaign was developed by the Finnish developer itself. While the game’s narrative still touches upon similar themes such as time travel and supernatural elements, the game seems to be taking place in its own separate universe with no connection to the developer’s other titles – except for the odd mention of them through secrets and whatnot.

This connected multiverse wouldn’t be complete without a mention of Poets of the Fall, a Finnish alternative rock band that has provided music for most of Remedy’s games. The band has appeared under several aliases within the games such as Old Gods of Asgard – and has provided excellent tracks such as the likes of Take Control in Control and Children of the Elder God in Alan Wake alongside tracks like War that are credited with the band’s official name in Alan Wake.

To conclude, Remedy Connected Universe is an interesting premise, and one that the developer has been slowly and steadily building towards. Given how distinct of a style Remedy has perfected with so many of its games over the years, it kind of makes sense for them to have some sort of solid connection to each other. Fans are going to be treated with a ton of related information in the near future, thanks to Remedy’s upcoming releases which include a sequel to Control, its multiplayer spinoff Condor, 2023’s Alan Wake 2, and full remakes of Max Payne 1 and 2 built using the Northlight Engine. 

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Jak 2 

Naughty Dog had carved out its reputation as one of the best developers with its 3-hit streak of Crash Bandicoot on the PS1. The studio once again reinvented itself with Jak and Daxter on the PS2, masterfully morphing its learnings from previous games into a brand new world. Despite many differences between the two franchises, most of Naughty Dog’s work was focused on building family-friendly experiences and charismatic characters, and light-hearted banter. This then changed with Jak 2, a markedly darker sequel that revolves around the iconic duo being thrust into an open-world futuristic dystopia – all while Jak’s personality becomes much darker after an experiment. Some might see this tonal shift as a welcome shake-up for the series, but many resented this change. Either way, Naughty Dog course-corrected again with the next entry in the franchise. 

Return of Comic Panels 

Let’s get the obvious one out of the way first. The comic panels are easily the most recognizable aspect of Remedy’s breakout success and are one of the most unique ways games have told stories in the last couple of decades. While the decision to go with comic panels instead of in-engine cutscenes was mostly driven by budgetary constraints, they have now morphed into an irreplaceable part of the experience – so much so, that its absence is genuinely felt in Max Payne 3. So it would make complete sense to update these panels with high-resolution images and maybe some post-processing, but not completely replace them with in-engine cutscenes.

Sam Lake’s Model For The Original Game 

Most fans of the games might know that Max Payne‘s character model is built after Sam Lake, the lead writer on most of Remedy’s games. Much like comic panels before, this decision was a direct result of the lack of funds at Remedy’s disposal. The team actually captured themselves and their friends and family members to create comic panels for the first game. Fun fact: The character Nicole Horne who the final boss of the first game was modeled after Sam Lake’s mother. The second game has a changed face, modeled after actor Timothy Gibbs and according to the lore – the change in character model reflects how Max sees himself after the events of the original game. As such, keeping Sam Lake’s model for the original incarnation of Max Payne should be a non-debatable affair – both from lore and fan-service standpoint.

Return of TV Shows In Max Payne 2 

Remedy used TV shows to draw fictional parallels to Max’s personal life in Max Payne 2. For instance, the TV show episodes would reflect the game’s overarching narrative with each passing episode. Seeking out these optional pieces of lore was an enchanting prospect, and was also an important piece of the puzzle in establishing the twisted noir atmosphere of the game. As such, we are hoping with crossed fingers that they make a return for the remake.

A Connection To The Remedy Connected Universe

With Control‘s post-launch DLCs, it has been confirmed that Remedy’s 2019 game shares the same universe as Alan Wake. While the two games have some easter eggs and references to Max Payne here and there, there’s no confirmation about whether the games exist in the same universe or not. Of course, the fact that Rockstar owns the Max Payne IP now also plays an important role in this particular situation. However, it would be really exciting to see some sort of connection to Remedy’s other games established in the remakes.

Proper Platforming Mechanics 

The first two Max Payne games didn’t have the most polished of platforming mechanics, but the first game did have quite a few traversal puzzles – including but not limited to the Nightmare sections where you had to make some precise jumps to get across to the other side. Suffice to say, the lackluster platforming mechanics made some of these sections a needless hassle to get through. For the remake, we would like to see some updated platforming mechanics and possibly, updated puzzles that allow for more interactivity with the environment. While an update to the in-house Northlight Engine practically guarantees better mobility options, we are still mentioning it here nevertheless.

Return of the Poets of The Fall 

Poets of the Fall is a Helsinki-based alternative rock band that has provided music for many of Remedy’s games such as the likes of Quantum Break, Control, and of course, Max Payne 2. Fans of the game would have fond memories of listening to Late Goodbye, a melancholic track that plays during the game’s end credits.

Fun fact: the song made its way into the game almost a whole year before it was released as a single.

Given the friendship that the band frontman and lead writer Sam Lake have been sharing for so many years, it seems fair to say that re-licensing the track for the remake shouldn’t be an issue. And while they are at it, why not make some more music to add to the first game as well.

Updating Difficulty Of Max Payne 1

While not the hardest of games released in the early 2000s, Max Payne 1 does suffer from problems with regard to the difficulty. Enemies would hide in the unlikeliest of spots, which starts to become a major problem in the later parts of the game as heavy weapons can easily wither down your health in no time – even with the time-slowing bullet-time ability at your disposal. As such, surviving these unbalanced encounters becomes a game of memorizing enemy placements rather than mastering the game’s combat system – which as you might imagine quickly becomes a frustrating affair. For the remake, we hope to see a difficulty level that alleviates these issues while still retaining a fair level of challenge. And while they are at it, Remedy should also pay the required attention to adding accessibility options to the remakes.

Return of the Original Inventory System 

Much like the many first-person shooters that dominated the 90s, Max Payne and its sequel allowed players to essentially carry a full arsenal of weapons in their pockets. Sure, it might not be the most realistic of inventory systems by modern standards, and Rockstar changed it up for a two-weapons system for the third game. But the freedom of choice it offers within enemy encounters far outweighs the negatives – and as such, we hope that Remedy keeps the original inventory system intact for the remakes.

Ragdoll Physics

Max Payne 2 was one of the very first games to utilize a proper physics system for environmental objects and enemy bodies – courtesy of the Havok engine. As a result, players would often be treated with hilarious death animations of enemies and Payne himself flailing around the environments with crumbled bodies. While these oddities were a direct result of the primitive technology of the time, it holds an irrefutable charm that most fans would really want to return for the remakes.

Return of Original Voice Actors 

Much like the case with David Hayter as Solid Snake, David Bateson as Agent 47, and Michael Ironside as Sam Fisher – Max Payne isn’t complete without the iconic voice of James McCaffrey. His husk and heavy vocals are perfect for the cynical, cold-blooded killer that is Max Payne. The first game’s voice acting does sound rather shallow and low-quality by modern standards, and it would be really appreciated if Remedy re-records the original scripts for the remake with all the original voice actors coming together for one more performance.

Please note that there are major story spoilers for all the games listed below.

Halo: Combat Evolved – Just Getting Started

Halo: Combat Evolved ends with the protagonist Master Chief and his sidekick AI Cortana making a last-ditch escape from the titular Halo ring. After successfully making it out alive, Cortana reassures Chief that it’s finally over – to which Chief says, “No, I think we’re just getting started.” And of course, Master Chief was right – there were more Halos to discover and enemies to fight and meet. Halo: Combat Evolved might just be the most important game for Microsoft, and without its existence, Xbox wouldn’t exist today. It was also a pretty risky game for its time, so when the Chief said that it was just getting started – fans across the globe were elated that this was just a strong beginning to what would go on to become a system-selling juggernaut in the near future.