Here´s the deal with Max´s new look...
The original game used Remedy developers, family and friends for faces. A lot of the reviews for the game pointed this out even, as it was rather obvious in some cases that pro actors were not being used.
So, this time around, professional actors are being used all around, and they´re all being hired from the New York City area (makes sense, right, with the game being set there). Yes, we all like Sam Lake better as Max, but he´s also the game´s primary script writer (and the script is HUGE!), and he doesn´t have time to fly to New York to take part in the photo sessions.
The game will be better, in part, because Remedy´s developers are not being distracted by photo shoots, and they can focus on their real jobs: making the game.
So, that´s the short story. I wish we could have stuck with Sam as Max, too, but this change had to be made, and having played numerous builds of the game already, I am already used to Max´s new look and I don´t even think twice about it anymore.
A lot of people complained about Zelda´s new sell shaded look, too, but when they played the game it became much less important of a point. It only takes a little time to get used to.
But, the real bottom-line is that it was just not possible for the Remedy developers to make the game and also reprise their old roles again (or have to fly to NY city several times for photo shoots).
The good news is that Max´s voice will be the same.
Und für alle die des Englischen nicht mächtig sind übersetze ich den wichtigen Teil noch ganz kurz:
Im ersten Teil wurden die Gesichter von Remedy Entwicklern, Familien und Freunden für das Spiel benutzt. Wir (also Remedy) mögen den Max aus dem ersten Teil auch lieber, aber er ist gleichzeitig der Haupt-Skriptschreiber und hat beim besten willen keine Zeit für die Photoshootings (Story Sequencen) nach New York zu fliegen. Deshalb wurden professionelle Schauspieler (aus NY) engagiert von denen einer halt so aussieht wie der neue Max.
Tja, damit dürften sich alle Diskusionen über den >>neuen<< Max erübrigt haben.
