Modder Darko P has uploaded a fresh gameplay preview of his RTX Remix path-tracing mod for Max Payne 2, offering players more than 8 minutes of raw footage to judge the project. The mod is still a work-in-progress and is slated to appear on ModDB when ready, but the video makes clear what the mod does well and where it still trips over old tech.
What stands out is the lighting. Path tracing delivers softer, more realistic global illumination, altering how familiar scenes read, especially interiors. That said, the preview also highlights a handful of visual quirks you should expect from a free, fan-made effort: some bathroom mirrors render oddly, turning reflective surfaces into spherical artifacts because of post-processing conflicts, and there are occasional culling glitches where geometry vanishes or snaps into the wrong place when viewed from certain angles.
The footage also shows moments when character models look a bit too smooth or plasticky, Mona’s ponytail is called out in the video as an example, where, from the rear, she resembles a plastic doll more than a person. Those are the compromises of modding a 2003 game and grafting modern path-traced lighting on top.
Bottom line, this is a promising technical effort, not a polished, retail-grade remake. The lighting is the headline feature, and the trade-offs are the kinds of texture and rendering oddities modders will need to iron out before the release feels seamless.
The modder previously used the aliases “Digital Clowntree” and “Digital Floundry”, and the associated YouTube channel has since been taken down. A proper download link will appear on ModDB once Darko P publishes the mod.
If you like watching retro shooters get a modern glow-up, Console PC Gaming has covered similar RTX Remix projects, including a write-up about the Manhunt RTX Remix mod and a look at the Need for Speed: Underground 2 RTX Remix mod. For a Max Payne era touch, see our piece on the Max Payne 3 HD Texture Pack V3.
Watch the mod preview below.
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Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Developed by Remedy Entertainment
Max Payne 2 is a third-person shooter, in which the player assumes the role of Max Payne, but also plays as Mona Sax in a few levels. Initially, the player's weapon is a 9mm pistol. As they progress, players access other weapons including other handguns, shotguns, submachine guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, and hand-thrown weapons. To move the game along, the player is told what the next objective is through Max's internal monologue, in which Max iterates what his next steps should be.
- Genre: Shooter
- Platforms: Xbox, PlayStation 3, PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox 360, PlayStation 2
- Modes: Single player
- Release: 2003-10-14
- Publisher: Rockstar Games
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Age Rating:
CLASS_IND 18 / ACB MA 15+ / USK 18 / ESRB M / PEGI 18
- IGDB Rating: 86.2/100
