The retro-shooter Maximum Action looked potentially promising but thin when it went live on Early Access in September 2018. Things appear to have changed rather dramatically since then: New Blood Interactive, the publisher of Dusk and Amid Evil, has revealed that it's been working on the game with developer George Mandell since early this year, which has enabled a significant overhaul of the interface and expanded plans for the future.
Almost all of the menus have been redone, and the "entire game HUD, UI and UX" are also being updated. The movement system and controls are being overhauled, including the addition of controller support, "to make sure Maximum Action isn't just a fun, janky, bullet filled menagerie of over the top violence—it's going to be a smooth and precise one, too."
Longer term, the developers plan to add new locations that reflect Maximum Action's action-movie heritage, including levels inspired by the lobby scene from The Matrix, the Church scene from Kingsman, an Ip Man-style dojo scene, and probably the entirety of Hard Boiled. User-made maps are also now available through the Steam Workshop, currently in alpha, and new weapons including the crossbow from Dusk are on the way. And if the explosive blood and gore is a concern, Maximum Action also now offers a new Family Friendly Mode, which actually looks really fun.
Samuel said last year that Maximum Action reminded him of Max Payne, FEAR, Superhot and the Action Half Life mod, and that's a pretty solid foundation to build on. Personally, I see a lot of the Action Quake 2 mod in the new trailer, which has my attention. (I played a lot of AQ2 back in the day, and it was great.) Whatever you see in it, if retro shooters are your thing this is probably one worth keeping an eye on.
Maximum Action doesn't currently have a full release date but is available in Early Access on Steam for $15/£11/€13.
