Max Payne Quotations

is a developed by and published in 2001. It is set in modern and follows the titular DEA who investigates the source of the Valkyr that caused deaths of his wife and daughter three years ago. At the beginning of the game, Max's cover is blown and he goes on a killing spree, targeting the distributors and masterminds behind Valkyr. The game borrows many stylistic elements from and movies. A sequel, Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, has been released in 2003.

Written by .

Max Payne

[opening narration] They were all dead. The final gunshot was an exclamation mark to everything that had led to this point. I released my finger from the trigger. And then it was over.
Life was good. A house on the Jersey side across the river. The smell of freshly cut lawns. The sounds of children playing. A beautiful wife and a baby girl. The come true. But dreams have a nasty habit of going bad when you're not looking.
The sun went down with practiced bravado. Twilight crawled across the sky, laden with foreboding.
I didn't like the way the show started, but they had given me the best seat in the house, front row center.
When the darkness fell, New York City became something else, any old Sinatra song notwithstanding. Bad things happened in the night, on the streets of that other city. Noir York City.
Turn around, walk away, blow town. That would have been the smart thing to do. I guess I wasn't that smart.
Lupino thought he could get to us by taking out Alex and leaving me to take the fall for it. All he had gotten was my attention.
It was a lucky break. The goons inside were spooked, but luck always came with a price tag.
[after listening to a radio report accusing him of murdering his colleague] I had just gotten my fifteen minutes of fame.
One thing you can count on: You push a man too far, and sooner or later he'll start pushing back.
You play, you pay, you bastard.
Collecting evidence had gotten old a few hundred bullets back. I was already so far past the point-of-no-return I couldn't remember what it had looked like when I had passed it.
I might have laughed, if I had remembered how.
The word was out. A deadly virus released into the City's corrupt circulatory system. Something wicked this way comes. Max Payne at large.
Snow fell like ash from post-apocalyptic skies, but that was outside. Things would soon get hot in the Don's restaurant.
Gognitti bailed. I made like .
I don't know about angels, but it's fear that gives men wings.
Gognitti ran out of steam in a dead end valley with steam boiling out of the sewer grates, like all the fires of hell were burning high beneath us... It was shakedown time.
There was no glory in this. I hadn't asked for this crap. Trouble had come to me, in big dark swarms. The good and the just, they were like gold dust in this city. I had no illusions. I was not one of them. I was no hero. Just me and the gun, and the crook. My options had decreased to a singular course.
[after examining some of Jack Lupino's literature and videos] The only thing I could take seriously was the thought of Lupino taking it seriously. He had been spending a lot of time getting intimate with the guy downstairs.
After , the end of the world had become a cliché. But who was I to talk, a brooding underdog avenger alone against an empire of evil out to right a grave injustice. Everything was subjective. There were only personal apocalypses. Nothing is a cliché when it's happening to you.
Alex and I had a few moments of glory between us. Crime fighting comrades, the best in NYPD-DEA collaborative team... Good-hearted macho bullshit like that. I would have given anything to have him here as my back up. No such luck. No luck at all.
[getting up from a broken chair he was tied to a moment ago] I felt like the chair I had broken to get free.
Vlad was one of those old time bad guys with honor and morals, which almost made him one of the good guys. None of us was a saint.
The riverfront was a maze of rusty containers, sharp-boned cranes looking up from the snowstorm. On a night like this you couldn't help but think of the dark army of dead men, sleeping with the fishes, cement shoes in line. No lurked in this labyrinth, but somewhere out there, on the clanking deck of his cargo freighter, the skipper of the Charon was waiting, like the ferryman of the river .
Punchinello was burning to get me. The feeling was mutual. He was trying to put out my flames with gasoline.
It was colder than the devil's heart, raining ice pitchforks as if the heavens were ready to fall.
You'd find that Lady Luck was really a hooker, and you were fresh out of cash.
It wasn't about how good you were. It was chaos and luck and anyone who thought differently was a fool.
Staggering on the mill roof in ice and snow and wild wind, I was a Ninja. My Kung Fu was strong. I wasn't kidding anyone. At best, I was Superman on Kryptonite, about to fall through a skylight, down to where it was all going down.
He was trying to buy more sand for his hour glass. I wasn't selling any.
The shadows rushed me, bruised mug-shot faces hungry for revenge. They knew my weak points and closed in for the kill. The floor turned into a vortex of green blood. I fell.
[in a dream, when it is revealed to him that he's in a ] The truth split my skull open, a glaring green light washing the lies away. All of my past was just fragmented still shots, words hanging in the air like balloons. I was in a graphic novel. Funny as Hell, it was the most horrible thing I could think of.
[in a dream, when it is revealed to him that he's in a computer game] The truth was a burning green crack through my brain. Weapon statistics hanging in the air, glimpsed out of the corner of my eye. Endless repetition of the act of shooting, time slowing down to show off my moves. The paranoid feel of someone controlling my every step. I was in a computer game. Funny as Hell, it was the most horrible thing I could think of.
The bullet holes were rubies on her chest, blood glowing on her ivory skin. She was so beautiful. The killer was smiling.
I knew the appetites of ghosts intimately. They hungered for revenge.
You piece together a jigsaw and the final picture is you finishing that same puzzle, a mad green-eyed killer standing behind you. An urban legend come true.
Just when you thought you had reached the deepest depths of horror, it suddenly got worse. How to turn off that small voice inside your head that started to whisper that you should be glad... that now, if not before, your revenge was justifiable on any conceivable moral scale. That small voice proved, beyond any doubt, that I was damned.
Valkyr was meant to be a white-winged maiden that would lift you up to a warrior's heaven. Instead, it had turned out to be a one-way demon ride to hell. The devil was in the drug. I knew. I had met him.
B.B. turned out to be another cardboard cut-out bad guy. A bad cop on the take. A cowardly right-hand man fleeing from the scene, leaving his paid thugs to do his dirty work.
It was an impressive floor show, but I decided to leave early anyway. It was only a one story fall. Lucky me.
[about Alfred Woden] In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
I had taken on the role of the mythic detective: as Marlowe, or as going after . To unravel all the mysteries, following a path of clues to that final revelation, even if it would take me down to the cold, cavernous depths of a grave.
Mine wasn't the most original approach to the problem: An , the oldest principle of revenge. Old as dirt, still going strong. The cardinal rule in going after someone with an intention to kill was not to make it personal - which it almost always ended up being anyway. It did with me.
I had a bullet with Nicole Horne's name on it. I had ten thousand bullets with the hag's name on them.
A gunshot boomed and she [Mona Sax] fell down in slow-motion. She was a nice girl, not really a stone-cold killer, and now she was stone-cold dead.
Hacking through Horne's computer would have unearthed files of criminal plans, strategies for world domination, spy helicopter reports, illegal wire tap recordings, Internet porno, all of the above. Take your pick, I really didn't care anymore. [shoots the computer, breaking it] I had seen too much of it already.
[after killing Nicole Horne] They were all dead. The final gunshot was an exclamation mark to everything that had led to this point. I released my finger from the trigger. And then it was all over. The storm seemed to lose its frenzy. The ragged clouds gave way to the stars above. A bit closer to Heaven.
[closing narration] Woden was there in the crowd, standing by the sidelines. It wouldn't be over till the man with the patch would say so. He'd say the right words. I knew he would. He'd better. Woden grinned smugly. It was the grin of a winner. [Max is pushed into the police car] That made two of us.
So much for being subtle.
[at the begining of the final level of the game, chasing Nicole Horne]And now I was going to kill her - the queen of the underworld who had tried to lift herself a bit closer to heaven with her drug money. No begging, no bribes. She knew better. Honor among killers, "we who are about to die." Both of us knew how this would end: in pain and suffering.
Somewhere in the distance, a baby was crying.
Vinnie Gognitti, just the man I'm killing to see.
In the quiet air of the night, the club stood firm, like father like son, all thanks to Jack Lupino.
{Max walks in the baby's room} No, No,God please No!!

Nicole Horne

All this, because your wife stuck her nose into things that were none of her business. It's ridiculous that you've made it this far. You won't be alive when they get here.
[to her thugs] What do you mean he's unstoppable? You are superior to him in every way that counts. You are better trained, better equipped, you outnumber him at least 20 to 1. Do... your... job!
Max Payne, face it, you're up against an unbeatable force. You have already lost. You have lost. Only death will set you free from your pain.

Others

Vinnie Gognitti [in a letter]: Jack [Lupino]'s gone voodoo. The other day he shot Dino coz he wanted to see what his brains looked like splattered on the wall. He's a freakin' mad dog. We're runnin' out of men an' business fast...
[repeated by many characters throughout the game] The flesh of fallen angels!
Jack Lupino: The flesh of fallen angels! Come to me, all!... , , Asmodeus, , , , , , , Hela! Blood to you all!
Jack Lupino: Mythic wolves let loose to devour the sun and the moon... Lupino is the wolf. I'm Mr. Beast, the big bad wolf, I'm The-End-of-the-World-Man, wearing the flesh of fallen angels...
Vladimir: There's this guy, Boris Dime, used to pull jobs for me. He's the captain of the cargo ship Charon. Now that bastard turncoat's gone over to the other side, Punchenello's. The ship's loaded with high-res hardware, guns, my business. If Punchenello gets a hold of that cargo, he's won and I have lost, and you'll have your work cut out for you. If you want to get to Punchenello you'll need heavy duty persuaders. I'm just the man to get them for you. Change the ship back under my flag, maybe pop two in the traitor Dime's head while you're at it... you'll have enough guns to start the apocalypse.
Random thug: You know what I'm talking about. In all the cool action movies, and I'm talking about the coolest of the cool, it always seems like time slows down in the middle of the action. You know, you can see the bullets flying through the air, the hero dodging in slow-motion. Oh man, it would be so cool to be able to do that. Bullet-time, that's what they call it. Bullet-time, yeah heh, would be so cool.

Dialogue

Max Payne [over a phone]: We come to now live from the crime scene.

Jim Bravura: Who is this?

Max Payne: Right back at you.

Jim Bravura:This is Deputy Chief Jim Bravura from the NYPD. You are to cease your criminal activities and surrender immediately.

Max Payne [surrounded by corpses he killed a minute ago]: Sure thing, Jim. Me and the boys been talking, and everyone's real sorry. They'll never do it again.

Jim Bravura: Who the hell is this?

Max Payne [narrating]: Being placed at the scene of a bank robbery wouldn't have tipped the odds in my favor.

Alex Balder: Hold it... Max! Jesus, you almost gave me a heart attack! I nearly shot you!

Max Payne: Alex... am I glad to see you.

Alex Balder: What the hell's going on? There are more corpses here than at the City Morgue!

Max Payne: It's an armed robbery. A tunnel job straight through the Roscoe Bank vault through the old station wall. Is this why...This is Lupino's gig?

Alex Balder: This is Lupino's doing? Lupino's men? Really?

Max Payne: You sure know how to pick a place. Can you get through?

Alex Balder: No, it's locked. We've gotta get outta here. If it's Lupino, it's...

[an unidentified gunman shoots Alex and immediately leaves the scene]

Max Payne: Alex? Alex!

Max Payne [narrating]: There was nothing I could do. He was dead. I could tell by the empty accusing stare of his eyes.

Joey Finito: Ladies and gentlemen, it's the pain in the butt.

Virgillio Finito: Pain to the Max!

Max Payne: You're killing me. Did you make that up yourselves, or did you get some wino downstairs to come up with it? Don't answer that. A . I got something for the boss. Lupino around?

Joey Finito: That kinda depends who's askin' - a friend or a junk squad plant! But don't answer! It's one of them... ah... how'd you put it... rhetorical questions.

Virgillio Finito: Lupino ain't here, but he says "Bye!"

Random Thug 1: Why are s always set in or ? They cant even get a tan! If I were a blood sucker I'd move to the North pole. Winter's one looong night.

Random Thug 2: What would you do for food? Suck blood from penguins?

Random Thug 1: Naw, s, man, Eskimos.

Vinnie Gognitti [after Max fires an empty gun to his head]: Okay! I'll tell you, just don't hurt me no more! Lupino's at Ragnarock, the nightclub! Take me in! Book me! Haul me in to freakin' jail! Just don't hurt me!

Max Payne [dropping the gun and latching a set of handcuffs on Gognitti as he leaves]: Your rights will be read at your funeral.

Max Payne [running into Mona Sax, Max's gun pointed]: Lisa Punchinello?

Max Payne [narrating]: Lisa Punchinello was the Don's Wife

Mona Sax: Mona Sax. Lisa's .

Max Payne: Your safety's off, Evil Twin. You could hurt somebody with that gun of yours.

Mona Sax: Lisa's the damsel in distress. I'm the professional. I'd blow you away without batting an eye.

Max Payne: Sure, and you can check out my credentials splattered all over this joint.

Frank Niagara: Pleased to meet you. I'm Frankie "The Bat" Niagara.

Max Payne: Niagara, as in you cry a lot?

Max [narrating]: He had a , and I was tied to a chair. Pissing him off was the smart thing to do.

All I had was Niagra's bat,sticky and covered with my own blood.
Without a gun, I'd be no match for Frankie's men, I would have to play hide and seek with them.

Vladimir: Bang! You're dead Max Payne.

Max Payne [narrating]: I would have laughed, if I could have remembered how.

Max Payne: What's this supposed to be, ? Look, you want something with me, get in line.

Vladimir: Peace, man, relax. You know you are a real news item? "Armed and dangerous". I'm going to make you an offer you can't refuse... [chuckles] I've always wanted to say that.

Max Payne: It's a bum rap. I've been framed.

Vladimir: That's a moot point. Whatever you did or didn't not do, I'm sure you've had a good reason for doing it. Want to hear me out?

Max Payne: I'm listening.

Angelo Punchinello [on the Charon's ship phone]: Dime? Angelo Punchinello here.

Max Payne: [chuckles] Angie! Tell me, how much did Dime cost you? I bet it was more than his name.

Angelo Punchinello: Max Payne?

Max Payne: Right the first time.

Angelo Punchinello: You're dead, punk!

Max Payne: You sure you're not confusing me with Boris here? But you are right, of course. Pretty soon we should get together and have a talk.

Angelo Punchinello: You son of a - !

[Max hangs up]

Max Payne [narrating]: Pissing Punchinello off was a dangerous game. But when people get mad, they make mistakes. I should know. That's where I wanted Punchinello, mad enough to trip over his own feet, preferably into a grave.

Vladimir: You get everything you need?

Max Payne: Check.

Vladimir: I owe you. Anything you need.

Max Payne: This is my solo. When I'm through, Punchinello won't be anybody's problem anymore.

Vladimir: Clear as vodka. But anytime you get between a rock and a hard place, just whistle. This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Max Payne: You really get a bang out of this big-time gangster act, don't you?

Nicole Horne: It will be a cold day in Hell before I let a Narc cop stop me. Ms. Sax, do your job.

Mona Sax: Relax Max, you're a nice guy. I don't kill nice guys.

Max Payne: You're not bad yourself.

Voice actors

- Max Payne - Mona Sax - Vladimir Lem - Jim Bravura - Alfred Woden - Nicole Horne - Rico Muerte - Vinnie Gognitti - Jack Lupino - Frankie Niagra - Angelo Punchinello - BB