Max Payne (series)
Encyclopedia
Max Payne is a video game series developed by Remedy Entertainment
and recently, Rockstar Vancouver
. The series is named after its protagonist, Max Payne
, a New York City
police officer. The series's original story and script is written by Sam Lake
.
The first game of the series, Max Payne
was released in 2001 for Microsoft Windows
and 2002 for Xbox
, PlayStation 2
, and Apple Macintosh; a special version of the game was also released for the Game Boy Advance
in 2003. A sequel entitled Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
was released in 2003 for PC, Xbox and the PS2. In 2008, a movie adaption of the original game entitled Max Payne
was released. In 2009, Rockstar announced Max Payne 3
, being developed by Rockstar Vancouver
and currently scheduled for the release in March 2012 for PC, Xbox 360
and PlayStation 3
.
The franchise is notable for its use of "bullet time
" in action sequences. The series has achieved varying levels of success. Both Max Payne and Max Payne 2 were well received by critics, although the sequel's sales were considered underwhelming. , the Max Payne franchise
has sold over 7.5 million copies. The film rendition, which featured Mark Wahlberg
as Payne, was the opposite, in that it received criticism and was given negative reviews but was commercially successful.
video game developed by the Finnish
company Remedy Entertainment
, produced by 3D Realms
and published by Gathering of Developers
. The game follows the story of detective Payne as he attempts to hunt down the ones responsible for murdering his wife and child, as well as framing him for the murder of his partner, Alex. As the story unfolds he gains a number of "allies"--most of whom are killed off in the sequel—including a Russian mafia
gangster Vladimir Lem, and Mona Sax, another gun-totting vigilante who's out to avenge the death of her twin sister, Lisa, and manages to bring down the ring-leaders in a major drug-operation for a narcotic called V or Valkyr—after the mythological figures in Norse mythology.
(and not by Remedy Entertainment, the original developers), will find Max in a "downward spiral" following the events of the second game. He is now 8 years older, has left both the NYPD and New York itself, and his appearance is considerably different from that of the first two games. Working for a security firm in the city of São Paulo
located in Brazil, Max is double-crossed, finding himself in a "city full of violence and bloodshed".
had bought the rights to adapt the game to film. The Max Payne movie went into production in 2008 and was directed by John Moore
. he movie was produced by Collision Entertainment and Firm Films in Toronto
, Canada
. Mark Wahlberg
and Mila Kunis
play the roles of Max Payne and Mona Sax respectively. Beau Bridges
, Chris O'Donnell
, Nelly Furtado
and Rapper Ludacris have roles as B.B. Hensley, Jason Colvin, Christa Balder and Jim Bravura respectively. On July 10, 2008, an official teaser trailer was released, featuring an instrumental version of the Marilyn Manson
song, "If I Was Your Vampire". The film was released to theaters in the USA on October 17, 2008 with a PG-13 rating. While it was ranked first on its opening weekend, grossing US$18 million at the box office, the film received mainly negative reviews, having a 16% rating at Rotten Tomatoes
, based on 129 reviews.
Remedy Entertainment
Remedy Entertainment is a Finnish computer game developer founded in 1995 and based in Espoo, Finland. The company is best known for its Max Payne and Alan Wake series of video games.-History:...
and recently, Rockstar Vancouver
Rockstar Vancouver
Rockstar Vancouver is a video game studio located in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. Rockstar Vancouver released Bully, a controversial title exclusively for the PlayStation 2 on October 17, 2006...
. The series is named after its protagonist, Max Payne
Max Payne (character)
Max Payne is a fictional character from the video game series of the same name, originally created by Remedy Entertainment and 3D Realms. Max is a New York City police officer turned vigilante, notable for his complex use of metaphors and wordplay to describe the world around him within his inner...
, a New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
police officer. The series's original story and script is written by Sam Lake
Sam Lake
Sami Järvi , better known by his artist name Sam Lake , is a Finnish writer who is mostly known for his work on the popular Max Payne video game series. Lake is good friends with Petri Järvilehto, a founding member of Remedy Entertainment, the company behind Max Payne...
.
The first game of the series, Max Payne
Max Payne
Max Payne is a BAFTA Award–winning third-person shooter video game developed by Finnish developers Remedy Entertainment and published by Gathering of Developers in July 2001 for Microsoft Windows. Ports created later in the year for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and the GameBoy Advance were published by...
was released in 2001 for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and 2002 for Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, and Apple Macintosh; a special version of the game was also released for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
in 2003. A sequel entitled Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne is a third-person shooter video game developed by Remedy Entertainment for Microsoft Windows and Rockstar Vienna for the Xbox & PlayStation 2 and published by Rockstar Games. The game is a direct sequel to Max Payne and is followed by Max Payne 3...
was released in 2003 for PC, Xbox and the PS2. In 2008, a movie adaption of the original game entitled Max Payne
Max Payne (film)
Max Payne is a 2008 noir action film based on the 2001 video game of the same name by Remedy Entertainment. It was written by Beau Thorne and was directed by John Moore. The film stars Mark Wahlberg in the title role as Max Payne, Mila Kunis as Mona Sax, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as Jim Bravura and...
was released. In 2009, Rockstar announced Max Payne 3
Max Payne 3
Max Payne 3 is an upcoming third-person shooter video game in the Max Payne franchise published by Rockstar Games for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Development is led by Rockstar Vancouver in collaboration with the New England, London and Toronto studios...
, being developed by Rockstar Vancouver
Rockstar Vancouver
Rockstar Vancouver is a video game studio located in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. Rockstar Vancouver released Bully, a controversial title exclusively for the PlayStation 2 on October 17, 2006...
and currently scheduled for the release in March 2012 for PC, Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
.
The franchise is notable for its use of "bullet time
Bullet time
Bullet time is a special and visual effect that refers to a digitally enhanced simulation of variable-speed photography used in films, broadcast advertisements, and video games...
" in action sequences. The series has achieved varying levels of success. Both Max Payne and Max Payne 2 were well received by critics, although the sequel's sales were considered underwhelming. , the Max Payne franchise
Max Payne (series)
Max Payne is a video game series developed by Remedy Entertainment and recently, Rockstar Vancouver. The series is named after its protagonist, Max Payne, a New York City police officer...
has sold over 7.5 million copies. The film rendition, which featured Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg
Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg is an American actor, film and television producer, and former rapper. He was known as Marky Mark in his earlier years, and became famous for his 1991 debut as a musician with the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. He was named No. 1 on VH1's 40 Hottest Hotties of...
as Payne, was the opposite, in that it received criticism and was given negative reviews but was commercially successful.
Max Payne
Max Payne is the first game in the franchise; a third-person shooterThird-person shooter
Third-person shooter is a genre of 3D action games in which the player character is visible on-screen, and the gameplay consists primarily of shooting.-Definition:...
video game developed by the Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
company Remedy Entertainment
Remedy Entertainment
Remedy Entertainment is a Finnish computer game developer founded in 1995 and based in Espoo, Finland. The company is best known for its Max Payne and Alan Wake series of video games.-History:...
, produced by 3D Realms
3D Realms
3D Realms is a current video game publisher and former video game developer based in Garland, Texas, United States, established in 1987...
and published by Gathering of Developers
Gathering of Developers
Gathering of Developers was a Texas-based PC and video games publishing company, founded in January 1998 with the mission to bridge the gap between publishers and independent game developers, allowing independent developers creative control over their projects, ownership of their IP, and...
. The game follows the story of detective Payne as he attempts to hunt down the ones responsible for murdering his wife and child, as well as framing him for the murder of his partner, Alex. As the story unfolds he gains a number of "allies"--most of whom are killed off in the sequel—including a Russian mafia
Russian Mafia
The Russian Mafia is a name applied to organized crime syndicates in Russia and Ukraine. The mafia in various countries take the name of the country, as for example the Ukrainian mafia....
gangster Vladimir Lem, and Mona Sax, another gun-totting vigilante who's out to avenge the death of her twin sister, Lisa, and manages to bring down the ring-leaders in a major drug-operation for a narcotic called V or Valkyr—after the mythological figures in Norse mythology.
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
At the ending of Max Payne, Max was being led away by the police, about to face charges for his killing spree in which he killed upwards of six hundred people, even though they all had criminal records. However, Max was eventually cleared of all charges, thanks to his relationship with a very influential member of society, Senator Alfred Woden. A few years have passed, and Max has returned to work for the NYPD as a homicide detective. However, during a routine murder investigation he finds himself face-to-face once again with the fugitive Mona Sax, a woman he thought was dead. Max and Mona team up to solve the answers to Max's past that left his wife and child dead.Max Payne 3
Max Payne 3, the first game in the series developed by Rockstar VancouverRockstar Vancouver
Rockstar Vancouver is a video game studio located in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. Rockstar Vancouver released Bully, a controversial title exclusively for the PlayStation 2 on October 17, 2006...
(and not by Remedy Entertainment, the original developers), will find Max in a "downward spiral" following the events of the second game. He is now 8 years older, has left both the NYPD and New York itself, and his appearance is considerably different from that of the first two games. Working for a security firm in the city of São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
located in Brazil, Max is double-crossed, finding himself in a "city full of violence and bloodshed".
Film adaptation
Early in 2003, it was confirmed that 20th Century Fox20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
had bought the rights to adapt the game to film. The Max Payne movie went into production in 2008 and was directed by John Moore
John Moore (movie director)
John Moore is an Irish director, producer, and writer.-Early life and career:Moore was born in Dundalk, Ireland and attended Dublin Institute of Technology, where he attained a degree in Media Arts. Upon completing his course, Moore genuinely believed that he wouldn't go on to work within the...
. he movie was produced by Collision Entertainment and Firm Films in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg
Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg is an American actor, film and television producer, and former rapper. He was known as Marky Mark in his earlier years, and became famous for his 1991 debut as a musician with the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. He was named No. 1 on VH1's 40 Hottest Hotties of...
and Mila Kunis
Mila Kunis
Milena "Mila" Kunis is an American actress. Her work includes the role of Jackie Burkhart on the TV series That '70s Show and the voice of Meg Griffin on the animated series Family Guy...
play the roles of Max Payne and Mona Sax respectively. Beau Bridges
Beau Bridges
Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III is an American actor and director.- Early life :Bridges was born in Los Angeles, the son of actor Lloyd Bridges and his college sweetheart, Dorothy Bridges . He was nicknamed "Beau" by his mother and father after Ashley Wilkes's son in Gone with the Wind, the book...
, Chris O'Donnell
Chris O'Donnell
Christopher Eugene "Chris" O'Donnell is an American actor. He has played Robin in two Batman films, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, Charlie Simms in Scent of a Woman, Finn Dandridge in Grey's Anatomy, Peter Garrett in Vertical Limit, and more recently, Jack McAuliffe in The Company. O'Donnell...
, Nelly Furtado
Nelly Furtado
Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...
and Rapper Ludacris have roles as B.B. Hensley, Jason Colvin, Christa Balder and Jim Bravura respectively. On July 10, 2008, an official teaser trailer was released, featuring an instrumental version of the Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson (band)
Marilyn Manson is an American metal band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989 by Brian Warner and Scott Putesky, the group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids with their uniquely theatrical performances gathering a local cult following in the early '90s. This attention...
song, "If I Was Your Vampire". The film was released to theaters in the USA on October 17, 2008 with a PG-13 rating. While it was ranked first on its opening weekend, grossing US$18 million at the box office, the film received mainly negative reviews, having a 16% rating at Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, based on 129 reviews.
Characters
| Character | Appearances | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Payne Max Payne Max Payne is a BAFTA Award–winning third-person shooter video game developed by Finnish developers Remedy Entertainment and published by Gathering of Developers in July 2001 for Microsoft Windows. Ports created later in the year for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and the GameBoy Advance were published by... |
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne is a third-person shooter video game developed by Remedy Entertainment for Microsoft Windows and Rockstar Vienna for the Xbox & PlayStation 2 and published by Rockstar Games. The game is a direct sequel to Max Payne and is followed by Max Payne 3... |
Max Payne 3 Max Payne 3 Max Payne 3 is an upcoming third-person shooter video game in the Max Payne franchise published by Rockstar Games for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Development is led by Rockstar Vancouver in collaboration with the New England, London and Toronto studios... |
Film Max Payne (film) Max Payne is a 2008 noir action film based on the 2001 video game of the same name by Remedy Entertainment. It was written by Beau Thorne and was directed by John Moore. The film stars Mark Wahlberg in the title role as Max Payne, Mila Kunis as Mona Sax, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as Jim Bravura and... |
|
| Max Payne Max Payne (character) Max Payne is a fictional character from the video game series of the same name, originally created by Remedy Entertainment and 3D Realms. Max is a New York City police officer turned vigilante, notable for his complex use of metaphors and wordplay to describe the world around him within his inner... |
James McCaffrey James McCaffrey James G. McCaffrey is an American actor.-Biography:McCaffrey was born in Northern Ireland and raised in New York. His first role was for sills models, as a mentally challenged teen, in Bill II: on His Own, the Bill Sackter story. He also played the lead in the first and last seasons of the series... |
Mark Wahlberg Mark Wahlberg Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg is an American actor, film and television producer, and former rapper. He was known as Marky Mark in his earlier years, and became famous for his 1991 debut as a musician with the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. He was named No. 1 on VH1's 40 Hottest Hotties of... |
||
| Mona Sax Mona Sax Mona Sax is a fictional character in the first two Max Payne video game series , as well as in the 2008 film.-In video games:... |
Julia Murney Julia Murney Julia Kathleen Murney is an American actress, singer and theatre performer, primarily featured in theatre and television commercial voice-overs. Until 2005, she was commonly known as the Broadway actress who had technically never appeared on Broadway... |
Wendy Hoopes Wendy Hoopes Wendy Hoopes is a Malaysian-born actress most widely celebrated for her roles on MTV's animated series Daria, where she provided voices for three different characters , billed under the name "Hannah".-Biography:Hoopes was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and was the fourth of five children in her... |
Mila Kunis Mila Kunis Milena "Mila" Kunis is an American actress. Her work includes the role of Jackie Burkhart on the TV series That '70s Show and the voice of Meg Griffin on the animated series Family Guy... |
|
| Jim Bravura | Peter Appel | Vince Viverito | Ludacris Ludacris Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings... |
|
| Vladimir Lem | Dominic Hawksley Dominic Hawksley Dominic Hawksley is an actor who appeared in Death Machine and Entropy. His voice work includes Midnight Club: Street Racing, Midnight Club 2, and Max Payne and in the documentary film The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition... |
Jonathan Davis Jonathan Davis (audiobook narrator) Jonathan Davis is an audiobook narrator and voice actor. He has received critical acclaim for his narration in a variety of genres. He has garnered accolades from Publisher's Weekly, USA Today, and Audio File Magazine. He was a finalist for an Audie Award in the Thriller/Suspense category for his... |
||
| Vinnie Gognitti | Joe Dallo | Fred Berman | ||
| Alfred Woden | John Randolph Jones | John Braden | ||
| Jack Lupino | Jeff Gurner | Amaury Nolasco Amaury Nolasco Amaury Nolasco Garrido is a Puerto Rican actor, best known for the role of Fernando Sucre on the television series Prison Break, and for his role in Transformers.-Early life:... |
||
Recurring characters
- Max Payne – Max is a New York City police officer. In Max Payne, following the murder of his wife and child by Valkyr junkies, Max transfers to the DEA and goes undercover in the Punchinello Mafia family in order to monitor the trafficking of Valkyr. Two months into his investigations, Max is framed for the murder of Alex Balder, a fellow DEA agent, the NYPD issues an APBAll points bulletinAn all-points bulletin is a broadcast issued from one US law enforcement agency to another. It typically contains information about a wanted suspect who is to be arrested or a person of interest, for whom law enforcement officers are to look. They are usually dangerous or missing persons. As...
for Max and heavily pursues him, forcing him to become a fugitive while in search of the truth behind Valkyr and the murder of his family. In the first game, Max was portrayed by Sam LakeSam LakeSami Järvi , better known by his artist name Sam Lake , is a Finnish writer who is mostly known for his work on the popular Max Payne video game series. Lake is good friends with Petri Järvilehto, a founding member of Remedy Entertainment, the company behind Max Payne...
. In Max Payne 2, set two years after the original game, Max is an NYPD detective investigating a series of murders by the group of contract killers called the Cleaners and becomes romantically involved with Mona Sax as they uncover a conspiracy. In the film he is portrayed by Mark WahlbergMark WahlbergMark Robert Michael Wahlberg is an American actor, film and television producer, and former rapper. He was known as Marky Mark in his earlier years, and became famous for his 1991 debut as a musician with the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. He was named No. 1 on VH1's 40 Hottest Hotties of...
. - Mona Sax – Mona is a hired killer. In Max Payne, she first encounters Max after he kills Jack Lupino. She laces his drink with a sedative and leaves him for the Mafia to forcibly interrogate him. They meet up again later while she looking to avenge the murder of her sister. However, she is shot and assumed dead. In Max Payne 2, Max encounters her while investigating contract murders. They become romantically involved while investigating a conspiracy. While on their final mission as of in Max Payne 2 she was killed leaving Max in grief (Mona lives if game was played on hardest difficulty). In the film she is portrayed by Mila KunisMila KunisMilena "Mila" Kunis is an American actress. Her work includes the role of Jackie Burkhart on the TV series That '70s Show and the voice of Meg Griffin on the animated series Family Guy...
. - Jim Bravura – In Max Payne, he is the deputy chief of police, and leads the NYPD in pursuit of Max after he became a fugitive. In Max Payne 2, he was self-demoted and serves as Max's superior in his precinct. In the film he is portrayed by LudacrisLudacrisChristopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
. - Vladimir Lem – Vlad is a suave, old-fashioned Russian gangster. In Max Payne he is at war with the Mafia, outnumbered and outgunned, yet still manages to strike back at Jack Lupino. He forges a deal with Payne, to gain possession of a freighter full of military-grade weaponry that had been seized by Max's adversary, Don Punchinelo. In Max Payne 2 he shown to be trying to go legit, opening a trendy new restaurant called Vodka, but later he is revealed as the main villain of the game.
- Vinnie Gognitti – Vinnie is a mobster in the Punchinelo family. In Max Payne he is Mafia Captain Jack Lupino's lieutenant, he is depicted as intelligent but cowardly, with a penchant for abusing sexual partners that include underage call girls. Max wounds him and chases him for several city blocks to learn of Jack Lupino's whereabouts. In Max Payne 2 he has ascended to the rank of capo, presumably due to the high number of losses in the family. He is less threatening this time around, and is again at war with the Russian mob.
- Alfred Woden – A one-eyed U.S. Senator. In Max Payne he is presented as a high ranking member of the Inner Circle, and agrees to see that Payne avoid prosecution for his crimes should he neutralize a common enemy. In Max Payne 2 he returns, now stricken with cancer and a wheelchair user, and is embroiled in the conspiracy around which the game centers.
- The Inner Circle – A cabal of powerful figures who control everything from organized crime to some of the highest levels of government, said to have dated back to the time of the masonic cults. Known members include Senator Alfred Woden, Senator Sebastian Gates, Vladimir Lem and a Mr. Corcran.
- Kyra Silver – While never interacting with any of the characters, she is crucial in being the player's contact with the outside world. She is an anchorwoman who can be seen on TVs during both games reading news pertaining to Max Payne and his actions. The news she reads often present the public view of Max and his actions that are not the same as what actually goes on.
Max Payne characters
- Jack Lupino – A major capo of the Punchinello family, He is shown to be insane as he believes in occults due to frequent use of Valkyr. In the film he was portrayed by Amaury NolascoAmaury NolascoAmaury Nolasco Garrido is a Puerto Rican actor, best known for the role of Fernando Sucre on the television series Prison Break, and for his role in Transformers.-Early life:...
. - Alex Balder – Another DEA agent and Max's best friend.
- B.B. Hensley – A corrupt DEA agent and a friend of Max. Receiving pay outs from Horne, he radios Max telling him to meet agent Alex Balder at the train station and then shoots Balder dead, framing Max for his murder. Towards the end of the game he meets Max and is revealed as a traitor working for Horne. Payne kills him in a gun fight.
- Angelo Punchinello – The godfather of the Punchinello crime family. A sadistic wife-beater, he is nevertheless a pawn of a far more powerful figure.
- Nicole Horne – A business tycoon and the key figure behind Project Valhala, initiated around the time of Operation Desert Storm to develop drugs to enhance morale and stamina, when the project failed to yield the desired results, she refused to shut it down, and years later began distributing it as a designer drug named Valkyr.
Max Payne 2 characters
- Valerie Winterson – A respected NYPD detective and able investigator, Bravura seems to favor her over Payne. Winterson is a divorcee and a mother to a blind child. She is secretly in an affair with Vladimir Lem.