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/                            Max Payne 2                            \
|                      The Fall of Max Payne                        |
|                   A Max Payne 2 guide by Sado                     |
|                            Version 0.41                           |
\___________________________________________________________________/

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           Information about the Author and the Game
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Hi, Sado here. I'm 17 and proud to be a dutchie. Dutchieland (By most
known as the Netherlands) isn't such an exiting place to be so
there's nothing better to do than writing stuff about... stuff.
Anyway, good of you to open this guide, hope it will help you a lot.
As you can see it is not fully finished yet, but hey, there's no
rush. Look at the version info all the way down if you actually care
about how the updates are coming along.

Well, Max Payne 2 kinda is fun, otherwise I wouldn't be writing a
guide about it. Played it on all difficulties and I actually beat all
of them in 8 days. Yeah, I got nothing better to do. That's why I'm
wasting more time by writing this guide, huzzah! For sake of the
gaming industry, go get yourself a LEGAL copy at your stores right
now if you don't own this game already and help out companies like
Rockstar and Remedy who make magnificent games. Make sure to read
the legal stuff and treat this guide with dignity... It has feelings
too, you know!

Sado

Email: [email protected]

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                           Legal Issues
#####################################################################

You may print this thing out, use it as toilet paper, set it on
fire to keep your hands warm or you could just read it, as long as
this documents remains 100% of its original form. This document is
for personal use only. You may not publish this document, or use
any part of it, without permission from me, the author. You may not
display this document anywhere without permission. Email me if you
want permission, and please be precise in what you want to do with
this document.

All trademarks and copyrights found in this document are owned by
their respective copyright and trademark holders.

WARNING: This document, like the game, contains excessive use of
foul language, voilence and blasphemy. If you feel offended by this,
or if you are not allowed to read about these kinds of things in
your community, then I advice you not to continue reading. Also, this
document will spoil a lot of the game, such as the dialogue. Always
try to figure out how to get past a point by yourself first.

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/                             Contents                              \
|                        and Search System                          |
\___________________________________________________________________/

Use the contents below to find your way around in this guide. If you
want to quickly skip to a certain chapter, look at the number/letter
combination between the "[xx]" and hit ctrl+f on your keyboard. Enter
the combination and hit enter twice to quickly skip to the chapter.

Contents:
1.0 - Character Information and their Histories
  [1a] - Max Payne
  [1b] - Mona Sax
  [1c] - Detective Winterson
  [1d] - Jim Bravura
  [1e] - Vladimir Lem
  [1f] - Vincent 'Vinnie' Cognitti
2.0 - Walkthrough
  2.1 - Part 1: The Darkness Inside
     [2a] - Legend
     [2b] - The Prologue
     [2c] - Chapter 1: Elevator Doors
     [2d] - Chapter 2: A Criminal Mastermind
     [2e] - Chapter 3: The Depths of my Brain
     [2f] - Chapter 4: No 'us' in this
     [2g] - Chapter 5: A Sign of her Passage
     [2h] - Chapter 6: A Linear Sequence of Scares
     [2i] - Chapter 7: The Million Dollar Question
  2.2 - Part 2: A Binary Choice
     [2j] - The Prologue
3.0 - Weaponry
  [3a] - Melee
  [3b] - Molotov Cocktails
  [3c] - Grenades
  [3d] - Dual Desert Eagles
  [3e] - Desert Eagle
  [3f] - Dual 9MM Pistol
  [3g] - 9MM Pistol
  [3h] - Striker
  [3i] - Shotgun
  [3j] - Sawed-off Shotgun
  [3k] - MP5
  [3l] - Ingram
  [3m] - Dual Ingrams
  [3n] - M4 Carbine
  [3o] - AK47 Kalashnikov
  [3p] - Dragunov
  [3q] - Sniper Rifle
4.0 - Payne to the Max
  [4a] - Don't want to end up in a grave? Learn how to strafe
  [4b] - Learn how to aim to stay in the game
  [4c] - Learn how to throw to steal the show
  [4d] - Walk while they talk
  [4e] - No Payne, no gain
  [4f] - It'll be fine, as long as you keep using Bullet Time
  4.1 - The Million Dollar Questions: FAQ
     [41a] - In-Game Questions
     [41b] - General Questions
  4.2 - Behind the Payne
     [42a] - Max Payne
     [42b] - The 'Fall' of Max Payne
5.0 - Version Information


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/                       Character Information                       \
|                        and their Histories                        |
\___________________________________________________________________/

- Max Payne -                                                    [1a]

A few years ago, his family was brutally murdered by Junkies that
were high on a drug named V, for Valkyr. At that point, Max was still
with the NYPD, but after the murder, he was transferred to the DEA.
he worked together with Alec Balder and the mysterious BB, and they
were to solve the Valkyr case. It took them 3 long years to finally
get a breakthrough in the case, and Max was to meet up with Alec in
the Roscoe Street Station. However, things went completely wrong as
Max got involved in the robbery of a bank, and as he made his way
through dozens of thugs, he witnessed Alec getting shot in front of
his eyes. Supposedly, a mob boss named Jack Lupino was behind the
robbery, and Max happened to work undercover as a gangster for
Lupino. He went back to Lupino's hotel, only to run into the Finito
brothers, who were ordered to kill Max since apparently, Lupino
figured out about Max' real employer.

Max went for Vinnie Cognitti first, a guy working for Lupino, and
after having found him, he left him alive in exchange for some
information. After a lot of killing, Max made his way to Lupino and
killed him. However, it seemed things were way more complicated than
that, as suddenly a woman named Mona Sax stepped in explaining the
situation. Lupino worked for Punchinello, head of a crime family, and
Punchinello was married to Mona's twin sister, Lisa. But Mona had
other plans to solve the case and slipped some Valkyr into Max' drink.
After waking up, he came in contact with Vladimir Lem, a russian mob
boss with old fashioned principles. 'Vlad' offered to help Max out
with his fight against the mafia and told him to take care of a man
named Boris Dime who turned over to Punchinello's side, taking with
him a ship full of weaponry. Max went there, killed Dime, took the
cargo back and went for Punchinello's restaurant after having made a
deal. Spiteful, Punchinello didn't show up and rigged the restaurant
with explosives. Max made his way out and Vlad, now having become
best friends with Max, took him to Punchinello's manor.

Having arrived there, Max found out even more. Lisa Punchinello was
dead, and although Max wanted to kill Punchinello for his crimes, he
got taken care of by a mysterious army of killer suits. Max tried to
get out of the house but bumped into a woman who was the boss of the
killer suits. Injected Valkyr into his body, she left Max, thinking he
would die. But he didn't, and Max crawled back to the streets,
waiting in an all-night diner for new information. BB called, and
told Max he wanted to meet. After some pondering, Max figured out BB
was actually also working for the same woman who was with the killer
suits, and BB actually was the one who murdered Alec. Max took care
of BB and was contacted by an indivual named Alfred Woden, who
wanted to meet Max.

Max went to his place, an old government building, and learned about
the Inner Circle and it's members. The woman with the killer suits was
Nicole Horne, president of Aesir Coorporation, a succesful company.
She was the one behind the Valkyr project, together with Inner Circle
members. Valkyr was first meant to increase the stamina of soldiers
during the Gulf War, but turned out to be a big failure. After the
Inner Circle gave the project up, Horne revived the project and sent
the Junkies to Max' house. Max' wife worked for Horne and found out
little information about the secret Valkyr project, and thus she had
to die. After having told all this to Max, the Inner Circle was
suddenly assaulted by the killer suits, and they killed everyone
except for Alfred Woden.

Woden left Max with the assignment to kill Horne, in exchange for
freedom, since half of the police force was after Max. Max made his
way through the killer suits and went for Aesir coorperation's main
building. He encountered Mona there again, who was actually hired by
Horne just like the killer suits. Although Horne ordered Mona to kill
Max, Mona didn't because she didn't want to kill a nice guy. Shortly
after that, Mona was shot in the head by one of the building's guards
and seemingly had suffered a fatal wound. However, as the elevator
she collapsed in moved up and came down, she mysteriously
disappeared. Max took the elevator up and killed Horne for what she
had done to his family. Max' revenge was complete. Or was it?

Now Max Payne works for the NYPD, under supervision of Jim Bravura,
who constantly chased him in the first Max Payne. He works together
with Winterson, a well respected female detective. During a regular
investigation Max runs into Mona Sax, a woman he thought of as dead,
and from that point on everything changes.

- Mona Sax -                                                    [1b]

A mercenary working for anyone who requires her services, she is at
first working for Nicole Horne. However, she doesn't kill Max in the
first game as she thinks of Max as a nice guy. In Max Payne 2, she
works for a diffirent party, one unknown to Max. However, things are
complicated as she is a murder suspect and wanted for the murder on
a senator. Although Max should take her in when they meet, he
doesn't, as he has a crush on Mona. And that feeling appears to be
mutual.

- Detective Winterson -                                         [1c]

A well respected detective, she works together with Max on their
cases. Jim Bravura, who used to be chief of an NYPD police force now
works as their boss. She seems to have a new boyfriend who is doing
all mysterious about, a relationship that is going to work against
Max and his efforts to find more about the Inner Circle.

- Jim Bravura -                                                 [1d]

Head of a local police station, he gives assignments to Detective
Winterson and Payne. He knows Max Payne from their meetings in the
past during quite contrary positions. As Max ravages through New
York in the first game, leaving only a trail of death, Bravura is
constantly on Max's heels. As we all know, Max is not that good in
negotiating, and their cooperation soon turns into a less friendly
one as Max resumes his way to undercover his true identity.

- Vladimir Lem -                                                [1e]

A russian mob boss who claims to have mended his ways. He and Max
became friends during the first game and that friendship continues
in this game as Max rescues Vlad from Gognitti's men. Vlad has
bought the Ragnarok, Jack Lupino's old club, and is turning it into
a restaurant with the name 'Vodka'. However, for a mob boss who has
mended his ways, he still has an awful nice supply of weapons in the
back.

- Vincent 'Vinnie' Cognitti -                                   [1f]

He used to work for Lupino, and is still connected to the Mafia. He
turns Vlad's restaurant into a morgue as they get into a mob war.
During the first Max Payne, the russians and the mafia were also
fighting a mob war, and this game, that battle intensifies. Vinnie is
a big fan of Captain Baseball Batboy, a cartoon that is on TV
regularly during the game, and has a huge collection of the cartoon
in his home. He doesn't only appear like a loser, he IS a loser, but
you'll get to feel a bit sorry for him later in the game.

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/                           Walkthrough                             \
\___________________________________________________________________/

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                              The Legend                        [2a]
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You will see several icons while reading the walkthrough. These have
been put there to tell you what to do to advance further into the
game. You will also get additional information, such as the locations
of secret items, stuff related to Max Payne 1 and what enemies
appear where. Here is a legend of how to use them:

[i]: This indicates there is an item that can picked up. These
    usually are painkillers.

[d]: This tells you what to do to advance further into the level.
    It's the 'd' of 'directions'.

[e]: This tells you about encounters with enemies. You will usually
    get strategies on how to get past them.

[c]: The cutscenes. These also include the television shows you can
    watch along the way.

(?): A part of which I don't know exactly what is said. If you know
    the answer, please send me a mail.

#####################################################################
                   Part 1: The Darkness Inside
                            Prologue                            [2b]
#####################################################################

The Manor, Now

Female Voice: God! I turned out to be such a damsel in distress.

Max: They were all dead. Love kills.

Max: Did I love her? Was there a choice?

Max: The past is a gaping hole.

Max: You try to run from it, but the more you run, the deeper, more
    terrible it grows behind you, its edges yawning at your heels.

Max: Your only chance is to turn around and face it.

Police Officer: We are at the scene, repeat, we are at the scene!

Max: But it's like looking down into the grave of your love.

Police Officer: Check the area! Hold your fire!

Max: Or kissing the hole of a gun, a bullet trembling in its dark
    nest, ready to blow your head off.


The Hospital, Earlier Tonight

Nurse: We are losing him!

* Max lies on a brancard, heavily wounded.

Nurse: Multiple gunshot wounds! pupils blown, head-trauma, god only
      knows what else!

Nurse: He's in shock. Start two large-bore IVs. Get him to ICU, stat!

Nurse: He's not responding! This guy is a train wreck. We are losing
      him.

Max: When I woke up in the hospital earlier tonight, I thought it
    couldn't get any worse.

Max: My eyes opened, and everything slid into focus.

* Max takes off all the hospital gizmo's attached to his body.

Max: She was dead.

Max: I was hurt. My crime, what I had done, was like a hungry pit
    behind me.

* Max crawls to a get his jacket, and puts it back on.

Max: I had to run, get as far away from it as possible.
_____________________________________________________________________

"The world was out of joint. I was hallucinating. I had to get away",
thinks Max. The screen moves through the halls of an empty
hospitals, into Max' room. He hears all kinds of strange voices and
seems to be confused. He can barely keep on both of his feet. You
can hear sirens outside, where drops are raining down from the sky.
It seems to be a stormy evening. Lighting luminates most of the room,
and you need to find a way to get out of there.

[i] Look at the closet behind you and open it with your [use] button.
   Grab the two Painkillers.

[d] Navigate yourself through the hospital. Most of the doors are
   locked, so you should have no problem finding your way around.

[c] "Hello? Anyone there?", says Max. You hear all kinds of voices
   in your head. A blinding flash turns the screen to max' face
   "What are you so afraid of? What do you want from me?" asks a
   female voice. Suddenly there is a woman in the room, and Max has
   some fun with her. "There was a blind spot in my head. A bullet
   shaped hole where the answer should be. Call it denial. I wanted
   to dig inside my skull and scrape the pain away", ponders Max.
   You hear a telephone ring in the other room. Move to it and press
   the [use] button. "Is this the Payne residence?" asks a harsh
   female voice. People who played Max Payne 1 will recognise the
   voice of Nicole Horne. A flash blinds the screen once again, and
   a nurse seems to tell a doctor about a detective they brought to
   the morgue.

[i] There are 3 Painkillers in the Med Kit in front of the door
   saying 'Exit'.

[c] As you walk into the next room, you see a dead man lying on the
   floor. Max grabs the gun the man is lying on. "I'll deal with
   Payne. He's as good as dead", says a voice on the other side of
   the wall. "Freeze, NYPD!", yells Max. "Found him!" says
   mercenary.

[e] Use your gun to shoot down the Mercenary. Go for the head if you
   want enemies taken care of quickly. If you run out of ammo and
   need to reload, then move yourself behind the wall and wait until
   your gun in ready for us again. Then finish him off. Move over
   his body to pick up another 9MM pistol.

[c] "She's one of them. She's here to kill me", says a female voice.
   Max almost drops on the floor, and sees the female's face on a
   picture in the wall. "Back off, Payne", says another female
   voice. You look behind you and see a woman. "Winterson!" yells
   Max. You move through the door and see a children's daycare. If
   you look closely at the drawings that are against the windows you
   might recognize a familiar scene from Max Payne 1.

[c] Address Unknown TVshow.
   John: ...The countryside was sickingly pretty. The sun setting
   on a sweet summer day. Rain sparkling on grass. Birds in the
   trees. Children playing.

   * Screen fades to some strange building with a Pink Bird as logo.

   John: The Pink Bird Mental Institute.

   * John seems to be in a room, recieving the treatment of a mental
     patient.

   John: Mirror's men pretended to be hospital wardens.

   Eerie voice: The flesh... The flesh... I think I'm dead... I
   don't know... Death is coming! It is coming! They are here! Get
   away! I'm gonna hurt you...

   John: They said I was an escaped mental patient.

   Eerie voice: Diagnosis... Paranoid Schizophrenic. You are insane.
   Psychotic. You have retentive pills to get better.

   John: They lied that I had killed my girlfriend. John Mirror came
   to mug me in the bathroom mirror. The flamingo was with him.

   John Mirror: Muwhaahahahahahahahaha!

   Flamingo: Mirrors are more fun that television.

   John: Mirror claimed my girlfriend had turned evil. Joined him.

   Flamingo: She has dyed her hair in red.

   John: Waaaaaaaaaah! I smashed the mirror. I killed them all.

   Narrator: Stay tuned as Adress Unknown continues.

[d] Get into the elevator and press the [use] button to move to
   another floor.

[c] "Payne!" says Jim Bravura. "You're not going anywhere. What
   happened out there?! You did it. You killed her, didn't you! You
   killer her!" he continues. "No. I can't", says Max. You watch as
   Bravura gets shot by bullets from an ingram. Blood smears against
   the wall as you duck for cover. You press the button of the
   elevator to return to the previous floor. The mercenary
   accidently hits the gasholder, which then drops on the side and
   gets launched straight into the elevator next to you. "They were
   after me. It was my fault", says Max. He barely survives the
   explosion and tries to get out of the mess. "You can't run from
   the past. You'll end up running in circles. Until you fall back
   down into the hole you were trying to escape from. Only the hole
   has grown deeper.", ponders Max.

[c] In the room lies the body of a woman. It's the same body as you
   saw earlier in one of your illusions. "I had tried to run from
   it. Edit it out. Winterson was dead. I was a murderer", ponders
   Max. The screen fades out.
_____________________________________________________________________

The Manor, Now.

Max: A false start.

Max: The hospital wasn't the beginning. It was past the point of no
    return, the fatal choice already made. And it would get worse
    before the end.

Max: The past is a puzzle, like a broken mirror. As you piece it
    together, you cut yourself, your image keeps shifting. And you
    change with it.

Max: It could destroy you, drive you mad. It could set you free.

Police officer: You inside! Drop your weapons and come out with your
               hands above your head.

Max: You'll see the choices you didn't know you'd made, like staying
    at work late to chat with a friend, instead of hurrying home to
    your family.

Police officer: Fan out people! Circle around! Cover all the exits!

Max: Kissing her, I think of the cold laws of cause and effect.

Police officer: Where are those extra units? Call the central! We
               need every available unit here now!

Max: I am afraid.

Max: But I start again from the beginning, trace my own steps back to
    the scene of the crime.

#####################################################################
                  Part 1: The Darkness Inside
                   Chapter 1: Elevator Doors                    [2c]
#####################################################################

New York City, Last Night.

Max: I had wanted to be punished for what I had done.

Max: But Alfred Woden had kept his word.

Max: With his influence, ridiculously, I had emerged from my history
    of voilence unscathed, a hero.

Max: I didn't thank him. I couldn't stomach it. I left the DEA.

Max: I went back to where I'd started out, back to the job, the
    NYPD.

Police Officer: ...Repeated shots fired from in a warehouse there.
                 Please acknowledge.

Max: I'm on it.

Police Officer: Ten four.

Max: This wasn't a call for a homocide detective. But I knew the
    adress. The warehouse belonged to Vladimir Lem.

Max: He was connected to organised crime. We went back a while.

Max: 'Like brothers caught on diffirent sides in a civil war'. His
    words.
_____________________________________________________________________

Max drives onto the driving place, the fence shutting behind him.
"Help!", screams a voice. Max gets out of the car and hides behind
the door. "Need backup! Unknown number of armed purps inside!
Possible hostage situation!" yells Max. "Ten Four, backup is on it's
way!", says the Police officer on the other side of the line. "I'm
going in!", says Max.

[d] The warehouse isn't a hostile place... yet. Just move to the
[i] delivery car and open the door with the [use] button. Grab the
   Painkiller and the 9MM pistol. There is nothing more on the
   driving lane, so move to the fence to your right. The fence is
   open. Keep moving and open the door. The inside of the warehouse
   appears to be a maze, but it isn't that bad. Just find your way
   through. Whenever you see red crates when venturing around, watch
   out -- they are explosive. Make good use of them when you are in
   a battle with thugs. You will also see a lot of green canisters,
   they can explore as well. Just shoot at them.

[c] "With no way to deal with the past, I kept my eyes on the road,
   off the rear-view mirror, and the road killed behind me. I chased
   lesser mysteries, other people's crimes", says Max.

[c] People might recognize Dick Justice from Max Payne 1. During a
   cutscene in the ending parts of Max Payne 1, a mercenary is
   talking with another mercenary about giving names to their
   weapons. One of them named his weapon 'Dick Justice'.

   Dick Justice TVshow.
   Female Voice: Please!

   Thug: Die! Die!

   Dick: Freeze! Oh no... no... no! Please! God! No, baby. Nooooo!

   Narrator: Stranded in a dark and voilent night. Dick Justice,
   alone hard-boiled fugutive cop. Praying for the murder of his
   wife. On a quest for vengeance through the criminal underworld.
   In the city's heart of darkness.

   Dick: The rain was coming down like all the angels in heaven had
   decided to take a piss at the same time. In a situation like mine
   you can only think in metaphors. They had killed the love of my
   live. They are going to pay.

[d] Before you move further into the complex, when you met the
[i] cleaning guy, move back into the room, go to the left. You will
   see a set of boxes you can jump on. Be careful not to fall down.
   Jump from box to box until you reach the Ingram ammo. You can
   jump to more boxes when you timing is good enough to reach the
   Ingram pistol. This gun will come in handy during the fights that
   are up ahead. Go back and follow the guy to the door, which he
   will open up for you.

[c] "NYPD!", yells Max as he charges to the person. "Whao, easy,
   officer, easy! Just cleaning the place! Come on officer I work
   for the cleaning company!" says the cleaning guy. "You didn't
   hear anything suspicious, did you?" asks Max. "Uhm... no.. no...
   oh wait! You mean the gunshop upstairs!" replies the cleaner.
   "Take me there. Move", demands Max. "Sure... if that's what you
   want", says the cleaner. Max pushes the cleaner into the
   direction of the opened room. "You know officer, you cops got it
   easy. All you have to do is go to the crime scene and look around
   a bit. We're the ones who have to clean up that mess, brains,
   guts 'n shit", says the cleaner. "Detective", snarls Max. "Oh,
   you're DT huh? You know what I mean. You get the credit, and what
   do we get?", continues the cleaner. "Right", says Max. "Oh yeah!
   You know what I'm saying", laughs the cleaner. "After you,
   detective..."

[e] Watch out as this guy will be shooting at you with a 9MM after
   you go through the door. The best thing to do is to keep facing
   him even while you pass through the door, and once he grabs his
   gun, perform a shootdodge to the back while blazing your guns at
   him. Once he drops, quickly turn around and use your remaining
   Bullet Time to take care of the cleaner attacking you from
   behind.

[c] "Oh detective... I got something for ya", says the cleaner while
   he reached for his gun. After shooting the guy and some other
   dude attacking Max from behind, Max continues deeper into the
   warehouse. "The purps were masquerading as cleaners", thinks Max.

[d] A mysterious tune will start playing on the background. Never
[i] forget to pick up guns enemies drop. Grab the two 9MM pistols on
   the ground and move towards the next door. Open it by using the
   [Use] button in front of the keypad. Also Notice the 'Ragnarok'
   board on the right. What could it be doing here?

[c] Some gunshots are heard coming from the next room. "I'm not a
   voilent man by nature, but it pisses me more than anything when
   they do that", says a cleaner. "It's an insult, that's what it
   is!" says the other cleaner. "We're trying to clean the place,
   they should have more sense than to blood on the floor", says
   the cleaner. "That's the ticket! We should find a way to kill
   them without spilling any blood. You know, gas 'em or poison 'em
   or something", replies the other cleaner.

[i] While moving through the small workplace into the next hall, be
   sure to check out the cabinet for a Painkiller.

[e] There are two cleaners having a conversation. If you're having
   trouble taking care of them, simply run in, activate Bullet Time
   and keep strafing around them while firing your dual 9MM pistols.
   They both have a simply 9MM pistol so they will likely miss all
   of their shots if you do it right. Borrow their discarded
   pistols -- they won't mind. Continue through the doors upstairs.

[c] "...As soon as Jackie Brown finishes the guy he's taking care of,
   we're done.", says a cleaner. "Okay. I'll gather up the group.
   Make sure the clean up is done. Once we're outta here, there
   won't be a shred of evidence for the cops to find", says the
   other one. "That's just a ghost story", replies the cleaner.

[e] Looks like these guys are up to no good, cleaning bodies of the
   people they killed. Time to be the hero. The guys having a
   conversation are a bit hard to fight since you're in a staircase
   and you can't aim too well. The best thing is to move as closely
   to them as you can, and shoot the guy standing in front of the
   opened doorway with a clean shot in the head. Quickly move to
   the other one and fire your way through. Be careful not to hit
   the canister filled with gasoline. Don't forget the guns!

[c] "The room looked like a gun storage, but it had been cleaned
   out", ponders Max. He moves past the empty crates. In the
   next room he notices a shining red button. "The messaging machine
   had a message on it", observes Max. He listens to the message.
   "You have reached Annie Finn. I'm not here right now because I'm
   doing some nasty things that kill. So leave a message after the
   beep", says Annie. "You have one new message", says the answering
   machine. "Sweeet Annie. Vlad here. To be a gun in your gentle
   care. Ah, a man can dream. Sorry I coulnd't be there, something's
   come up. Nothing to worry about, but keep an eye out for
   trespassers. If anything happens to you, if anything comes up...
   Just whistle... And I'll be there.", says Vladimir Lem. "Beep!
   You have no new messages", says the answering machine.

[c] "I told you to sit down!", says a voice on the other side of the
   wall. Time to jump in! "Enough chitchat. Finish her!" says the
   tough guy in the cleaning suit. "Wait! The mob guys attacked us!
   I have no beef with you guys, you took them out! Listen! I work
   for Vladimir!" yells the woman. "Honey, you work for no one",
   says the cleaner. "We... We... Can...", stumbles the woman. Max
   opens the door. "NYPD, drop 'em!", says Max. The guys look at
   each other and then one of them starts shooting at Max, who hides
   behind the wall for cover. "Finish her!" orders the cleaner.
   "Oh god! Nooo!" screams the woman. "Like all the things in my
   life, it started with the death of a woman. I couldn't save her",
   ponders Max.

[e] The two guys will come after you with, one armed with an ingram
   and one with a 9MM. Watch out for the guy with ingram, as this
   gun can hurt you the most. Enter Bullet Time for a brief period
   of time and shoot them down. You will then hear distant voices
   nearing your position. Grab the dropped guns and hide in the room
   with the body of the woman (She should be Annie Finn, since she
   owns the gunshop). Once they near your spot, get into Bullet Time
   and keep firing your Ingram at them 'till they drop. Don't worry
   if you run out of bullets; when you're in Bullet Time you will
   swiftly reload.

[i] Don't forget to take the shotgun with you. When you get back into
   the previous room, you can open a safe containing some shotgun
   ammo. Also, you can open to cabinet next to it for more
   Painkillers. Don't forget to use these when you are seriously
   wounded! You can activate them by pressing your Backspace key, to
   which the Painkillers are assigned by default. Keep moving back
   from where you came from and open the safe to the left for more
   9MM ammo.

[e] Now it becomes a little more tricky as there will be more enemies
   coming after you. This will be your first 3 on 1 battle, one that
   is typical to Max Payne 2. When you enter the room, hide behind
   the crates you can't miss. You will the 3 cleaners flood into
   the room going for your spot. Don't let them corner you -- take
   the initiative. If you have enough ammo left, use your ingram and
   spray them to death. If you don't, then use your dual 9MM to kill
   them. Keep moving towards them with your guns blazing and don't
   worry about the reload. You should have no trouble taking care of
   them in Bullet Time.

[i] Search the safes for a shotgun, some shotgun ammo and more
   Painkillers.

[c] Max moves deeper into the warehouse, where some cleaners are
   making a run for it. "Come on! Come on!" says one of the cleaners
   in a panicking voice. "Finally", says the cleaner as the elevator
   arrives and opens... to reveal a gun wielded by a woman. "Hey!"
   yells one of the cleaners. They are in confusion while she places
   her desert eagle on their foreheads, leaving none of them alive.
   "Mona?" asks Max in a dazed voice. "Max... We gotta stop meeting
   like this. In Max Payne 1, Mona keeps saying this line everytime
   they meet again. "Mona!" yells Max.

[e] When you move into the next storage room, watch out as there are
   two guys below you, one with a shotgun. Take care of them any way
   you want; just watch out not to get hurt too much.

[d] Move back to the elevator and press the [use] button near the
   keypad. Enter it. Press the operating button and wait for the
   elevator doors to open.

[c] "If you think nothing can get to you, you're lying to yourself.
    At best you're temporary dead. A lighting bolt can reanimate you
    without a warning", ponders Max. As the elevator moves down,
    he eagerly awaits to get into a new fight. He walks out of the
    elevator into an empty space. "My backup had arrived, but the
    cleaners were slipping away, making a run for it".

[e] Move into the direction of the room you were in while talking to
   the cleaner you met first. There will be a guy ramming a vehicle
   into the room. Enter Bullet Time and keep it on, move towards the
   guy and shoot him. Be careful, there are 3 more guys here to your
   right, one firing at you with a shotgun. Systematically wipe them
   out by moving to them, emptying your clips. Once you killed all
   4 enemies, turn off Bullet Time and collect the dropped weapons.
   Keep moving when you enter the next room; the storage right in
   front of you will fall over. If you don't move, it will fall on
   top of you. One guy will get himself killed, one guy is moving
   away from you firing a shotgun, and one will suddenly appear from
   your right. Take care of the one from you right first, leap into
   a Shootdodge and fill him with holes. The other one will get
   away; follow him. Note that the guy that killed himself dropped
   his weapon near the vehicle, you might want to pick it up to
   replenish your ammo.

[c] Max sees a lot of bodybags on the floor. As he opens the door, a
   cleaner hops into a car and tries to get away. "Get in! Go! Go!"
   yells the driver. Max keeps firing his 9MM pistol at the car. The
   car turns around and goes for Max. Detective Winterson pulls Max
   out of the way. "Max!" says Winterson. "You alright?" she
   she continues. "Damnit", says Max. "Payne! We're working together
   on this...", says Winterson.
_____________________________________________________________________

Bravura: You got sloppy Payne. You screwed up. It's unacceptable that
        she's dead. You can do better.

Max: *Thinking* I played it as business as usual.

Max: *Thinking* But everything had changed the moment those elevator
    doors opened to reveal Mona.

Max: Annie Finch was a licensed gunsmith, licensed dealer in
    firearms.

Bravura: Right. The property owned by Vladimir Lem. Three groups,
        one: Russian DOA's who had connections to the OC.

Winterson: Identified as Finn's employees.

Bravura: Two: the mafia.

Bravura: And three: the clowns wearing the cleaning company
        jumpsuits.

Max: They mentioned a name, "Kaufman".

Bravura: This one's evil. It has only started. I don't like it. I
        don't like it a bit.

Bravura: It's yours, Payne. It makes no sense.

Bravura: For you, Winterson, Homocide, Sebastian Gate.

Bravura: It's going to be all over the news.

Winterson: The senator?

Max: *Thinking* Winterson was the ideal, what the job was all
    about. Someone to look up to. Bravura knew it too.

Bravura: We got lucky. There's an eyewitness.

Max: *Thinking* She was hovering over my shoulders, wispering
    warnings.

Max: *Thinking* I didn't want to listen.

* Max looks at a picture of Mona.

Max: *Thinking* Mona was the suspect in Winterson's case.

Max: *Thinking* I didn't tell them I had seen her. I wanted to
    stall.

Max: *Thinking* Maybe it was because she was alive when everyone
    else kept dying on me, survivor's guilt washed away.

Police officer: Detective Winterson's phone!

Winterson: Give me that!

Police officer: Your boyfriend!

Max: *Thinking* The computer search on the 'Squeaky cleaning company'
    and 'Kaufman' had come up empty.

#####################################################################
                  Part 1: The Darkness Inside
                Chapter 2: A Criminal Mastermind                [2d]
#####################################################################

Max: I need to talk to Vlad. Get his version. Be the bearer of bad
    news on Annie Finn.

Max: Vlad had bought the old 'Ragnarok'-nightclub. He was renovating
    it into a trendy restaurand, 'Vodka'.

Max: Mona's appearance had triggered a dislocation, Schizophrenia. I
    felt elation, but with it, fear that all the past evils had come
    along for the ride.
_____________________________________________________________________

"Vlad!" yelled Max. Standing in front of the door, he heard gunfire
inside. The door was looked. "Max! 911! Bad guys with big guns! They
got me pinned down the entrance hall! Could use some help! Could use
it now!" yellad Vlad from inside. "I had to find another way to reach
Vlad. No time to call for backup. My case had a life of it's own. I
got in through the backdoor", says Max. "Memories of my previous visit
here lurked in the shadows. A musty smell under the coat of new
paint".

[c] "Ladies and gentlemen. Allow me to present Max Payne, New York's
   finest, with the biggest mobster body count ever. Dearest guests.
   Prepare to die!", says Vlad through the mic, gunshots heard on
   the background. "Max! I'd love to come down and welcome you, but
   I'm busy dodging bullets and hiding under a desk at the
   moment!" continues Vlad.

[d] Welcome to the old Ragnarok club. It bring back memories indeed.
[i] Anyway, someone graciously killed the first guys for you and
   they lie to your right. Go there and grab the two Painkillers.
   Take the stairs and go up.

[c] "Help!" says one of Vlad's men. "Get him!" orders one of the
   thugs. They exchange some fire and Vlad's guys drop on the floor.
   "And he's down. All clear here", says the thug. "Hey, they want
   war, we'll kill 'em, right feds?" says another thug. "They got
   what's coming to them. Now we just need to find the motherfucker
   that's hiding behind the microphone and shut 'em up", continues
   the thug. "Yea! Pull his plug!" cheers one of thugs. "What's he
   coming by anyway?" asks another thug. "Hehehe, don't ask."

[e] "Who's there?!" says one of the thugs. Looks like they spotted
   you. If you still got ingram ammo, enter Bullet Time and kill
   them with rapid fire. Otherwise, grab your dual 9MM and shoot
   them in Bullet Time regardless. Beware though, as two of them
   have an ingram, and one has a shotgun. Keep moving or you'll
   fall!

[d] Check the dead guys. There is a small room next to them that
   looks like Vlad's office. Go in.

[c] "Someone was talking on the other line", thinks Max. "...Nothing
   to worry about, baby. I'm going to be alright. When haven't I
   been alright? Max is here now. You know Max. I'll call you when
   it's over. I love you, baby", says Vlad through the phone. "Vlad
   was a perfect gentleman, reassuring his girlfriend. Someone...
   other than Annie...", thinks Max. Max moves over to the mic.
   Vlad, shut up and stay alive. I'm coming", says Max. "Max! You
   heard him! He's coming for you!" replies Vlad. "Max! These guys
   are a really lousy shots. You should have no problem taking
   them!"

[e] Watch out as an enemy will approach you from behind. It's only
   one; shoot him.

[d] Keep going upstairs and open the door.

[c] "He's coming!" panics one of the thugs. Bullet rain through the
   air. "He's a wolf! Stop 'em!" yells the other thug. "How do you
   like it now!" replies Mike the Cowboy. He keeps firing his AK and
   easily shoots the thugs. "Hey! You're Max Payne!" says Mike.
   "Afraid so", replies Max. "Max! I am Mike, Vladimir's friend!
   You're the sheriff! How about making me your deputy?" says Mike.
   "Let's go bail out your boss before he talks us all to death",
   says Max. "That's right!" says Mike.

[d] Mike is a handy guy, he has an AK. Don't despair if he dies; it
[i] might even be better to let him die in the long run. However, if
   you keep him alive, he can fight alongside of you and help you
   a lot. Grab the weapons the thugs left behind and continue up.

[c] "They asked for it. Just follow the trail", says Mike. "Very good
   show, very funny! Baseballbat!!" cheers Mike.

   TVshow Captain Baseballbat-boy.
   Narrator: ...Adventures of Captain Baseballbat-boy! Episode
   165! Captain Baseballbat-boy's girlfriend!

   BBBboy: Ewww! She's not my girlfriend!

   Narrator: Captain Baseballbat-boy's archnemesis.

   BBBboy: That's more like it.

   Narrator: Bicyclehelmet-girl has been kidnapped by the villanous
   Maxwell's Demon!

   BHgirl: Get your hands off me you ugly freak!

   Maxwell: Muwhaahahahaahah...

   Narrator: To save her, Baseballbat-boy must battle through a
   horde of Demon's minions! The freaking-zombie-demons-from-outer-
   space!

   Zombies: Booooo...!

   BBBboy: Base's loaded... Fast ball!

   Zombies: Boooooo....! Splat!!

   BBBboy: Grand Slam!

   Zombies: Mwaaaaaaaah!

   BBBboy: Hiyaaaa!

   * Splatting sounds on the background

   Narrator: Captain Baseballbat-boy has hit a homerun! But can he
   find Maxwell's secret lab before the game is over? Found out in
   the next episode of the adventures of Captain Baseballbat-boy!

[d] enjoy the toons. Captain Baseballbat-boy is also the well-known
   comic from Max Payne 1. Hence the name 'Frankie 'the bat'
   Niagra'. Continue to next room when you're done.

[c] "Jesus Christ! Apocalypse now! Got some heavy shit here!" Says
   one of the thugs while peeking into the weapon crates. "Tone it
   down! Just take everything! Leave them nothing!" orders the other
   thug. "And be on the lookout, the Russians are sneaky bastards!"
   continues the thug.

[e] They are about to run off with some nice pieces. Activate Bullet
[i] Time and take a gun that fires rapidly. Kill them all before they
   can grab their own guns. Afterwards, take all the weaponry from
   the crates. The weapons should include ingrams, shotgun ammo,
   a couple of Painkillers and some desert eagle ammo. Don't forget
   to open the cabinet on the floor for another Painkiller.

[c] "Winterson would've found a way to do this nice, neat and clean.
   Logic told me backup should be on it's way. Someone must've
   heard the gunshots.... Logic was such a liar", ponders Max. He
   walks towards the door to the staircase. "Teeth, the whole set
   for a tooth. The only way to do it. Hey Chip, one of ours? We
   go daddle on 'em", says one of the thugs. "Hehehe... Hey what
   can you do? Vinnie's the boss! And for the time, he's too busy
   playing with his toys", says the other thug. "Gun business is
   our business. Ours! I don't care who says otherwise. We're in
   the gun business!" replies the other thug. "Right... What can
   you do?"

[e] Two guys around the corner... But they will shut the door tight.
   You will have to take the stairs.

[c] "We'll get there! Up the stairs!" says Mike.

[e] Now comes a hard part, be sure to have healed fully. Mike will
[i] probably take the initiative and run right up. Shoot the first
   guy that comes on your way. Grab the Painkiller he drops and use
   it if you aren't healed yet. Don't follow Mike down; instead,
   run on to the highest point of the room. There will be a guy with
   an ingram waiting, waste him quickly. Run to his position and
   shower the guys downstairs with your ingram. Run down the stairs
   and kill anyone still down there. If you want to keep Mike alive,
   then don't grab their guns yet but keep moving to the back of the
   room, to the door. Notice the four Painkillers there... Take them
   and use them if you are hurt. Storm into the next room. If you
   played Max Payne 1, you will feel right at home here! Look at the
   ground and shoot the guys downstairs, preferably with your 9MM or
   desert eagle as they have the most accurate shot. run down the
   stairs and watch out for the two guys coming through the door.
   Quickly shoot them as they will open fire on you the moment they
   see you. Don't drop your guard yet; two more guys coming through
   the door. Waste them the minute they enter your sight. If you run
   out of Bullet Time, make us of shootdodge. Still no time to rest.
   Assist Mike in the next room as there are three guys hiding
   behind crates and other stuff. Your ingram should have plenty of
   ammo after all the killing, so make good use of it and blast your
   way through. Follow Mike into the next room with the pit. There
   will be a guy to the left of you shooting at either you or Mike.
   Quickly kill him. The guys down in the pit are sitting ducks;
   don't drop your guard and make use of your replenished Bullet
   Time. Spray them or make use of the more accurate weapons.

   Perhaps now it's best to move back into the previous rooms to
   pick up dropped weapons. There will be a molotov cocktail between
   them too if you did it right; this'll come in handy in a few
   minutes. In the room before the pit is a cabinet, open it for
   some grenades and three more Painkillers. Pick up anything you
   can find and heal up; there will be a tough battle up ahead in
   which you will need all firepower possible. If you haven't
   already, then quicksave with the F5 button. You might need it in
   the next struggle, depending if you want to keep Mike alive or
   not.

[c] "Max, my friend! It was fun for a moment there! But my gun
   doesn't have unlimited ammo. If you can, hurry!" says Vladimir.
   "Big trouble!" says Mike. "Max! Damnit! Aaaaargh!" screams Vlad.
   "That was bad!" says Mike. Vlad wouldn't be able to hold on much
   longer. If it wasn't too late already", thinks Max.

[i] In the room with the pit, on the upper floor, there is a table
   with a shotgun and two shotgun ammo on it.

[d] Move down into the pit, don't fall. Falling hurts quite a bit in
   this game, so it is not worth it. Before you open the next doors,
   be sure to have healed, reloaded and wait for your Bullet Time to
   be fully replenished. Select Grenades as your secondary
   weapon. Then open the doors.

[c] "What are you doin'? Kill the Russian'!" yells Vinnie. "Vinnie,
   this is embarrassing! Did you teach them how to shoot?" says
   Vlad. "Kill him, fuckin' kill him!" orders Vinnie. "We're coming
   boss!" yells Mike. "Give up, Vinnie. They are coming to take you
   away!" says Vladimir. "Can you hear them?" he continues. "Shut
   up! Shut up!" screams Vinnie. "Come on, Vinnie, you're not really
   cut out for this!" says Vladimir. "Die Russian'! Fuckin' die
   already!" yells Vinnie. "You're not even trying!" replies Vlad.
   "Hang on, Vlad!" says Max. "Max!" yells Vlad. "I'm coming", says
   Max. "Ah, not Payne! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! What are you waitin' for?!
   Circle around and kill 'em! Kill the cop!", yells Vinnie. "They
   way your hands are shaking, you couldn't even track!" says Vlad.
   "Shut up!" screams Vinnie. "Payne! You'll fuckin' pay for this
   Russian', you'll fuckin' pay!" says Vinnie while running through
   the front door. "My hero! You saved my life! I could kiss you!"</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
   says Vladimir.
_____________________________________________________________________

Max: Vinnie Cognitti, a criminal mastermind?

Vlad: He is wiping out everyone he sees as competition on the black
     market gun trade. The mafia underboss has a made a deal with
     someone powerful.

Max: What was it you did for a living again?

Vlad: Scout's honor, detective, I have mended my ways, evolved to
     a higher level. Vodka will be the best restaurant in the city.
     I'll be rich and famous.

Vlad: Annie was a princess. They killed her for no reason.

Max: You hurt your hand just now?

Vlad: A hot date yesterday. Can I tempt you?

Max: Let's pretend I'm on duty.

#####################################################################
                  Part 1: The Darkness Inside
                Chapter 3: The Depths of My Brain               [2e]
#####################################################################

Max: Home sweet home.

Max: Something in the night felt like a door had been opened, An echo
    of the past, an old monster snapping its eyes open in the depths
    of my brain.

Max: Closing your eyes forces you to look at the darkness inside.

Narrator: And now, address unknown.

Max: I hadn't slept in a long time, when I did, my dreams were
    nightmares.

John: I was trapped in a nightmare. My evil double had taken my
     girlfriend.

Max: In a nightmare, every choice you make is a wrong one.

John: Following him, I had someone slipped into a twisted alternate
     reality, Noir York City.

Max: I woke up at night, afriad that day was a dream I'd forget.
_____________________________________________________________________

Max is in his room, it's night, and the television is on on an
episode of Address Unknown. Max is confused and gets up, only to
hear a sudden knock at his door. Who could it be at this hour?

[e] Address Unknown TVshow
   John: My double was John Mirror, the devil incarnate, a fallen
   angel.

   Flamingo: The flesh of fallen angels.

   John: He was a serial killer. He had framed me for his murders. I
   was hiding at a cheap motel. One night, I woke to a knock at my
   door. Someone slipped a note under my door, it was a clue. I
   descended into a mystery, desperate to find him, to find my
   girlfriend, to save her.

   Max tries to shut off the television, but it doesn't. "That's
   odd", says Max.

[d] Look around in Max's apartment. Players of Max Payne 1 will
   notice the photographs of Michelle, Max's murdered wife, and
   a picture of him and Alec Balder. On the floor are all kinds of
   cds named 'Late Goodbye', which is the title of the theme song
   to Max Payne 2. Go view the credits to hear it. Walk towards
   your front door, and suddenly, a picture of Mona is slipped
   underneath the door. Wait a second, isn't this going exactly as
   said on the television? Anyway, there isn't much to do here
   other than opening the door and following the knocks. Find the
   big set of stairs that take you all the way down and open the
   door. Do it fast, cause it's creepy in here.

[c] "Max...", whispers an eerie voice. "Max...!" whisers it again.
   You see how a body slides out. The body looks like Mona's.
   Suddenly, she is on the table behind Max. "Max... sorry I woke
   you", says Mona. "...It's a secret... You must tell no one",
   she continues. The phone starts to ring "You'd better answer
   that". Max walks over to the phone and picks it up. It's Vlad's
   voice on the other side. "We need to hit the place now, Payne's
   in there", says a voice on the other side of the door. "They
   know you're in here", says Mona. "Payne! Drop your weapons and
   come out with your hands above your head!" says Bravura. "This
   is your final warning! Run, Payne, run!" he continues. "Bring
   him down... Shoot to kill..."

[d] Move away from the police squad. Seek for cover behind the
   buildings.

[c] "You don't need a lawyer, just tell us what you did", says
   Winterson. "Payne, yer done. Everything you say will be used
   against you", says Bravura. "What are you hiding? She's alive,
   isn't she?" says Winterson. "You knew they died. You killed your
   family. You killed them all", continues Bravura. "Confess!" says
   Winterson. "Do I get my phone call?" asks Max. "You already got
   it", snarls Winterson. "Don't push your luck. Payne, sit down!"
   says Bravura. "Don't get any bright ideas", says Winterson.

[e] Grab the gun and shoot Bravura and Winterson.
_____________________________________________________________________

Max: When you're waking up, the world is a blur.

Max: What was clear in a dream suddenly makes no sense.

Max: No surreal rescues. No easy, magic way out.

Max: But you are awake.

#####################################################################
                   Part 1: The Darkness Inside
                   Chapter 4: No 'us' in this                   [2f]
#####################################################################

Max: *Thinking* I had woken up to knock at my door.

Max: Mona. I was wondering when you'd show up.

Mona: Max.

Mona: I'm not here to kill you.

Mona: Aren't you going to ask me in?

Mona: You are in danger.

Mona: Both of us are. There is a contract out on us.

Max: There's no us in this. You are a murder suspect, I should take
    you in.

Max: *Thinking* I was hiding behind the badge.
_____________________________________________________________________

Looks like Max was having a nightmare. But we're back in the real
world now, and suddenly Mona is paying Max a visit.

[c] "The real thing is never what you think it will be", thinks Max.
   "Sniper!" says Max as he peeks through the window. He notices the
   sniper in a block office opposite of his apartment. "They found
   me", says Mona. "This was a mistake", she continues. "Wait,
   Mona!" says Max. "She had woken me up. She had come and gone. And
   now I was being shot at", thinks Max. "I had to catch her, find
   out what was going on".

[d] Move into the window next to you and pick up the phone with the
   [use] button.

[c] "Winterson!" says the woman on the other side of the line. "It's
   me, Max. I'm at home. Sniper outside the window. Sounds like
   more gunmen behind the door, closing in. I need help", says Max.
   "Max? O-okay... Hang in there! We'll get you out. Who's after
   you?" asks Winterson. "Can't talk, don't know, gotta go", replies
   Max.

[i] Get the Painkiller next to Max' bed. There is some 9MM ammo in
   the closet in the shower.

[d] Just follow the gunshots to the front door. Move past the dead
   guys. The elevator and the door won't open. Go for the open door
   instead.

[c] "Something is blocking the door from the other side", comments
   Max as he tries to get through the door to the staircase.

[c] "Oh no you won't! Get out! Get out!" says a lady as she fires
   her shotgun. A cleaner flies out of the apartment into the
   hallway. "No one's driving me out of my home", says the lady
   as she sees you. "Careful with that gun, lady", says Max. "The
   detective from 304? I have another gun like this if you need
   it", says the lady.

[d] Face the lady and press the [use] button. She will show you
[i] where she has another shotgun with some ammo.

[c] "Okay, let's see that shotgun", says Max. "Alright. Come in!"
   says the lady. Max grabs the shotgun. "Thank you", says Max.
   "My pleasure", replies the lady. "This used to be a nice
   neighboorhood", comments the lady. "He was trespassing, you
   saw it", continues the lady. "There used to be a time when you
   didn't have to lock your door", says the lady. "Lock the door and
   don't open it for anyone but the police", recommends Max.

[d] Alright, 'enough chitchat'. You can do the same thing to her
[i] as Annie Finn, but I just kept her alive in return for the
   shotgun. Look around in the lady's place. There's a Painkiller
   in one of the cupboards. Then get out of there and look
   carefully to your right. See that open window? Jump through it
   on the ledge. This will require some of your l33t sk1lls in
   jumping. Jump from ledge to ledge and keep moving. Get into the
   open window before the guys down on the ground can fire their
   rounds at you.

[c] "Up there on the ledge! He's up there!" says one of the cleaners
   down on the ground.

   Lords and Ladies TVshow
   Lord: My lady, wait!

   Lady: My lord!

   Lord: My lady this is a surprise finding you here. Were you
         looking for me by chance?

   Lady: My lord I was... Oh... This is so difficult.

   Lord: My lady...?

   Lady: My lord, I came here to see you, but now that I am here, I
         see that this is a dreadful mistake...!

   Lord: My lady, no! Surely...

   Lady: My lord, I must go. Should anyone see you here your
         reputation would be ruined!

   Lord: My lady.... stay...!

   Lady: My lord, please...

   Lord: My lady!

[d] Want to know how to awaken the snoring guy? Turn off the telly
   and he will say some insane stuff you can't really make anything
   out of. Anyway, there is another open window there, so jump
   through it into the hallway. Watch out for enemy fire!

[c] "Kaufman wants him taken care of. So let's just find the guy and
   go home", says one of the cleaners. "You know what this is? The
   finale. The climax before the credits roll", says the other
   cleaner.

[e] Don't know what the cleaners are doing here, but it must being
   something unfriendly. They are after you too, by the way. That
   might be going to be a problem. Anyway, draw your weapon and
   shoot the two guys coming from your right. Hide behind the set
   of small boxes if you have to. Watch out for the third guy
   joining the two from the left.

[c] "Such a nice young man, coming to see an old lady like me?" says
   the granny. "Just passing through, ma'am", replies Max. "Such a
   nice boy. Not like the ones upstairs. They say they're
   renovating, but it's too quiet. They are up to no good",
   continues the woman. "The doctor gave me pills for my hip, but
   it's all better now. You should take them. You look a bit
   pinched, dear. They're in the bathroom. With all these claners
   you would think the place would be neatened. I've heard them
   talking in the corridor. Oh, I remember some of the days in the
   countryside with my Ben. Or was that something I saw on TV?" says
   the woman.

[d] She rattles about all kinds of things, so just continue and never
[i] mind her. However, if you're patient enough, she will open the
[e] door to the bathroom for you and to three free Painkillers. Move
   into her little apartment to the open window. This is an
   excellent place to kill some cleaners from. Grab your most
   accurate gun, the desert eagle or the single 9MM pistol and
   carefully take the cleaners out. If you still have a grenade or
   a molotov cocktail, throw it to the red cans and watch them
   explode. Finish off the ones that survive. They will try to hide
   behind the black delivery car. When it's safe, get out on the
   ledge and go to the left. Get on the thing and move up to find
   another window.

[c] "I had found the sniper's nest. The room was filled with
   surveillance equipment. They had been spying on me for days,
   weeks, months even. My every action observed, recorded and
   analyzed. the place was the proof every paraniod dreams of",
   says Max.

[i] Pick up the sniper rifle.

[c] Max used the recording machine to hear his voice, tapped from his
   telephone conversations.
   - Conversation 1 -

   Winterson: Winterson!

   Max: It's me, Max. I'm at home. Sniper outside the window. Sounds
        like more gunmen behind the door, closing in. I need help.

   Winterson: Max? O-okay... Hang in there! We'll get you out. Who's
              after you?

   Max: Can't talk, don't know, gotta go.

   - Conversation 2 -

   Max: Leave a message.

   Bravura: Max? Where are you? You're late again! Look, this
   insomnia crap isn't fooling anyone. I know what it's like... Eh..
   I just wanna to help! You should come to an AA meeting with me...

   - Conversation 3 -

   Girl: Thank you for calling Dangerously Azons. For Candy, press
         one. For Sandy, press two. For Mona, press three.

   * Max pressed 3.

   Girl: You have pressed 3, for Mona.

   Mona: Hi! This is Mona... What's your name?

   Max: ...I just need someone to talk to...

   Mona: Honey, this is a phone sex line. All we do is talk!

   Max: Right. It's... How do you fix something like that... how do
        you make amends... I thought it would help, but it only made
        it worse...

   Mona: Just give me your creditcard number and I can listen to you
         all night.

   Max: Killing them all didn't bring them back. It only made it
        worse.

   Mona: Hey what are you some kind of weirdo?!

   Max: Sorry... this was... sorry...

   * Max hangs up the phone.

[c] "The building trembled as in a seizure. The sound of an explosion
   came from the direction of my apartment", thinks Max.

[i] There are Painkillers in the redecorated bathroom.

[d] Go to the hallway and head for the staircase.

[c] "Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!" yells the woman as she hastes
   into her room. "Take this!" yells one of the cleaners.

[e] Watch out for the grenade; wait with entering the staircase.
   After the blow, a couple of guys will head your way. Enter Bullet
   Time and run to the stairs with your ingram blazing. Keep running
   and shooting until you're on the next floor. Make sure you picked
   up the weapons of all the dead guys.

[d] Go all the way up to the seventh floor, and get into the
   elevator. Operate it by pressing the buttons.

[c] "I wouldn't get through without the code. Behind the door were
   the suites. The weren't an improvement on the regular
   apartments", ponders Max. Max moves down with the elevator back
   to the lower floors. "They're crazy! Help! They want to
   clean me out!" says the beggar as the doors of the elevator open.

[e] Cleaners to your left.

[c] "Thanks fellow, you saved me. They blocked the door from the
   inside. These are terrible times. The tyranny of the cleaners",
   says the beggar. "Right... Any way out?" asks Max. "Up the roof,
   maybe... With the pigeons", answers the beggar. "You need the
   code to the seventh floor... Ed knows it... hehe... He is the
   janitor", says the Beggar. "Oh yeah... These crazy cleaners have
   invaded this turf..."

[d] Follow the signs saying 'basement'. Go down the stairs and pickup
[i] the two Painkillers in the med kit. Then go futher until you
   reach the singing guy, who is the janitor.

[c] "Hey! Hey!" says the janitor as Max points his gun at him. "NYPD.
   I need the code to the seventh floor door", says Max. "Sure...
   Wait... wait... I know it, I know it... Oh yeah... It's 667,
   neighboor of the beast. Get it?" says the Janitor. "Yeah... I get
   it", answers Max. "Okay", says the janitor. "You stay here", says
   Max. "Okay"

[d] Head all the way back to the elevator. Heal if possible, and
   reload your weapons.

[c] "It's not the same thing. I'm telling you. I understand what she
   did but I don't condone it. The same thing, it's the same thing",
   says the cleaner. "It's not", says the other cleaner. "I get what
   she did and why she did it, but doesn't mean I think it's okay",
   says the cleaner. "You get it, so you condone it ", replies the
   other one. "I understand you're an idiot, I don't condone it",
   says the cleaner.

[e] Watch out; the enemies are getting more powerful weapons now.
   One of them is walking around with an AK47, so dodge as much
   bullets as you possibly can. Waste the two guys.

[d] See the red can? Move upstairs there. take the ammo that's on
   the floor and head back into the elevator. Go back up, and
   operate the keypad to get into the hallways to the suite.

[e] Three guys will walk from the suite. I felt compelled to draw
   my dual desert eagles, so I did. Just aim for the heads and
   these guys will drop like flies. Cleaners and thugs aren't
   armored at all. Save your Kalashnikov for later.

[c] Address Unknown TVshow
   Narrator: Welcome back to our return to sender marathon. two days
   and two nights of the 90ties gold series Address Unknown. All the
   episodes in a row, a real descend to madness.

   John: I was lost in the streets of Noir York. The city had
   swallowed Mirror and my girlfriend. I was part of some eleborate
   game, complex for it's own sake. Everytime I looked over my
   shoulder, I saw a shadow disappearing behind the corner, and a
   glimpse of binoculars behind a window. They were spying on me,
   Following my every move. When Mirror killed again, the map of the
   city changed. Like a shifting glacier, a new crack appeared with
   every gunshot. I had abandoned all conventional methods of
   navigation. I was following the bloody signs he kept leaving me.
   And he watching me do it.

[i] There is sniper rifle ammo and desert eagle ammo to be found in the
   cupboards of the house. Go to the bathroom and pickup the four
   Painkillers.

[e] When you open the door to the right of you when you are standing
   in the entrance of the suite, you will encounter a cleaner with
   a 9MM. Shoot him with your equipped gun.

[i] Move past the pizza into the room with the two chairs and the
   open window. Open the cupboards for additional shotgun, desert
   eagle and sniper rifle ammo. Don't forget the Painkiller.

[d] Go outside and move past the ledge. When you reach the end of the
   ledge, jump down to the ledge on the floor beneath you. Watch out
   for enemy fire; a guy with a shotgun will fire on you. Keep moving
   and get the ammo by jumping past the hole. Then drop into the hole
   to the lower floor. From this ledge, jump into the window into
   safety.

[i] There are two Painkillers in this apartment. One in the bedroom and
   one in the livingroom.

[c] "The explosion in my apartment had started a fire. The flames
    couldn't burn away my past. They only made the shadows behind me
    leap higher", thinks Max.

#####################################################################
                  Part 1: The Darkness Inside
                Chapter 5: A Sign of Her Passage                [2g]
#####################################################################

"I had to get down to the street", ponders Max. Time to get out of
this building. Still up for it? Let's make some fun.

[d] Head for the staircase. There's nothing of particular interest to
   you to left and the right.

[e] Some voices are heard from behind the door. You can either wait
   for them to come to you, or you can bust in with Bullet Time.
   Either way, watch out for the grenades one of them throws. This
   might be a good time to practive with your sawed-off shotgun; this
   weapon will come in handy later. Shoot them and grab their weapons.

[i] Move upstairs for more Kalishnikov ammo, a few Painkillers and
   some desert eagle ammo. Just walk against the crates where the
   items are on and let gravity do the rest. Then get back down to
   the lower floors.

[c] "Mona had come through here, the dead cleaners a sign of her
   passage", thinks Max. "Open the door! Somebody!" yells a beggar
   on the other side of the door. "We're burning alive in here!
   Somebody call the fire department! Help! Anybody! I'm stuck!"
   Max kicks the piece of wood to the side and the door opens to
   smack the beggar right down on the floor. "Ugh...! Bless you! I
   owe you one!" says the beggar. "This is where the fun starts", says
   Max. "Yea... No sweat. I was a cop like you!" says the beggar.
   "Alright. Follow my lead", replies Max. "Yea... I was a cop...
   cost me my marriage... Long hours... She was terrified something
   would happen to me... Ah sure... I started hitting the bottle...
   Anybody would have! My boss busted me for drinking, set the rat
   squad loose on me. And that was the end of that. I blame the
   system! Buncha hippocrytes... " continues the beggar.

[d] You can't get into your apartment, or what's left of it, since
   it's blocked by the gas. Just move back and take the stairs
   further down. Open the door to find a girl.

[c] "Goddamn slimebags there are people trapped in here!" yells the
   girl. "Ah, the sons of bitches have blocked the door. Are you
   coming to my rescue?" asks the girl. "Something like that. We need
   to get out", replies Max. "You could probably get out through a
   window on the third floor, if you can kill the flames", says the
   girl. "A girl's got to protect herself".

[e] That's right. Just take your little team of... expert shooters...
[d] back into the hall and you will get into a firefight with some
   cleaners. Try to keep your friends alive, you might want to use
   them later when you need to get out and climb more ledges. Watch
   out as the cleaners use shotguns. Assist your friends and pick
   up the weapons once they are dead. Move into the room the cleaners
   were coming from.

[i] Open the lockers before entering the utility room for some extra
   desert eagle ammo.

[c] "The gas valve was in the utility room", ponders Max. "With the
   gas turned off, the flames on the third floor were no longer a
   problem", remarks Max.

[d] Move back upstairs and head for the stairs to the third floor.
[i] Watch out as there are a bunch of new cleaners, it might be cool
[e] to try and snipe them down as they are on the other side of the
   hallway. Otherwise, just close in and spray them to death. Pick
   up their guns and wait up for your friends. Get to the third floor
   and enter your own apartment. Watch out not the get hurt by the
   flames, and pickup the desert eagle on the couch next to the open
   window. Climb through the window onto the ledge. Switch to your
   Kalashnikov while walking past the ledge. Let your friends open
   fire on the cleaners down on the ground, and assist them from the
   favourable position behind the wall that leads around the corner.
   Some aimed shots on them in Bullet Time will quickly take care of
   them, assuming you have the Kalashnikov. Don't waste too much
   bullets as you will need this gun. If you don't have this gun
   anymore or if you already used the ammo, use the desert eagle to
   carefully take them out. Continue past the ledges and watch out
   for enemy fire. Go to higher ground and ignore the shotgun fire
   for the moment. Once you're at the highest point, again, hide
   behind the wall while firing on them from your Kalashnikov in
   Bullet Time. Jump across to the other ledges and heal before
   jumping on the tall thing used for the renovation. Watch out as
   you will drop down to the ground; the thing can't take your weight.
   Agily and elegantly let yourself drop until you are on the ground.
   Be careful! Cleaners will immediatly come in and open fire on you.
   Take them all out by focusing your Kalashnikov fire. Use Bullet
   Time to outperform them and hide whenever you have to. You should
   have enough Painkillers to heal yourself during the battle. When
   you run out of AK ammo, switch to dual ingrams and finish the job.
   Good luck, this one is a toughie!
______________________________________________________________________

Bravura: They hit your home? It's like a frigging kindergarten out
        there!

Bravura: What next? A kid with a bug fall of guns and a head full of
        videagames turns the house into a shooting gallery. Breaks my
        heart.

Bravura: Innocent people got killed. You didn't do your job, Payne.
        To serve and protect isn't just bullshit hype.

Bravura: What the hell's doing on?

Max: *Thinking* With me, he meant.

Max: *Thinking* I had my doubts, about the cleaners spying on me,
    about Mona.

Max: According to Vladimir Lem, the mob captain Vincent Cognitti is
    behind the hits.

Max: Seems he has made a deal with an unknown third party, maybe the
    cleaners, I don't know. Something doesn't fit.

Max: If it's true, I've been added on Gognitti's list.

Max: *Thinking* I came close to lying to Bravura. I told myself I needed
    to find out the facts first, before others could screw up the
    evidence, but that was an excuse.

Max: *Thinking* Mona had gotten under my skin. I couldn't close my
    eyes to any of it anymore. It was more important than the job.

Max: *Thinking* She had tried to reach me, left her number.

Max: Risky leaving your number at the police station.

Mona: Trace the call and you'll see I'm talking to you from Hong Kong.

Winterson: Winterson...

Mona: I'll give you my address. Make sure you're not followed.

Winterson: Max, what's going on?

Max: What do you mean?

Winterson: Don't do anything stupid.

#####################################################################
                  Part 1: The Darkness Inside
              Chapter 6: A Linear Sequence of Scares            [2h]
#####################################################################

"Mona's place was a closed down funhouse based on a 90ties TVshow.
The show's cancellation had been the kiss of death to it", ponders
Max. Normally, funhouses are... fun, but not this time. Let's just
get it over with.

[d] There are no cleaners, thugs or mercenaries here. Just follow
   the path and enjoy the setting. You will recognise quite some
   stuff from the Address Unknown TVshow, that is, if you took the
   time to watch it.

[c] "I felt like I was walking into a trap. I felt guilty. Like I was
   about the get caught", thinks Max. Max gets deeper into the
   funhouse and hears a phone ringing. He answers it. "John! You
   must run, he's after you, he wants to catch you! They're closing
   in! John, I love you, don't give up!" says a girly voice. "Stop
   him! There he is! Stop him! You can't escape! We're here to
   take you away! You have nowhere to run", say the hospital wardens.
   "There had been no lock on the front door. I had wondered why
   the place wasn't packed with hobo's and stray dogs. Little
   wonder", ponders Max. "Your past is a wave sneaking up on you.
   You'll hear broken echoes of it everywhere. Like a bad replay.
   You get mad at everybody for remind you about it, even if it's
   all in your head", thinks Max. "When entertainment turns to a
   surreal reflection of your life, you're a lucky man if you're
   gonna laugh at the joke. Luck and I were nonspeaking terms. Or
   maybe the place was just too lame to be funny", ponders Max.

[d] You might get last in the red place where you keep spinning
   around. Just walk from the platform to stop spinning and you'll
   notice a way out.

[c] "A funhouse is a linear sequence of scares. Take it or leave it
   is the only choice given", continues Max. "Makes you think about
   free will. Have our choices been made for us because of who we
   are?" ponders Max. "I was behind the backdrops. Getting warm",
   thinks Max.

[d] Go in the direction of the stairs. Or you could enter the room
   next to you to play with the various funhouse equipment. Take
   the stairs and try to open the door. It won't open. Go the other
   way and open the door te get outside. Jump onto the roof and
   enter through the open window.

[c] "When I had first met Mona, her twin sister had been killed. They
    must've felt like madness, schizophrenia in reverse, your other
    side suddenly falling silent. We had both lost our loved ones",
    continues Max. "Mona's door was locked. I could've knocked but I
    felt an urge to snoop around more. Keep acting paranoid, I
    pretended I had a choice in the matter", thinks Max.

[c] Lords and Ladies TVshow
   Narrator: Lords and Ladies brought to you in part by girltouch
             brandy.

   Jack: Going somewhere, little brother?

   Lord: My lord Jack, what on earth? Why are you lurking here in
         darkness? Are you... Are you spying on me? Hardly conduct
         fit for a lord!

   Jack: Not so, if the other one is not a lord to begin with. It
         is not I who's actions are at question here, Valentine.
         Where do you think you're going no this ungodly hour?

   Lord: Who put you up to this shameful errand? Mama?

   Jack: Leave our parents out of this. Papa is steamed from work,
         who is well on his way on recovery from the consumption when
         the news of you carrying on with that wench, a pirate's
         daughter no or less, brought about his relapse.
         Borderdash! Soon your papa will be dead, because of you, and
         I will be head of the family! Continue seeing her at your
         own peril.

   Lord: Are you theathening me, my lord?

   Jack: I will cut you off, Valentine, that and worse.

   Lord: I bid you goodnight, brother.

   Jack: That and worse, brother! Haahahahaha! That and worse...

[c] "The weapons and explosives in her workroom left no questions
   about her vocation", comments Max.

[i] Pick up the Painkillers in the room with the fridge. Go to Mona's
   workplace and get the weapons. There is an MP5 between them, this
   weapon is a great improvement to your arsenal, make good use of
   it.

[d] Get into the bathroom. Mona is there... As you can hear.

[c] "I'll tell you one thing, Mona, you're no singer", says Mona to
   herself. She's having a shower. Max walks in with his weapon drawn.
   You've switched tactics... We need to talk", says Max. "Bring me
   towel, will you?" replies Mona. "Now you're here, you can watch
   my back while I get dressed", continues Mona. "All she had told
   me was that someone wanted us dead. The was she was acting, I was
   the only one in danger here", ponders Max.
______________________________________________________________________

Max: You have to give me a lot more than that.

Mona: The Inner Circle.

Max: What of it?

Mona: The secret society is after everyone who knows of their
     existence.

Max: Come off it. Prove it.

Mona: I have a contact inside. He's willing to talk.

Max: Alfred Woden?

Mona: No.

Mona: Anyways, I can take you to him.

#####################################################################
                  Chapter 1: The Darkness Inside
                Part 7: The Million Dollar Question             [2i]
#####################################################################

Max: *Thinking* She wasn't telling me the whole truth.

Max: Let's go.

Mona: The Circle goes back to the centuries-old masonic cults,
     corruption and assassinations reaching all the way to
     presidential level.

Max: Right. And here I was thinking conspiracy theories had gone
    out of style.

Mona: We are here.

* Max notices the cars of the cleaners.

Max: So are they.

* Some bodies lie on the floor.

Max: I'm the only one handling a piece here.

Max: Which floor?

Mona: They are after him. The elevators work with the apartment keys
     and from the desk here.

Mona: They have jammed most of them to the floors they are on. The
     guards set off the alarm before they were killed.

Max: We need to do this fast.

Mona: Shouldn't we just wait for the cops?

* Hands Max a headset.

Mona: Here, so we can stay in touch
______________________________________________________________________

"You operate the elevator from here and I'll...", says Mona. "I'll go
up", interrupts Max. You're the man", says Mona. Max steps into the
elevator. "I got the floor panels in front of me. I can guide you
through", says Mona through the headset. "How come you're alive
anyway? I saw you take a bullet to the head", asks Max. "Maybe it's
still there. Keeps me focussed", replies Mona. "For this to work, I
was gonna have to trust her", thinks Max. "Let's get to work.
Cleaners to the left, guarding Clarkron's door at the opposite end of
the hall", says Mona. The elevator doors opened to reveal a nice and
royal looking block office.

[c] "...Walking across the room, slow, taking her time as if she was a
   super model on a catwalk", says one of the cleaners. "Until she is
   very close to me and she goes 'your place or mine'. And I'm
   playing cool and I go 'yours, baby'", continues the cleaner.
   "Ahahaha, yea right, I saw the same movie yesterday", replies the
   other cleaner. "You should listen. You might learn something",
   says the cleaner. "Riiiiiight", says the other one. "You're so
   full of yourself. Your place or mine, Jesus". "You're jealous",
   snarls the cleaner.

[e] Do as Mona says. Cleaners to the left, jump in on them and spray
   them to death. Grab their weapons, including a grenade. Don't
   use your strongest weapons; save those for later.

[c] "The door's locked!", says Max. "Try the door on the far right,
   next to the large painting. You can get to Clarkron's place
   through the balcony", replies Mona.

[d] Turn around and go to the left. You'll notice a painting with
   some odd pink tower on it. Go through the door there.

[c] "Well that's just it, what you don't see, is that we're working
   here. This is a pro-setup, top of the line, nothing to joke about.
   This isn't just a custom party. Just take Kaufman. Believe me,
   without going into details, Kaufman is a bad motherfucker. Of
   course that's not his real name", says a tough talking cleaner.
   "Yea no, I see it. I meant nothing by it", replies another cleaner.
   "I see other things. You should mean something by it. Take a stand
   for once in your life", says the cleaner. "Come on, I get the
   point, okay", says the other one. "Hey, just saying. Just saying",
   responds the cleaner. "Yea, I get the point".

[e] Maybe they don't get that this kind of stuff is illegal. Bust
   in there and shoot them. Remember, don't use your best weapons
   yet, I can probably not say this enough. You will have to go
   through some heavy fighting in this level. Pick up all weapons
   that are dropped.

[c] "They're cleaning other apartments as well", says Max. "Clarkron
   said that other Inner Circle members live in the building",
   replies Mona.

[d] Follow the bloody trail to the bathroom. There are 4 painkillers
[i] there. Take them and heal yourself if you're hurt. Remember to
   save often.

[c] "Found a body. A thin guy in a suit", says Max. "That's not
   Clarkron. He's a big man, fat", replies Mona.


[d] Get on the balcony. You will see a way to get on the balcony to
   your left. Watch out not to fall; it's a long way down. Shoot
   through the glass to get into the other apartment. Or just go
   in by the door. Anyway, go through the door in front of you and
   go through the bathroom and the bedroom.

[c] "Nothing here", says Max. "Check upstairs", responds Mona.

[d] Go to the stairs.

[c] "Search the place, strip it down. Papers, photo's everything needs
   to go. This place must be cleaner than it's ever been. Kaufman's
   orders. It needs to look like a black hole materialized in here
   and sucked every print, every hair, every mote of dust away.
   Like someone went back in a timemachine and killed his parents
   before they met. Like this guy never exisited", says one of the
   cleaners. "Let's do it".

[c] "Almost done. Heh. The fat man wasn't ready to go", says a cleaner.
   "No?" asks the other one. "Nope. Tried to put up a fight. Like
   killing an elephant. took a dozen bullets before he went down",
   replies the cleaner. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall",
   says the other one. "Right" says the cleaner. "Moving out soon",
   replies the other cleaner. "Yeah. I'll take care of downstairs",
   says the cleaner.

[e] They're coming for you. Or you could be inpolite and disrupt the
   conversation before they ever finish it. Careful... There are a
   lot of guys here. "I'm going upstairs", Max will say. Take out
   your AK47 or MP5, you'll need the firepower. The first three guys
   will be rather close to you, take care of them first. The two in
   the back have less accurate weapons, a shotgun and an ingram, so
   they should be no problem once the three on the front go down.
   Take all weapons with you.

[c] "We're late. He's dead", says Max. "You need to get out of there.
   We need to leave now. More cleaners in the lobby coming your
   way", says Mona. "I wasn't ready to go. Not without a single
   piece of evidence. In photo, a group of men were posing in front
   of a manor house. Clarkron was there. Senator Gate was there. So
   was Alfred Woden. So it was true. All bets were off. The Inner
   Circle was involved", ponders Max.

[e] A group of cleaners will close in. One of them has an M4, one of
[d] the most lethal weapons in the game. Take him down first. Two
   other guys will follow up, one wielding an ingram. Save the M4 for
   later. Move across the hallway, to the fire door. Two cleaners
   will spot you and come to you. Hide behind the wall and take out
   your dual 9MM. Shoot them down before they can close in on you.
   Now move to them, take their weapons and enter the apartment they
   were guarding. There is nothing special here, go downstairs. Some
   cleaner will be playing a piano while a dead guy is lying on it.
   Shootdodge them from the stairs and keep firing until they drop.
   Some Rambo guy will jump through the window right after; quickly
   enter Bullet Time to reload your gun and shoot him. Always
   thought it was special to drive without hands? Press the [use]
   button near the piano and watch Max play his own theme without
   his hands. Play it again to hear it how its supposed to be.

[c] "You should be able to make the jump to the balcony below", says
   Mona. "Everything okay up there?" yells one of the cleaners.
   "Something's going wrong, I know it", continues the cleaner. "I
   told, we're much better off than they were. They were on a stake
   our when it happened. Stake out wears you down, it numbs you.
   Then, when you have get ready all of a sudden, you're not! We on
   the other hand got adrenaline on out side. We're ready. We can
   handle it. Whether it's a crazy jumper, or a cop, or whatever
   it is. We can handle it. Kaufman will take care of it", says the
   other cleaner.

[d] Jump down on the roof. There are two guys having a conversation
[e] here. You should have no problem taking care of them, just watch
   out not to get hurt or Shootdodge your way to the ground. Heal
   yourself and reload. Heal yourself to the fullest. Save your
   game. Take your best weapon, personally, I prefer to use the dual
   ingram in this situation. Go through the door and keep spraying
   ahead of you, in Bullet Time of course. Remain in Bullet Time
   until all of them are dead. Now keep running to the front, and
   turn to the left right into the first turn to kill a guy with
   an ingram. Run into the bedroom to kill two guys carrying
   shotguns. Go back and move into the kitchen to kill another guy.
   Leave Bullet Time. Nothing special in this apartment. Get to
   the front door.

[c] "Mona what next?" says Max. "More of them in the lobby ahead",
   replies Mona. "No! No! No! What is this? Take my money!" screams
   the business man. He is shot in the back. "Ok , nice timing",
   says Mona. "What was he up to?" asks a cleaner. "Hey, wallstreet
   yuppies", replies another cleaner. "Haha, lotsa ups, no downs",
   says the cleaner. "Just what the doctor ordered".

[e] Move towards them and shoot them when they become visible, if
   they aren't visible already. I would shoot these three by entering
   Bullet Time and moving towards them while strafing.

[d] Get into the room the business guy came from and search the upper
[i] floor before going to down. There are 4 Painkillers in the
   bathroom. Then go downstairs.

[c] "Starting to sound like a broken record here. More cleaners to
   the right, in the lobby, behind the door", says Mona. "Thanks",
   replies Max.

   Address Unknown TVshow
   Narrator: Adress Unknown continues.

   John: Wherever I went, the payphones started to rain. Finally
         I collected enough courage to answer one.

   Girl: John! You must run, he's after you, he wants to catch you!
         They're closing in! John, I love you, don't give up!

   John: I wasn't gonna give up on her. I could hear her voice in
         my head wherever I went, guiding me. I traced my double
         to a classy uptown nightclub. The Pink Flamingo. It was
         happy hour. They were serving flamingo cocktails. Somehow
         the flamingo was tied to my double. Mirror's men had found
         me. I ran.

   Mirror's men: Stop him! There he is! Stop him! You can't escape!
                 We're here to take you away! You have nowhere to
                 run!

   John: Mirror was an influencal figure in Noir York, his men
         chased me. They wore white uniforms. I ran.

[d] Get out of this apartment. There's a cleaner across the hall. Try
[e] and improve your sniping skills if you feel like it. Go through
   the door he was guarding once you're done.

[c] "I'm out of ideas, Max", says Mona. "I'll check the apartment the
   cleaner was guarding", says Max. "Why would I waste my life on
   a window cleaner's lift when I can use the elevator?" says the
   cleaner outside. "I don't know. For the thrill of it. Like
   bungee-jumping. Extreme sports. You know!" answers the other one.
   "I don't get it. That's something for stupid kids with a
   deathwish. I don't need to die to feel alive", replies the cleaner.
   "This is exactly a job without it's hazards, what we're doing!"
   says the other one. "Granted. But we get paid for doing this. The
   money is the diffirence. A guy will put up with all kinds of crazy
   shit for money", replies the cleaner.

[e] Waste them.

[c] "Mona, I found a window cleaner's lift. I'm going down", says Max.
   "Max?" asks Mona. "Yeah?" says Max. "I don't know... I just wanted
   to say...", says Mona. She is interrupted by the gunfire. "Mona?
   Mona? Mona!" yells Max.

[d] Go outside. Watch out, as a guy will toss down grenades. Jump
[e] your way from floor to floor and watch where you jump. You will
   see an open window. Enter Bullet Time and fire your shotgun into
   it to kill the guy with the dual 9MM pistols.

[c] "Something happened to Mona. Nothing worked out as planned. I had
   to find another way down to the lobby", ponders Max.

[d] Go into the apartment. Pick up the two Painkillers on the table.
[i] Get ready for battle and heal yourself.

[e] You better know how to strafe. Open the door and move into the
   lobby. There are three cleaners to your left. enter Bullet Time
   and take your ingram. Keep firing, and keep strafing to kill them
   all. If you don't have your ingram anymore, or if your ammo has
   depleted, use your AK, M4 or M5. Keep strafing if you want to
   live. Now, there are more guys here, so shoot them as well. Leave
   Bullet Time. At the other side of the hall are two more cleaners.
   Take your sniper rifle and snipe the first. Move to the opposite
   end and take care of the last guy. Get ready, now it gets tricky.

[c] "Find him. Take care of him", says Kaufman.

[e] Try to spray as many as you can to death before they can leave
   the elevator. Kaufman has a dual ingram, so stay out of his
   reach. Once his three cleaners are dead, focus on Kaufman. He
   is somewhat more armored than the regular enemies, but still
   isn't much of a challenge. Keep strafing to dodge his dual
   ingrams, while blazing your own gun. When he goes down you're
   probably out of Bullet Time, so get behind something. Three more
   Cleaners will appear at the opposite end of the lobby. You will
   have to Shootdodge to kill them. Wait for them to close in on you
   and then jump. Try to kill all of them in your Shootdodge, or
   else it might get messy. You will now hear a guy behind you,
   whistling. He's the last one, so finish him and hop into the
   elevator. Press the buttons to complete the level.

[c] "Why had she come to me in the for place. For help? For something
   she wasn't telling me...", ponders Max. "NYPD! Freeze!" says the
   cop. "Easy! Don't move", says another one. "Payne, what are you
   doing?" asks Winterson. "What are you doing?". "The million dollar
   question I didn't have the answer to", thinks Payne.

#####################################################################
                  Part 2: A Binary Choice                       [2j]
                          Prologue
#####################################################################

Bravura: What were you thinking?

___________________________________________________________________
/                             Weaponry                              \
\___________________________________________________________________/

[3a] - Melee

Usability                : *
Usability in Bullet Time : *
Usability in Shootdodge  : -
Assuming you will be using Bullet Time to fight your way through the
game, you might not even use this 'weapon' at all. I remember I
killed a total of 1 enemy with it during my first play through the
game, because I didn't make full use of Bullet Time. I ran out of
ammo while firing my pistol, and hammered the last standing enemy
down. Whenever you get grenades or molotov cocktails, always switch
to those because they simply are much more usable.

[3b] - Molotov Cocktails

Usability                : ***
Usability in Bullet Time : ***
Usability in Shootdodge  : *
Now these are a nice addition to your personal array of weaponry.
Whenever you know that certain enemies will appear on certain
places (for example, when you know they will run through a door,
or jump over a wall), just throw a molotov cocktail in their path
and watch them burn to death, or become seriously injured.
Usually, they are quite easy to kill whenever they survive the
flames. Just make sure you are careful when throwing them; don't
hurt yourself. Since these are very easy to come by once you are
in the second chapter, don't be afriad to use them.

[3c] - Grenades

Usability                : ****
Usability in Bullet Time : ***
Usability in Shootdodge  : *
Even better than the molotov cocktails, grenades can keep you
entertained for hours. Just throw them at places you know
enemies hide behind and it will rain corpses. Like with the
molotov cocktails, be careful not to hurt yourself. The splash
damage hurts, but its radius is not too big. Whenever there is
a grenade thrown between your feet, simply move over a bit to
avoid being hurt. You will get plenty of these when you start
encountering mercenaries.

[3d] - Dual Desert Eagles

Usability                : ****
Usability in Bullet Time : ****
Usability in Shootdodge  : **
They have a slower rate of fire than their 9MM pistol brothers,
but will make up for it with their damage bonus. Ideal when
in Bullet Time, simply strafe around the opponents and keep
them blazing. You will do a swift reload when you run out of
bullets, making these guns lethal during battles with large
numbers of thugs or cleaners. You might want to reconsider
using them when fighting against mercenaries, though. And
never use them in combination with a shootdodge; their rate of
fire will drop because of shootdodge slowdown, and since you
have to get up first before resuming fire you will be a sitting
duck.

[3e] - Desert Eagle

Usability                : **
Usability in Bullet Time : **
Usability in Shootdodge  : *
Simply won't do in comparison to the 9MM pistol. It has a slow
rate of fire, and although it does considerably more damage, you
will not be able to shoot through your rounds as quickly;
meaning you really can't afford to miss too much, which could be</pre><pre id="faqspan-3">
hard. Just save your bullets for when you get the dual desert
eagle which give you a lot more firepower.

[3f] - Dual 9MM Pistol

Usability                : ****
Usability in Bullet Time : ****
Usability in Shootdodge  : ****
Now these are a couple of real firearms. Handy in almost every
situation, you might want to make these your default weapons.
Although a bit weak against mercenaries, like all handguns, it
is still a deadly force. Whenever you use shootdodge, you might
want to keep down on the ground and empty your clips at whatever
is coming for you. Like with all handguns, aiming for the head
is almost a requirement.

[3g] - 9MM Pistol

Usability                : ***
Usability in Bullet Time : **
Usability in Shootdodge  : *
Your first gun is generally a blessing when struggling with
thugs, but worthless during fights with the armored mercenaries.
This gun will get the job done in the beginning. But as soon as
you get a stronger replacement, switch to it unless it is the
desert eagle. You might want to use it in situations where there
are plenty of cleaners. Just aim for the heads and watch them go
down in numbers.

[3h] - Striker

Usability                : ***
Usability in Bullet Time : *****
Usability in Shootdodge  : *****
This thing rocks. It just outperforms the two other shotguns in
every way and is one of the most usuable weapons in the game.
Like with the Ingrams, just run into an enemy filled room with
bullet time, and keep firing until everything is dead. You will
have to watch out with your reload though; once your bullet time
is up, quickly move out of the field and find a safe spot to
reload. Be careful with it when you don't have plenty of bullet
time; the reload time is a major disadvantage.

[3i] - Shotgun

Usability                : **
Usability in Bullet Time : ***
Usability in Shootdodge  : *
This isn't what you're looking for in a big struggle. In shooting
games like these it's about who can fire the most bullets in a
certain amount of time. Although it fires several bullets at a
time, it rate of fire just hurts too much. This weapon is used
best when in bullet time. Strafe around the enemies and keep
firing the shotgun. When you run out of bullets, you'll get an
instant reload! But even with this seemingly nice bonus, it's
still nothing special.

[3j] - Sawed-off Shotgun

Usability                : *
Usability in Bullet Time : *****
Usability in Shootdodge  : *
An extremely deadly force in Bullet Time. Just keep strafing
around the enemies and keep hitting them with a lot of bullets.
Although it's nothing special on large distances, it gets the
job done during the many 3 on 1 fights you will have during this
game. Bullet Time simply negates the reload penalty and gets
the max out of this gun. Run for cover when you run out of
Bullet Time though; you will have to switch to another gun as
this piece is too weak without Bullet Time.

[3k] - MP5

Usability                : *****
Usability in Bullet Time : ****
Usability in Shootdodge  : ****
This thing is like the dual 9MM pistols with increased accuracy
and a scope. Ideal to walk around with in buildings with large
halls. Whenever you get hold of this weapon, switch to it, and
stick to it until you get improvement. When you need to snipe,
you might as well use this gun, but remember that your bullets
will first have to travel the distance, while bullets fired from
'real' sniper rifles immediatly hit the target pinpointed.

[3l] - Ingram

Usability                : **
Usability in Bullet Time : *****
Usability in Shootdodge  : *
Out of Bullet Time, it's accuracy and power bites. The rounds
are too small and empty too fast. However, I made my way through
hordes of cleaners and even mercenaries in Bullet Time. When
you suspect there are a lot of enemies behind a door, just grab
this gun, check if you have enough spare ammo, activate bullet
time and walk right in. Keep moving towards your targets firing,
and don't stop shooting until you're sure nobody is left alive.
This thing eats ammo though; so always keep your eyes on that.

[3m] - Dual Ingram

Usability                : ***
Usability in Bullet Time : *****
Usability in Shootdodge  : ****
This thing should be named AmmoEater2k4 because it simply punches
out as much bullets as it possibly can. However, this is more of
an advantage than a disadvantage. Whenever you have a lot of
angry thugs on your tail, run around a corner, switch to these,
and jump around in Shootdodge. Keep firing at them and when you
hit the floor, fully empty it. If you aimed well enough, you'll
see that most enemies are down and out. Watch the ammo!

[3n] - M4 Carbine

Usability                : ****
Usability in Bullet Time : *****
Usability in Shootdodge  : ****
Powerful, reliable and accurate. Just about everything you want
your gun to be. Although it has a slightly lower rate of fire
than most other weapons of it's kind, it has more power in
exchange. Use this gun when you know there a lot of mercenaries
around since this is the ultimate mercenary killer. Just aim for
the large parts of the body and duck for cover when you need to
reload. Almost anything will die when hit by a couple of M4
bullets.

[3o] - AK47 Kalashnikov

Usability                : *****
Usability in Bullet Time : *****
Usability in Shootdodge  : ****
Over the last couple of years, this has probably become one of the
most known weapons on the net. The AK47 is by far my favorite
weapon in Max Payne simply because it kills. High rate of fire,
moderate damage, high accuracy and low reload time. Just have this
gun close to you in seemingly desperate situations and it will save
your day.

[3p] - Dragunov

Usability                : **
Usability in Bullet Time : **
Usability in Shootdodge  : *
You'll get hold of this weapon during the parts with Mona, and it
is pretty... useless. Although 10 bullets in a round is nice for
a sniper rifle, the MP5 is way more useful than the Dragunov.
Although projectiles fired from sniper rifles immediatly hit
their targets, the Dragunov is a bad gun to handle when you're
suddenly ambushed from behind. It's better to stick to the MP5.

[3q] - Sniper Rifle

Usability                : *
Usability in Bullet Time : *
Usability in Shootdodge  : *
Good weapon if you like to use shit. Only use this weapon if you
really have to; otherwise just avoid it. It might appear powerful
at first since it takes most enemies out in one shot, but once the
enemies start coming in by the masses, you will need more than one
shot to keep yourself alive.
___________________________________________________________________
/                         Payne to the Max                          \
\___________________________________________________________________/

Want to become a better Max Payne player? There's a lot of challenge
in the other difficulties, but you will need to be sharp in order to
be them. You will have to move fast in New York Minute and take as
few bullets as you can in Dead on Arrival. Want to break your record
with Dead Man Walking? Look here for some tips & tricks.

[4a] - Don't want to end up in a grave? Learn how to strafe.

Strafing is probably one of the best methods to dodge bullets. If
remain at one position all of the time, you will go down. Even if
you're in Bullet Time, you will need to keep moving. Always keep
moving. If you can learn how to aim and strafe at the same time, you
can beat the whole game without a sweat. Find out what weapons fit
your style and learn how to move around with the them. For example,
I often use the sawed-off shotgun in combination with Bullet Time and
strafing to beat down hordes of enemies.

[4b] - Learn how to aim to stay in the game.

You aren't going to hit anything if you can't aim with precision. Make
sure your mouse is in optimal condition and learn how to track a
target. Always remember that you won't do much damage when you hit
the enemy's feet, and neither will you when you constantly keep aiming
for that armored body part. Always go for the head if you can.
Mercenaries are not that tough if you can blow 'em through the head.
Heck, I even fire at their feet for fun to avoid the armored parts
of their bodies. It just does way more damage. Can't beat Kaufman? Go
for his head! It's amazing how fast enemies die when you can get that
one small shot in the head.

[4c] - Learn how to throw to steal the show.

Grenades and molotov cocktails aren't there for nothing. I can't
remember all the hours I had fun with a couple of good old 'nades.
Just throw these in the places you know of enemies will appear. For
example, I often died in my first time through the game -- until I
learned how to effectively use these weapons! AI stupidity is probably
the most fun thing about Max Payne. They will always run through the
blazing fires even if they see 'em from a few metres distance. When
enemies start surrounding you, enter Bullet Time and throw grenades to
every side and keep your guns blazing. Then, it will not only rain
bullets, but also bodies.

[4d] - Walk while they talk.

This is the best thing about Max Payne. Often, enemies are talking
and remain stationary. You can get insanely close to enemies by
walking to them as long as you don't fire your weapon. You can smack
with the doors, jump up and down until Max barely breathes, but they
still won't take the initiative. Use this to your advantage to sneak
by and shoot them when they least expect it.

[4e] - No Payne, no gain.

Sometimes you just need to recieve some bullets before you can get
past a point; live with it. There are plenty of Painkillers around,
and you will always automatically heal some if you're badly hurt. Make
use of your best weapons to fight your way to new weapons. If it's
really impossible to continue with your health as it is then load
a previous save game; Max Payne 2 always keeps 2 auto-saves files
intact.

[4f] - It'll be fine, as long as you keep using Bullet Time.

Bullet Time is the heart of Max Payne games. Time slows down as
adrenaline rushes through Max. While in Bullet Time, you will reload
at an extremely rapid rate, and you will become able to dodge
bullets, since you can actually see them. Time will slow down and you
will be able of pinpointing and killing more enemies. Always make use
of Bullet Time... Always!

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                 The Million Dollar Questions: FAQ
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Want to know how to get past a point without having to read all of
the guide? Just have some general questions? Look here first before
emailing me.

- In-Game Questions -                                           [41a]

Q: In Part 1, Chapter 2 I just keep dying. I can't get pas the
  enemies because there simply are too many of them.
A: Have you read the above tips? You should read them to learn how to
  get these kinds of parts. Have you got any Painkillers? Use them
  while in battle. Do you have grenades or molotov cocktails? They
  will kill enemies long before they can reach you. Did you already
  lose Mike the Cowboy? Restart the level and ensure his survival.
  It'll make it all a bit easier.

Q: In Part 1, Chapter 4 I'm stuck in the hallway and I don't know how
  to continue. All the doors are locked and I have searched through
  all of the rooms.
A: You need to look for open windows through which you can get
  outside. Once outside, you will have to jump from ledge to ledge
  in order to get further in the level.

Q: How do I perform that cool spin you see in the intro movie?
A: Easy. Just enter Bullet Time and reload after you fired a couple
  of shots. Enjoy! Remember, while spinning, you will dodge bullets
  so it's best to move closer to the enemies while spinning, so
  you can get a clean shot at your target.

- General Questions -                                            [41b]

Q: I got huge performance problems. What's the best thing to do?
A: You should always have the latests patches and fixes for your
  video drives and the game. Don't forget that Max Payne is fully
  costumizable; you can change to a lower resolution, adjust the
  detail settings and more. You can access the options screen by
  selecting 'Options...' from your startup screen.

Q: I installed a Mod. Now how do I play it?
A: Start the game and wait for the startup screen. Instead of
  clicking 'Play' straight away, select your mod from the 'Choose
  Costumized Game' dropdown menu.

Q: Im not sure whether I can play Max Payne 2 on my computer.
A: Since Max Payne 2 is such a costumizable games, you can play it
  even on an older type of computer. Here are the minimum
  requirements taken from Max Payne 2's original website:
  1Ghz PIII/Athlon or 1.2Ghz Celeron/Duron processor
  32MB AGP graphics card with hardware transform & lighting support
  256MB RAM
  1.5 GB hard drive space
  Windows 98/ME/2000/XP
  DirectX 9.0
  Keyboard and mouse

Q: You don't seem to reply to any of my mail!
A: Either I don't feel like answering you mail because the answer is
  already in the guide, or I did not recieve. Try to resend it. If
  you really have an important question, send an e-mail to:
  [email protected]

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                          Behind the Payne
#####################################################################

- Max Payne -

- The 'Fall' of Max Payne -

___________________________________________________________________
/                       Version Information                         \
\___________________________________________________________________/

Current version is 0.41

- Update Information -

;January 12th 2003
Guide submitted to GameFAQs.com

;January 13th 2003
Corrected guide layout
Added new sections, updated existing information