Easter Eggs and References in Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne

"Is this the Payne residence?"
While exploring the hospital's reception area, a phone will start to ring. The player can chose whether to pick up the receiver or not; it's not crucial to the progression of the game but it does contain a nice Easter Egg. If Max picks up the phone, he hears the voice of Nicole Horne asking "is this the Payne residence?" This is a direct mirror to the first level in the original game when Max returns home.

Memorial Hospital
While walking through the hospital lobby, an advertisement for Memorial Hospital with the tagline "we care about your health."can be seen on the right. The two doctors standing in the photograph are employees of Remedy.

Children Drawings
In games, children are usually portrayed as creepy, all-knowing beings with an ability to know things without being present. While Max Payne 2 doesn't contain an Alma Wade or Alessa Gillespie, the windows of the children's play area are covered in a series of drawings retelling the flashback scene in the original MP game:
1) Max driving in a police car, 2) Max with his family, 3) a monster (murders), 4) the murder, 5) Max crying.


Interfectum Painkillers
A TV advert promoting Interfectum painkillers can frequently be seen throughout the game as well as on billboards. These are presumed to be the painkillers Max is addicted to. The TV advertisement also recommends the product for undercover officers who have been shot in the line of duty, like Max.

Address Unknown
Remember the Address Unknown episode in the orignal Max Payne? Well, it's back! In the previous game it was a stand-alone episode inspired by David Lynch's Twin Peaks. In the second game, the show is now a series. The first epsiode of which can be seen in the prologue at hospital. Advertisements for the show are also seen on cola machines.

SADIM / Gold Touch Brandy
An advertisement promoting Gold Touch Brandy can be seen on the televisions throughout the game. The female spokeperson for the brand is played by Kathy Tong, the actress for Mona Sax. The name of the brandy is further focused on later in the game in a dream sequence.

In an alternative advertisement for Gold Touch Brandy, Max appears on a billboard promoting SADIM Brandy with the tagline "Everything I touch dies". Those familar with their Greek mythology may recognise the inspiration behind the name. Backwards the name reads MIDAS, the King known for his ability to turn objects into gold. It both foreshadows Mona's demise (as seen at the start of the game) as well as referencing Max's wife and child. It also implies that Max continues worships them as they're preserved as golden statues.

Max Heat
Throughout the game, the player can see advertisements for an adult video entitled Max Heat. The name is a reference to a series of prototype names given to the protagonist. The list also contains Alex Casey (which appears in Alan Wake) and Dark Justice.

Dick Justice
Dick Justice is a new television show which mirrors the first few levels of the first Max Payne game with some slight alterations. One of the major differences how the protagonist becomes a fugitive; in the series Justice was framed for the murder of his girlfriend, whereas Payne was framed for the murder of a friend Alex Balder.  The line "in a situation like mine, you can only think in metaphors" is a joke referring to Payne's admiration for metaphors and similies in his narration. The title of the show is also a parody of one of the considered names for Max Payne, Dark Justice.

Dick Justice was the name that one of the enemies in the previous game gave his gun.

Squeaky Cleaning Company Bluff
While searching Vladmir's warehouse, Max discovers the area is filled with Cleaners appaerently working for the Squeaky Cleaning Company. While interogating one of the employees, Max asked if he heard anything. According to the staff, there's a gun workshop above the warehouse. When the protagonist asks to be taken to it, the Cleaner opens the door at this point the player has two options. You can either proceed through the door or wait until the Cleaner walks ahead.

If Max walks through the door straight away, the Cleaner will kill Max from behind. If the Cleaner goes first, Max will be led into an ambush but has a chance of surviving the attack. The player can also shoot the Cleaner while they're heading into the ambush, this action triggers Max to comment "the perp's disguise didn't fool me. He was leading me into a trap."

American Avenger
An TV advert promoting a 9mm handgun can frequently be seen throughout the game. It's tagline "when it's too late to protect your loved ones" mirrors Max's predictament in the original game where he sought revenge for the death of his wife and daughter. Of course, this is the standard weapon for the game.

Vladimir Lem's Vodka
A TV advert promoting Vodka can frequently be seen throughout the game. Since the original game, the Ragnarock nightclub has been bought out by mob boss, Vladimir Lem, and turned into a new restaurant. Max visits the establishment later on in the game.

The Brooklyn School for the Blind
An TV advert promoting the Brooklyn School for the Blind can frequently be seen throughout the game. Certificates of support for the charity can be seen behind the desk of both Valerie Winterson and Vladimir Lem, which hints towards their relationship. In a voice message left on Vlad's telephone machine by Winterson, confirming their relationship, she that he was "so good to [her] boy".

Dangerous Liaisons
A TV advert promoting the Dangerous Liaisons can frequently be seen throughout the game. After discovering a secret safehouse located opposite Payne's apartment, the player can listen to a tape recorder with one of Max's phone calls to the service. In the call, he tries to talk about the difficulties he's been facing following his family's murder. Advertisements for the phone line can also be seen on posters decorating the walls of the bathrooms in the first Max Payne game.

Castling Insurance Company
A TV advert promoting the Castling Insurance Company can frequently be seen throughout the game. While their connection to the game's plot may be a lot more subtle as it's not commentating on the main themes, the company building is a major turning point in the title. The Cleaners were using an abandoned construction site, previously occupied by the organisation, as their main base of operations.

Ragnarock
In the warehouse, Max will pass a neon sign reading "Ragnarock", which was originally the name of the nightclub in the original Max Payne. In this game, the nightclub is now a restaurant called Vodka and owned by Vladimir Lem.

Winterson's Introduction
(Limited to Platform)
Shortly after witnessing the death of Annie Finn, there's the faint sound of police sirens. Max can look outside the window to see Detective Winterson pull up outside the warehouse and run into the building. Alternatively, Max can also watch the officer's arrival through the CCTV camera in the same room Finn was murdered.

"Max, we gotta stop meeting like this"
While raiding Vladimir's warehouse, Max is reintroduced to Mona Sax, a freelance assassin he met in the previous game. Their meeting is cut short as Mona quickly escapes into elevator as the doors were closing. Her line "Max, we gotta stop meeting like this" is also a mirror to her comment and actions in the original title.

Captain Baseball Bat Boy
The Captain Baseball Bat Boy series returns in Max Payne 2! While players could read the comics in the original game and see promotional advertisements on billboards, he returned bigger and better, this time in a television series. Like with the TV series in the game, episodes are spread out throughout the game.

"Freaking Zombie Demons from Outer Space"
The antagonists in the Captain Baseball Bat Boy series, the Freaking Zombie Demonds from Outer Space, are also mentioned in the original Max Payne title. In the old Ragnarock building, posters with the name are pasted around the front entrance.

Captain Baseball Bat Boy Drawing
While tracking down Vladimir Lem at Vodka, the player can enter Vlad's office located down a corridor, on the right. In the room, there's a huge whiteboard with a diagram of a bomb going off inside a life-sized Captain Baseball Bat Boy outfit.

Pills from the Elderly Lady
Just after leaving his apartment, Max will encounter some trouble with the Cleaners. While many of his neighbours refuse to open their door, an elderly lady with a red dressing gown will offer Max some painkillers. The player will need to click the "interact" button when she offers the pills. By doing so the lady will open the bathroom door.

667, Neighbour of the Beast
When looking for the combination code in his apartment block, Max meets a janitor working in the basement humming Late Goodbye. A cinematic is triggered once Max approaches the worker. In the cutscene, the janitor reveal the code "667, the neighbour of the beast, get it?" In the original Max Payne title, the combination code 665 unlocked a government computer, the comment "the neighbour of the beast" was also used to describe the number.

"Stay Frosty Baskinator"
The janitor who informs Max of the combination code for the apartment is shown scrubbing off the grafetti on the wall. The graffiti features a picture of an ice cube and the words "Stay Frosty Baskinator". Baskinator was an active member on the 3D Realms forum.

Fireballs from Super Mario
While Max is traversing the ledges outside the apartment block, he will pass a large "M". By pressing the interaction button three times, the player will trigger a rather unusual occurrence. Fireballs will move in an up and down formation in the broken gaps between the ledges.

Lords and Ladies
While in the previous game, players got a short glimpse at Lords and Ladies, for the game's sequel we were treated to an entire series. All the episodes can be seen throughout the game, mirroring the plot as the levels progress. Those who played the original title may recognise two of the characters in the show. Both Sam Lake (the face of Max Payne in the first game) and Marko Saaresto (the face of Vladmir Lem in the first game) have major roles in the series.

It's also worth noting that Lord Valentine and Max Payne (played by Lake) as well as Lord Jack and Vladimir Lem (play by Saaresto) both experience similar events and issues. You can rewatch the series on YouTube, HERE.

Late Goodbye
Late Goodbye is the first ever song by Finnish rockband, Poets of the Fall. Based from a poem by Sam Lake, the song can be heard playing throughout the game's credits as well as frequently throughout the journey. You can purchase the Late Goodbye EP on iTunes, the bundle contains the four versions of the song as well as an additional song, Everything Fades.

     -     An extended version of the song can be listen to by entering the game's menu and selecting "Credits"

     -     When looking for the combination code in his apartment block, Max meets a janitor working in the basement. He can be overheard singing portions of the song.

     -      Mona can be heard singing the song's chorus while she takes a shower. 

     -     While Max is on an undercover mission, one of the Cleaners can be overheard playing an acoustic version of the song on a nearby piano. If disturbed, the Cleaner will automatically stop.

The Dragon Starring Kenneth Yeung
In Mona's apartment there's a poster advertising a film entitled The Dragon. This is a node to a fanmade Max Payne mod by Kenneth Yeung. The mod allows Max to use Kung Fu to attack his enemies. You can watch a trailer for the mod, HERE.

Max Plays the Theme Song
While being led by Mona through an apartment complex, Max encounters a group of Cleaners playing Late Goodbye on the piano. After disposing of the enemies, the player can press the "interact" button on the piano. By doing so Max will begin to play the theme song for the game. If "interact" is pressed again, Max will play the theme faster. This scene is mirrored from the first Max Payne game, and also makes a reappearance in Rockstar's third installment.

In Memoriam
After using a service elevator and a series of metal ramps to climb down several floors, Max encounters a Cleaner standing by a window. There is a walkable ledge which curves round the side of the build. If the player follows the ledge, they will find a small room with a black and white marble floor and red drapes. In the centre of the room is a book on the stand. The book is open at a page with the words "In Memoriam Miika Forssell 1983 - 2003".

Grand Theft Auto
After defeating Kaufman and his men by the elevators, if Max returns to the apartment he was just in and turns on the TV, he can watch a short video mirroring the original Grand Theft Auto game.

"Frankie was into this Stuff..."
When Max enters Vinnie's apartment, his silence triggers the mob boss to become defensive about his passion for Captain Baseball Bat Boy. During his protest, Vinnie mentions that "Frankie was into this stuff" this is another reference to the first game. In the first game, the protagonist awakes to find himself tied to a chair and being beaten by a guy called Frankie "the bat" Niagrra with a baseball bat. On the floor next to the attacker was a bloodstained comic.

Deliverator
In an attempt to escape the Cleaners, Vinnie (dressed as Captain Baseball Bat Boy) and Max drives away in a white van with the name "Deliverator" on the side. Fans of Remedy's first title, Death Rally, may remember this specific van.

Maxwell's Demon
During the television show, Dearest Of All My Friends, Vladimir asks Vinnie Gognitti two questions. The first of which is "what is the name of the antagonist of Captain Baseball Bat Boy?" Vinnie correctly answers "Maxwell's Demon". This is based on a theoretical experiment by British physicist James Clark Maxwell. Click HERE for more information.

Sammy Waters
During the television show, Dearest Of All My Friends, Vladimir asks Vinnie Gognitti two questions. The second of which asks for the name of the one who created Maxwell's Demon. Vinnie incorrectly answers Sammy Waters, which is a play on Sami Järvi (aka Sam Lake) the game's writer.

Hints at Vladimir's Betrayal
     -     "I work for Vladimir!", "Honey you work for no one." In her final moments, Annie Finn (Vladimir's girlfriend) tries to persuade the Cleaners not to kill her. While she could be mentioning his name as a form of intimidation, she could also be aware of his activities and know that the Cleaners follow him. The response "Honey, you work for no one" is one of the first hints that Vlad is up to something that he wants covered up.

     -     Annie Finn's role was to create a bomb for Vladimir which is revealed in her phone recorder. In Vladimir's office is a diagram showing a life sized Captain Baseball Bat Boy outfit with a bomb is his head. Later Max is in the car with Vladmir  "call it a trojan horse in the war Vinnie Gognitti started."

Mona Survives (Alternative Ending)
If the player finishes the game on the "Dead on Arrival" setting, an alternative ending will be unlocked. The ending is similar to the normal ending with the main exception of Mona surviving

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