Video Games

Is Max Payne in Alan Wake 2?

Alan Wake 2

Alan Wake 2 has connections to several of Remedy’s previous games. And, with Sam Lake, who played the original Max Payne, at the helm, you might be wondering if Max Payne is in Alan Wake 2?

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Max Payne is not in Remedy’s latest game, at least not officially. Sam Lake has confirmed that the Max Payne games are not part of the extended Remedy universe, unlike Alan Wake and Control. However, there’s a character who could well be an alternative-universe Max Payne: Saga Anderson’s FBI partner, Alex Casey. At the very least, he’s a major nod towards Max.

Alex Casey, who you meet at the same time you meet Saga, not only looks a lot like Max Payne, he sounds like him too, and there’s a reason for that. Casey’s actor is Sam Lake who, apart from writing Max Payne’s story also was the face model for the character. But it doesn’t end there. Apart from sharing a face model, Alex Casey is also voiced by the same actor who voiced Max Payne in all three games, James McCaffrey.

Max Payne and Alex Casey from Alan Wake 2 side-by-side.

So you’ve got a character who looks like Max Payne, sounds like Max Payne and is in law enforcement. And while he’s not quite as cynical as Max (possibly because he hasn’t had a family tragedy) he’s still got a bitter demeanor. However, officially, he’s not Max Payne. He could be this universe’s equivalent to Max Payne but he’s not the same character you might have played as.

So the answer to is Max Payne in Alan Wake 2 is no, but there’s a character who looks and sounds just like him.

About the author

Chris McMullen
Freelance contributor at The Escapist. I've returned to writing about games after a couple of career changes, with my recent stint lasting five-plus years. I hope, through my writing work, to settle the karmic debt I incurred by persuading my parents to buy a Mega CD. Aside from writing for The Escapist, I also cover news and more for GameSpew. I've also been published at other sites including VG247, Space, and more. My tastes run to horror, the post-apocalyptic, and beyond, though I'll tackle most things that aren't exclusively sports-based.
Chris McMullen
Freelance contributor at The Escapist. I've returned to writing about games after a couple of career changes, with my recent stint lasting five-plus years. I hope, through my writing work, to settle the karmic debt I incurred by persuading my parents to buy a Mega CD. Aside from writing for The Escapist, I also cover news and more for GameSpew. I've also been published at other sites including VG247, Space, and more. My tastes run to horror, the post-apocalyptic, and beyond, though I'll tackle most things that aren't exclusively sports-based.

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