A Criminal Mastermind
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- "Max! Nine-One-One, bad guys with big guns."
- ―Vladimir Lem
| A Criminal Mastermind | |
|---|---|
 Vladimir Lem | |
| Vital statistics | |
| Start | Vodka Lower Levels |
| End | Vodka Front door |
| Prerequisites | Prerequisites |
| Level | Part I: Chapter 2 |
| Location | Vodka |
| Rewards | Advancement |
| Progression | |
| Previous | Next |
| Elevator Doors | The Depths of My Brain |
A Criminal Mastermind is the second chapter of Part I of Max Payne 2.
Max Payne must save Vladimir Lem from the clutches of his sworn enemy, Vinnie Gognitti.
Contents |
Mission
Edit
IntroductionEdit
Max approaches Vodka, the new restaurant being made out of the old Ragna Rock nightclub.
After banging on the door a few times gun shots can be heard. Vlad, your friend, will scream out for help from Max, who willingly responds. Max will run around the side of the building and enter the restaurant through the back door.
WalkthroughEdit
If you'd like some painkillers, the hallway to the right from where you start leads to a dead body with two bottles around him. When you're ready, head up the staircase. At the top of the stairs you will find a room that is almost identical to the previous one. Take out the three or so Mafia thugs (you'll have a little time to get ready while they brag), then grab their ammo. Take a right into Vlad's office. Open one of the cabinets for some painkillers. Use the telephone on his desk to listen in on a phone conversation, where Vladimir comforts his actual girlfriend, who apparently "knows Max". Use the microphone to tell Vlad to shut up, then gun down the Mafia Thug the runs in here (he stands near the top of the second flight of stairs and comes down when he hears your voice over the PA system, if you're curious) then head up the stairs and through the wooden door. Before you leave, you may take a look on the wall between the windows, there hangs Vlad's diploma and a poster of an organization to help blind people (this will prove important later in the game).
As you enter the door a cut scene will be displayed, where Mike the Cowboy is taking out a pair thugs with the help of his trusty AK-47.
When it is all over Max and Mike will start talking. They decide to join up in order to lessen the pain of finding and rescuing Vlad. Go up the stairs that he was shooting from and into the next room, where several dead Mafia thugs. Mike jokingly tells you that they asked for it. Episode 165 of The Adventures of Captain BaseBallBat-Boy is also playing on a nearby TV if you want a quick break. When you're ready, head over to the hallway in the far right corner. The next room has a set of thugs commenting on the huge stash of ammo inside. Use Bullet Time and an automatic weapon to take out the thugs, such as Ingrams. (Alternatively, you can just run by across the doorway and Mike will charge in and do the work for you.) There are two things to be wary of: first, be careful not to shoot Mike. Even a single click can let loose enough bullets on him to turn him against you. Second, the room contains several explosive containers scattered about: if one goes off while you're inside, you're in for a world of pain and an express ticket to a coffin. Once the room's clear, help yourself to lots of ammo (9mm, Desert Eagle, Ingram, shotgun, a molotov) and a few bottles of painkillers.
Ahead of you are two Mafia Thugs on the other side of the doorway. Don't bother shooting, they close the door too fast (though if you're fast enough.you can pump some bullets in one of the thugs). Head up the stairs to the left and you will emerge at the top next to a door. An accurate weapon is recommended for this firefight, and you'll want to use up your bullet time. To the left is a very small ditch that leads into a skinny hallway. Jump down into the ditch and take the painkillers, or use the stairs at the far end of the room. Head through the door to the left. You are on top of an incredably tall balcony with scaffolding going down both to the left and to the right. Mike will run ahead like an idiot and may or may not get killed. It really doesn't matter; it only affects the boss you face at the end of On a Crash Course. Run down the scaffolding and take out the two Mafia Thugs near the bottom. (Be a little careful if you descend the right-side stairs: the thugs may get lucky and shoot a gas tank that sits on one of the landings and blow you up as you pass by it.) When you reach the second to last staircase break off over to the balcony. (The game's demo ends at this point.)
Head through the door then into the one on the left. Kill any Mafia Thugs in here; check the far side cabinet for some painkillers, grenades, and various ammo; then head into the small door to the right. You are now in what appears to be a banquet room, where several enemies are firing at you. Pick them off, use the far side scaffolding to descend to the first floor, pick up their ammo and painkillers, and go through the double doors.
At this point you can hear Vinnie Gognitti and Vladimir Lem sending harsh words and bullets at each other from beyond the wall. However, this room has Mafioso shooting at you from all directions, many from the second floor, so take cover immediately by running to either side of the room. Use the columns as cover while you (or Mike) gun them down. There are also four bottles of painkillers on top of a stack of wooden platforms on the right side of the room, though getting the pills themselves will leave you in the open. When the enemies are cleared out, another cut scene will occur showing Vinnie Gognitti and his goons firing at Vladamir Lem, your buddy. Max will knock on the partition and make contact with Vlad. He decides to find an alternate route and help Vlad get out of this mess. Vinnie hears this, and decides to send some thugs around to take care of Payne. They will come out through door to the left near the bar. Blast them away with the shotgun then head through the door from which they came. Run through this small area and out of the entryway to the right.
ResultEdit
Out of men, Vinnie decides to bail when he hears the sirens. After providing cover for himself he rushes over to the door and missing some Ingram shots to Max, echoes the words "You'll fucking pay for this, Russian! You'll fucking pay!". After that the game will switch to the graphic novel.
