Sam Lake has revealed that his parents appeared in Alan Wake 2 after their starring turns in Max Payne.
Taking to X/Twitter, game director Lake explained he used Alan Wake 2 to host a mini-reunion for the stars of Max Payne.
“Max Payne reunion 22 years later. I invited family and friends to dance in the short film,” he continued before confirming Jani Niipola (who played Alex Balder in Max Payne), Carol Kiriakos (who starred as Mona Sax) and Aki Järvilehto (who portrayed DEA agent B.B.) all returned for the 15-minute short film that plays out across Alan Wake 2.
Lake’s mother originally played primary antagonist Nicole Horne in the first Max Payne game while his father played the mysterious Alfred Woden, with both returning to Alan Wake 2 to star as guests at a high school dance while the band Ahti And The Janitors plays.
The lore-heavy short film can be unlocked by completing Initiation 8: Zane’s Film. Once that level is cleared, players can remain in the cinema to watch the live-action Zane’s Nightless Night / Yötön Yö, which features blood sacrifices and fantastical visuals. It can then be rewatched via the writer’s room or found on Youtube.
Max Payne reunion 22 y later in Alan Wake 2. I invited family and friends to dance in the AW2 short film. @janiniipola (MP1 Alex Balder), @CarolKiriakos (MP1 Mona Sax), my mother (MP1 Nicole Horne), my father (MP1 Alfred Woden), @akijarvilehto (MP1 B.B.) @alanwake @remedygames pic.twitter.com/bVk7tvctdR
— Sam Lake (@SamLakeRMD) January 5, 2024
When Max Payne was being developed, Remedy Entertainment reportedly couldn’t afford actors so many developers alongside their friends and family were used to play the various roles within the game, with writer Lake becoming the face of titular detective.
Last month, Lake revealed that the success of Everything Everywhere All At Once helped build Remedy Entertainment‘s confidence that Alan Wake 2 could be a success. The genre-blending game went on to win several end of year accolades, including NME’s Game Of 2023.
An update for Alan Wake 2 was also release last month, introducing a new “nightmare” difficulty to the title, alongside a New Game Plus mode and an alternative ending.
In other news, Ready Player One author Ernest Cline has teamed up with AI tech company Futureverse for a new “multi-IP” metaverse experience, similar to Fortnite.
