Mona Sax
Encyclopedia
Mona Sax is a fictional character in the first two Max Payne
video game series (Max Payne
and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
), as well as in the 2008 film
.
Mona Sax is a mysterious femme fatale
, working as a contract killer and living in a derelict theme park. She is introduced in the first Max Payne game as the "evil twin" younger sister of Lisa, the abused wife of the Italian mob boss Angelo Punchinello. By the end of the first game, Mona disappears after having been shot in the head inside an elevator by corporate mercenaries after she refused an order to assassinate Max
.
In The Fall of Max Payne, a larger focus is given on Max and Mona's relationship, as she becomes one of the game's two protagonist
s. Mona is suspected of being behind the murder of Senator Gate, the case assigned to Max Payne's partner Valerie Winterson. Despite their past, Max does not inform the authorities that he knows Mona nor does he inform them of her visit to his apartment. They work together until she is shot in the back by Vladimir Lem near the end of the game. Mona either dies or survives, depending on the game's chosen level of difficulty (she lives only on the hardest level, "Dead on Arrival").
in three chapters of the sequel ("Routing Her Synapses", "A Losing Game" and "Love Hurts"). According to the first two games' writer Sam Lake
, he "did want to switch to Mona ... but it was problematic. In the end, Max frames those sequences with his narration, saying that he doesn’t know exactly what happened, or what Mona did, but it must have been something like this. In other words, when you are playing Mona, you are actually experiencing Max’s guess of the events.” Mona's moves are more acrobatic than Max's, and her sections involve many sniping sequences (using an in-game exclusive Dragunov semi-automatic rifle as she provides covering fire for Max).
Mona was portrayed by Mila Kunis
in the movie version of Max Payne, whose role was described as "an assassin who teams up with the title character to avenge her sister's death." In the film, she is a Russian mobster and Max is the main suspect behind the death of her sister Natasha. Eventually, however, Max and Mona join forces to uncover the vast conspiracy behind the Valkyr drug.
The character of Mona Sax was critically well-received, acclaimed being one of "relatively complex, non-stereotypical female game characters". In 2004, TeamXbox
ranked her as the #10 "Xbox
babe". In 2006, the Polish
edition of GameStar
had her competing in the poll for the title of "Miss of the Video Game World", in which she placed at #17. In 2007, she was included by Tom's Games among the 50 greatest female characters in video game history ("A stone-cold killer who's incredibly tempting but not entirely trustworthy, Mona Sax is the perfect female accomplice to Max Payne."). In 2009, MSN
included her on the list of gaming's 12 hottest babes ("smart, sexy and dangerous ... Mona was remarkably presented in the game, being given the cold feel of a hired gun, with no regret or remorse"). She was also included on the list of 9 sexiest babes of action games by The Times of India
, with a comment that she "fits in perfectly in the dark world of Max Payne".
The sex scene between Max and Mona ("actually one of the most fitting ever seen in a video game") was ranked as the #5 top sexy moment in gaming by Games.net
in 2007, while their affair was ranked at #6 on the list of the most disastrous game romances by GamesRadar
in 2011. In 2006, GamesRadar also ranked a cheat to undress Mona nude for her gameplay sections in Max Payne 2 as the #4 rudest cheat in video gaming.
Max Payne (series)
Max Payne is a video game series developed by Remedy Entertainment and recently, Rockstar Vancouver. The series is named after its protagonist, Max Payne, a New York City police officer...
video game series (Max Payne
Max Payne
Max Payne is a BAFTA Award–winning third-person shooter video game developed by Finnish developers Remedy Entertainment and published by Gathering of Developers in July 2001 for Microsoft Windows. Ports created later in the year for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and the GameBoy Advance were published by...
and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne is a third-person shooter video game developed by Remedy Entertainment for Microsoft Windows and Rockstar Vienna for the Xbox & PlayStation 2 and published by Rockstar Games. The game is a direct sequel to Max Payne and is followed by Max Payne 3...
), as well as in the 2008 film
Max Payne (film)
Max Payne is a 2008 noir action film based on the 2001 video game of the same name by Remedy Entertainment. It was written by Beau Thorne and was directed by John Moore. The film stars Mark Wahlberg in the title role as Max Payne, Mila Kunis as Mona Sax, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as Jim Bravura and...
.
In video games
Mona Sax is a mysterious femme fatale
Femme fatale
A femme fatale is a mysterious and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. She is an archetype of literature and art...
, working as a contract killer and living in a derelict theme park. She is introduced in the first Max Payne game as the "evil twin" younger sister of Lisa, the abused wife of the Italian mob boss Angelo Punchinello. By the end of the first game, Mona disappears after having been shot in the head inside an elevator by corporate mercenaries after she refused an order to assassinate Max
Max Payne (character)
Max Payne is a fictional character from the video game series of the same name, originally created by Remedy Entertainment and 3D Realms. Max is a New York City police officer turned vigilante, notable for his complex use of metaphors and wordplay to describe the world around him within his inner...
.
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
s. Mona is suspected of being behind the murder of Senator Gate, the case assigned to Max Payne's partner Valerie Winterson. Despite their past, Max does not inform the authorities that he knows Mona nor does he inform them of her visit to his apartment. They work together until she is shot in the back by Vladimir Lem near the end of the game. Mona either dies or survives, depending on the game's chosen level of difficulty (she lives only on the hardest level, "Dead on Arrival").
Gameplay
Mona became playablePlayer character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
in three chapters of the sequel ("Routing Her Synapses", "A Losing Game" and "Love Hurts"). According to the first two games' writer Sam Lake
Sam Lake
Sami Järvi , better known by his artist name Sam Lake , is a Finnish writer who is mostly known for his work on the popular Max Payne video game series. Lake is good friends with Petri Järvilehto, a founding member of Remedy Entertainment, the company behind Max Payne...
, he "did want to switch to Mona ... but it was problematic. In the end, Max frames those sequences with his narration, saying that he doesn’t know exactly what happened, or what Mona did, but it must have been something like this. In other words, when you are playing Mona, you are actually experiencing Max’s guess of the events.” Mona's moves are more acrobatic than Max's, and her sections involve many sniping sequences (using an in-game exclusive Dragunov semi-automatic rifle as she provides covering fire for Max).
In film
Mona was portrayed by Mila Kunis
Mila Kunis
Milena "Mila" Kunis is an American actress. Her work includes the role of Jackie Burkhart on the TV series That '70s Show and the voice of Meg Griffin on the animated series Family Guy...
in the movie version of Max Payne, whose role was described as "an assassin who teams up with the title character to avenge her sister's death." In the film, she is a Russian mobster and Max is the main suspect behind the death of her sister Natasha. Eventually, however, Max and Mona join forces to uncover the vast conspiracy behind the Valkyr drug.
Reception
The character of Mona Sax was critically well-received, acclaimed being one of "relatively complex, non-stereotypical female game characters". In 2004, TeamXbox
TeamXbox
TeamXbox is a gaming media web site dedicated to Microsoft's Xbox and Xbox 360 platforms. While the majority of content is Xbox and Xbox 360 related, the site occasionally covers general technology and other video game news....
ranked her as the #10 "Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
babe". In 2006, the Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
edition of GameStar
GameStar
GameStar is a monthly released PC computer game magazine, published by the IDG Entertainment Media GmbH in Germany. In 2008 it had an average monthly circulation of 250,000 copies and is therefore the best sold PC computer game magazine in Europe. It is also being published in Hungary, the Czech...
had her competing in the poll for the title of "Miss of the Video Game World", in which she placed at #17. In 2007, she was included by Tom's Games among the 50 greatest female characters in video game history ("A stone-cold killer who's incredibly tempting but not entirely trustworthy, Mona Sax is the perfect female accomplice to Max Payne."). In 2009, MSN
MSN
MSN is a collection of Internet sites and services provided by Microsoft. The Microsoft Network debuted as an online service and Internet service provider on August 24, 1995, to coincide with the release of the Windows 95 operating system.The range of services offered by MSN has changed since its...
included her on the list of gaming's 12 hottest babes ("smart, sexy and dangerous ... Mona was remarkably presented in the game, being given the cold feel of a hired gun, with no regret or remorse"). She was also included on the list of 9 sexiest babes of action games by The Times of India
The Times of India
The Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
, with a comment that she "fits in perfectly in the dark world of Max Payne".
The sex scene between Max and Mona ("actually one of the most fitting ever seen in a video game") was ranked as the #5 top sexy moment in gaming by Games.net
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
in 2007, while their affair was ranked at #6 on the list of the most disastrous game romances by GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
in 2011. In 2006, GamesRadar also ranked a cheat to undress Mona nude for her gameplay sections in Max Payne 2 as the #4 rudest cheat in video gaming.
External links
- Mona Sax at Giant BombGiant BombGiant Bomb is an American video game website and wiki that includes gaming news, reviews, commentary, and video, created by former GameSpot editors Jeff Gerstmann and Ryan Davis in collaboration with Whiskey Media...
- Mona Sax at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...