10 Obscure Video Game Endings You've Never Seen
5. Mona Sax Survives - Max Payne 2: The Fall Of Max Payne
True to form for the franchise, Max Payne 2 ends on a bleak note as Max kills Russian mobster Vladimir Lem, moments before Max's lover Mona Sax succumbs to her injuries from being previously shot by Lem.
Yet what you probably didn't know is that the game does offer up a sunnier alternate ending, but it sure as hell makes you work for it.
The only way to access the ending legitimately - you know, without just watching it on YouTube - is to beat the game on the highest difficult setting, Dead on Arrival.
In addition to the enemies being extremely punishing, you're limited to just seven saves per chapter, ensuring you can't simply "save scum" your way to the end as you might on lower difficulties.
Those who slog their way to the finish, however, will be gifted a brief-but-satisfying new ending where Mona actually survives her gunshot wound, seemingly giving Max a happy(ish) ending once and for all.
But Max Payne 3 ultimately confirmed that this ending wasn't canon, so it's really just a nice "what if?" at the end of the day.