Gabriella Gerbasi

07 Mona

Mona, a character from Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, embodies the classic femme fatale archetype. Positioned as both powerful and seductive, she often uses her sexuality strategically, taking control over the situations she enters. Through three playable chapters, players experience Mona’s perspective. For female players in particular, this moment of gameplay offers the rare opportunity to inhabit the role of a woman within the narrative. Yet, like many femme fatales, Mona’s power is ultimately undermined; by the end of the story, she sacrifices herself out of love for the male protagonist, relinquishing this form of connection between the player and character. In this painting, Mona exists through selected fragments of her gameplay, allowing her to remain in a perpetual state of existence.