Aesir Security are private security forces hired by the Aesir Corporation to protect the Aesir Headquarters, encountered in the seventh chapter of Part III of Max Payne: Nothing to Lose.
Description[]
Along with the Killer Suits, Aesir Security make up most of the final enemies encountered in the game. They are exclusively encountered by Max Payne while assaulting Aesir Headquarters and shutting down the security, but are not present on the upper levels (including Horne's penthouse).
The uniform of the Aesir security guards comprises of black fatigues, a white ballistic vest with AESIR inscribed on one of the pouches, and a black patrol cap inscribed with a red version of the Aesir Corporation logo. This vest is presumably on the lighter side, as Aesir guards are able to dodge and dive the same way that the Killer Suits do. Additionally, it is implied that the security team has access to laser tripmines like the Mercenaries, as they plant them in strategic areas throughout the headquarters in an attempt to stop Max.
As expected for an endgame enemy, Aesir Security are one of the most challenging and capable, second only to the Killer Suits in efficiency. The guards are highly accurate with their weapons and carry some of the best equipment in the game, in addition to being highly mobile and roughly on-par with the Killer Suits.
History[]
Nothing to Lose[]
Aesir Security make their sole appearance in Nothing to Lose, forming the main opposition to Max's assault with some assistance from a contingent of Killer Suits stationed in the Headquarters.
Immediately becoming aware of Max's presence after he trips the metal detector and the security systems, the force of guards on the lower level of the headquarters ambush him outside the elevators and attempt to snipe him from the far end of a nearby corridor with M79 grenade launchers, but fail as Max presses into the stairwell.
With the staircase and elevator shaft rigged to explode, the guards attempt to kill Max as he continues to dodge and dive his way through their laser tripmines and their repeated assaults. Failing to prevent him from reaching the elevator, the guards stationed at the server room that handles the security systems prepare for his attack. Quickly overwhelmed, Max destroys the security system and returns to the elevator.
An unmarked helicopter belonging to Aesir Security ambushes Max as he returns to the lower levels of the Headquarters, but fails to kill him and eventually retreats. More guards, now pairing themselves up with the Killer Suits, make a final effort to prevent him from reaching the penthouse after he steps off the elevator at the upper levels of the Aesir Headquarters, but fail and are killed.
With the security force all but destroyed and the helicopter retreating to provide support for the Killer Suits, Max reaches the penthouse.
Pain and Suffering[]
The security guards are not seen in Pain and Suffering, and any that survived were presumably arrested by the New York City Police Department when they entered Aesir Headquarters in search of Max Payne.
However, the helicopter continues its pursuit. It repeatedly engages Max as he tries to make his way through the penthouse and to the rooftop, ambushing him for the first time after dispatching the initial squad of Killer Suits stationed in the penthouse elevator lobby. After taking substantial damage and failing to gun down Max, it retreats.
The helicopter returns soon after, ambushing Max as he attempts to cross a catwalk lining the side of the Headquarters. Once again, the helicopter fails to gun down Max, and the substantial damage received to its hull thanks to his weaponry forces it to retreat and circle around to the rooftop to pick up Nicole Horne and evacuate her from the building.
Successfully landing on the helipad despite the harsh conditions of the snowstorm, the helicopter begins to prepare for takeoff after Horne climbs into it. Unfortunately, Max, who has reached the rooftop by this point, realizes the mast's weakness and snaps the remaining wires holding it in place. The mast collapses onto the helicopter, breaking the helipad and plunging both the helicopter, Horne, and the helipad to the bottom of the Aesir Headquarters.
Trivia[]
- The faction has several unique traits:
- They are the only faction in the game that does not have unique voicelines.
- They make use of almost every weapon in the game, minus the Sniper Rifle.
- They make no appearance in graphic novel intermissions, and the helicopter only appears in three cutscenes in Pain and Suffering.
- Accordingly, they are also the rarest faction: only 26 security guards appear in the game, and only in one chapter.
- If Max fails to stop the helicopter from taking off during Pain and Suffering, a unique failure cutscene will play where Max attempts to shoot it down with his Dual Berettas, only to be mowed down by the helicopter's machinegun as it takes off.
- The security guards are the second enemies to wear ballistic vests, after the mercenaries.