Painkiller Video Review

Painkiller reviewed by Will Borger on PC, also available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.Painkiller is a frustrating game. The designs for the Raid levels and enemies are largely disappointing, the story is nearly nonexistent and ends on a low note, and the Great Value Wheedonisms the characters deploy in combat often had my eyes nearly rolling out of their sockets. But I can’t dismiss it outright, either. The movement and weapons are a lot of fun, the bosses are memorable, I grew to like the characters, and the roguelite mode feels like what Painkiller wants to be. Like its characters, this is a game stuck in-between. Unworthy of heaven, but not bad enough for hell. I can’t imagine who this is for, because it’s not Painkiller fans, and even as a co-op game, it’s held back by obvious limitations. It’s a game about nothing for no one, a mediocre resurrection of a classic trying to put a new cover on an old book and hoping it still has some relevance 21 years later. Yeah. Purgatory sounds about right.