Painkiller

“Add everything up and include a season pass that you probably won’t care enough to finish if you buy it and you’ll find that Painkiller 2025 is literally just an attempt to cash in on a franchise that’s been stuck in limbo for no other reason than to hopefully make a few bucks on an established name. Perhaps if there’s a true single player mode added the decent at best gameplay loop might be enough to hook players for a few moments, but in its current state, you’re better off playing any other three player shooter, like Abyssus.”

“You’ll have a blast tearing through demons, laughing at the ridiculous story, and remembering why simple, over-the-top shooters still have a place in 2025. If you’re playing solo, though… your mileage may vary.”

“Considering the limited amount of content available at launch, it's hard to justify a $40 price tag for Painkiller. That said, its core gameplay remains fun and engaging, and with future content, it has the potential to become a solid co-op action experience.”

“Painkiller is a shame not because it's especially bad, but because some of the fun weapons and combat are buried beneath the dull, uninspired and repetitive mechanics, and a surprisingly short 6-hour runtime. It can be fun to shoot demons with cool weapons and a friend or two, but this just feels a bit too disposable, and ultimately uninspired.”

“The new Painkiller is here, and while you'll enjoy shooting alongside other players, it's not the game that players wanted ' it's too far from the original concept.”

“Painkiller is 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”

“If you're craving the wholesale slaughtering of otherworldly beings, Painkiller has you covered despite a myriad of superior alternatives. You'll enjoy buddying up with co-operative pals and relish in the carnage of the game's meaty weaponry. However, if you're a veteran of the arena shooter or a learned observer, you'll find Painkiller is far too similar to the genre's juggernauts than can be comfortably accepted.”

“Some baffling design decisions mar what is otherwise a satisfying shooter.”

“Your feelings on the latest iteration of Painkiller will depend on several different factors. If you're looking for a title with a good story and characters or crave a true single-player experience, you'll hate it. If you're looking for something that doesn't require grinding to get the most out of the title, you'll also dislike the game. If you're looking for boomer shooter sensibilities in a co-op setting and really dig the different hellish vibes, you'll like Painkiller. Even then, unless you're a completionist, it'll take one run through all of the levels and perhaps a few attempts at the roguelike mode before you move on, making this a fleeting experience rather than something with staying power.”

“With it being a co-op shooter, series fans aren't likely to get on with this new Painkiller unless they approach it with an open mind. And indeed, while it's nothing special, slaughtering demons with friends while amassing an arsenal of upgraded and customised weapons can be good fun.”

“The new Painkiller is a weird, unfinished hybrid – a game with a story-driven campaign that masquerades as an endgame, a game that was meant to provide fun by playing quick raids, but someone forgot to create a worthwhile goal for it all. It looks like some random elements were cobbled together without key game systems.”

“This Painkiller is a generic multiplayer shooter with a generic Christian horror-themed setting and aesthetics, and none of it is memorable.”

“Technically, this Painkiller reboot is a great success, boasting beautiful visuals and mind-blowing, fluid, challenging, and energetic gameplay. Its biggest problem is that it resembles the current vision of DOOM more than its own origins, which has cost it its identity in favor of a more generic and shallow market vision.”

“Derivative, degenerative, and largely despondent in what it offers, the completely unnecessary co-operative core of this Painkiller reboot is what sabotages its potential.”

“It's not the return fans of the series were hoping for, but that doesn't stop it from being a decent cooperative shooter. It does, however, need more content.”

“I’ll give Painkiller props for its imaginative weapons, sharp visuals, and visceral combat. It’s a hollow and transitory experience for solo players offline, and you can see what Painkiller has to offer in very short order. As a co-op game, it fares better.”

“Painkiller has some truly incredible weapons and powers, but not a lot to do with them. I saw everything the game had to offer in one sitting, and while there is replayability, the repetitive and boring objectives prevent me from wanting to keep going. The game looks awesome, but falls into generic territory in several ways, while also adopting a lot of that Marvel-esque vibe we're all tired of. It's reductive to say, but we already have DOOM at home.”