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LATEST CRITIC REVIEWS


LATEST CRITIC REVIEWS

View All
70
Cincinnati Enquirer
A good choice for folks who want to wind down at the end of the day with a
fast-paced diversion that requires absolutely no brainpower to master and enjoy.
Read More
PC
80
Cheat Code Central
You'll need a fairly souped up machine and graphics card to get the most out of
Painkiller but if you have yearned for the return of games like "Serious Sam,"
"Doom" and the original "Quake" your next stop is Purgatory. Tell 'em I sent
you.
Read More
PC
94
Next Level Gaming
I love it. I became addicted to this game very quickly. My wife is starting to
get jealous now.
Read More
PC


LATEST USER REVIEWS


LATEST USER REVIEWS

View All
10
armadonpower
This quake-engine game is a non-stop adrenaline rush with epic boss battles,
intense gameplay, and a killer soundtrack.
Read More
Jun 9, 2023
PC
9
KarolP
Fast, old school shooter with not necessary, but interesting story. Variety of
guns, enemies, maps, well balanced difficulty levels makes you play way more
than once and try to do something better with another attempt. One of my best
and most memorable FPS experiences,
Read More
Jun 3, 2023
PC
10
LT_Gruber
Amazing game and one of the best First Person Shooters I have played. Painkiller
is just Epic. In the core it is just a First-Person Shooter in which you shoot
monsters and progress to the next stage, classic stuff that Doom, Serious Sam
and Duke Nukem did before, but this game feels different somehow. It has a
unique style of playing and some mechanics that are different in a way that it
offers a fresh new concept. You play as Daniel Garner, a happily married dude
who dies, along with his wife Catherine, in a car crash. Catherine goes to
heaven and lives happily ever after, but not you. You are sent to Purgatory and
are trapped there. Then, an Angel called Samuel makes a deal with you. If you
can wipe out the four generals of Lucifers army, to prevent a battle between
Heaven and Hell, you will be purified and can join your wife in Heaven. You
accept and go off to war. On your journey, you meet a chick named Eve, who is
also trapped in Purgatory. She aids you with information on the whereabouts of
the next generals and other useful tips. The graphics in Painkiller are great.
The environments are beautiful and detailed, and every level has some sort of
Gothic theme that enhances the graphics even more. I especially liked the “Town”
level and the “Opera” stage. The animations are perfect too. Enemies have
Ragdoll and you can blow them away with your shotgun or nail them to the wall
with your stake gun. Explosions and fire effects are really well done too. There
are some clipping issues tough, but I take that for granted. Every level is
completely unique with different themes, environments and enemies, keeping the
game fresh. The controls are fluent, as can be expected from a fast-paced
shooter like this. They feel natural and responsive. The Weapons are awesome.
You got some sort of blade spinner as a melee weapon, shotguns, rocket
launchers, machine guns and, best of all, your stake gun which lets you fire
wooden sticks at enemies, nailing them to every surface. It is just epic. Some
unique mechanics in this game is the soul collecting when killing enemies, which
increases your health by one for each soul collected and let you enter demon
rage mode, killing everything you point at. You can also earn Tarot cards that
give you a bonus in each level if you selected that specific card for the level.
You first earn those cards by completing a challenge in a level, for example,
kill fifty monsters with explosions, or kill all enemies on the stage. When you
earned the card, you need to buy it so you can use it. This can be done with
gold, which you can collect and scavenge throughout the levels. I really liked
this mechanic, and it gave some kind of RPG feel. Painkiller offers excellent
and well-balanced multiplayer, only matched by Serious Sam. It is fast paced,
fair and gives everyone a fair chance. I really liked it back in the day, even
tough it is now mostly abandoned. What sets this game apart for me is the sound
and music. I think I can say, without a doubt, that this game has the best music
that I have experienced so far, even better than Serious Sam. Every level has a
unique Heavy Metal fight track that really gets you pumped up. Combine this with
the excellent sound effects of your weapons and the enemy grunts and it makes
for one epic experience. It is just a masterpiece. The ending of the game is
true badass style, Daniel knows that the killing is not done yet and is eager to
return to the fighting, even tough he is offered to go to heaven like promised.
In the end, Painkiller is a masterpiece in every way and one of the games that I
can play any time of the year. It is a real classic and that it why it has
multiple sequels and a remake, rightfully so. You really need to play Painkiller
at least once in your lifetime, in my humble opinion.
Read More
Jan 6, 2023
PC
 * M
 * 

 * M
 * 

Painkiller
PC
Released On: Apr 12, 2004
Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 62 Critic Reviews
81

User Score Generally Favorable Based on 315 User Ratings
8.3

My Score

Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Add My Review



LATEST CRITIC REVIEWS


LATEST CRITIC REVIEWS

View All
70
Cincinnati Enquirer
A good choice for folks who want to wind down at the end of the day with a
fast-paced diversion that requires absolutely no brainpower to master and enjoy.
Read More
PC
80
Cheat Code Central
You'll need a fairly souped up machine and graphics card to get the most out of
Painkiller but if you have yearned for the return of games like "Serious Sam,"
"Doom" and the original "Quake" your next stop is Purgatory. Tell 'em I sent
you.
Read More
PC
94
Next Level Gaming
I love it. I became addicted to this game very quickly. My wife is starting to
get jealous now.
Read More
PC


LATEST USER REVIEWS


LATEST USER REVIEWS

View All
10
armadonpower
This quake-engine game is a non-stop adrenaline rush with epic boss battles,
intense gameplay, and a killer soundtrack.
Read More
Jun 9, 2023
PC
9
KarolP
Fast, old school shooter with not necessary, but interesting story. Variety of
guns, enemies, maps, well balanced difficulty levels makes you play way more
than once and try to do something better with another attempt. One of my best
and most memorable FPS experiences,
Read More
Jun 3, 2023
PC
10
LT_Gruber
Amazing game and one of the best First Person Shooters I have played. Painkiller
is just Epic. In the core it is just a First-Person Shooter in which you shoot
monsters and progress to the next stage, classic stuff that Doom, Serious Sam
and Duke Nukem did before, but this game feels different somehow. It has a
unique style of playing and some mechanics that are different in a way that it
offers a fresh new concept. You play as Daniel Garner, a happily married dude
who dies, along with his wife Catherine, in a car crash. Catherine goes to
heaven and lives happily ever after, but not you. You are sent to Purgatory and
are trapped there. Then, an Angel called Samuel makes a deal with you. If you
can wipe out the four generals of Lucifers army, to prevent a battle between
Heaven and Hell, you will be purified and can join your wife in Heaven. You
accept and go off to war. On your journey, you meet a chick named Eve, who is
also trapped in Purgatory. She aids you with information on the whereabouts of
the next generals and other useful tips. The graphics in Painkiller are great.
The environments are beautiful and detailed, and every level has some sort of
Gothic theme that enhances the graphics even more. I especially liked the “Town”
level and the “Opera” stage. The animations are perfect too. Enemies have
Ragdoll and you can blow them away with your shotgun or nail them to the wall
with your stake gun. Explosions and fire effects are really well done too. There
are some clipping issues tough, but I take that for granted. Every level is
completely unique with different themes, environments and enemies, keeping the
game fresh. The controls are fluent, as can be expected from a fast-paced
shooter like this. They feel natural and responsive. The Weapons are awesome.
You got some sort of blade spinner as a melee weapon, shotguns, rocket
launchers, machine guns and, best of all, your stake gun which lets you fire
wooden sticks at enemies, nailing them to every surface. It is just epic. Some
unique mechanics in this game is the soul collecting when killing enemies, which
increases your health by one for each soul collected and let you enter demon
rage mode, killing everything you point at. You can also earn Tarot cards that
give you a bonus in each level if you selected that specific card for the level.
You first earn those cards by completing a challenge in a level, for example,
kill fifty monsters with explosions, or kill all enemies on the stage. When you
earned the card, you need to buy it so you can use it. This can be done with
gold, which you can collect and scavenge throughout the levels. I really liked
this mechanic, and it gave some kind of RPG feel. Painkiller offers excellent
and well-balanced multiplayer, only matched by Serious Sam. It is fast paced,
fair and gives everyone a fair chance. I really liked it back in the day, even
tough it is now mostly abandoned. What sets this game apart for me is the sound
and music. I think I can say, without a doubt, that this game has the best music
that I have experienced so far, even better than Serious Sam. Every level has a
unique Heavy Metal fight track that really gets you pumped up. Combine this with
the excellent sound effects of your weapons and the enemy grunts and it makes
for one epic experience. It is just a masterpiece. The ending of the game is
true badass style, Daniel knows that the killing is not done yet and is eager to
return to the fighting, even tough he is offered to go to heaven like promised.
In the end, Painkiller is a masterpiece in every way and one of the games that I
can play any time of the year. It is a real classic and that it why it has
multiple sequels and a remake, rightfully so. You really need to play Painkiller
at least once in your lifetime, in my humble opinion.
Read More
Jan 6, 2023
PC


ALL PLATFORMS

PC

Based on 62 Critic Reviews

81



CRITIC REVIEWS


CRITIC REVIEWS

View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 62 Critic Reviews
81
85% Positive
53 Reviews
13% Mixed
8 Reviews
2% Negative
1 Review

 * All Reviews
 * Positive Reviews
 * Mixed Reviews
 * Negative Reviews


CRITIC REVIEWS


CRITIC REVIEWS

View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 62 Critic Reviews
81
85% Positive
53 Reviews
13% Mixed
8 Reviews
2% Negative
1 Review

 * All Reviews
 * Positive Reviews
 * Mixed Reviews
 * Negative Reviews

100
Computer Games Magazine

It gamely delivers the pure joy of superbly crafted chaos, something it does
better than any game released (so far) this year. [July 2004, p.56]
FULL REVIEW PC
90
GamerArchive

There’s an eerie absence of a whole lot of noise sans the atmospheric sounds in
each level; another sinister part of the game to keep your interest in what is
going on.
FULL REVIEW PC


USER REVIEWS


USER REVIEWS

View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 315 User Ratings
8.3
78% Positive
247 Ratings
19% Mixed
59 Ratings
3% Negative
9 Ratings

 * All Reviews
 * Positive Reviews
 * Mixed Reviews
 * Negative Reviews


USER REVIEWS


USER REVIEWS

View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 315 User Ratings
8.3
78% Positive
247 Ratings
19% Mixed
59 Ratings
3% Negative
9 Ratings

 * All Reviews
 * Positive Reviews
 * Mixed Reviews
 * Negative Reviews

10
armadonpower
Jun 9, 2023
This quake-engine game is a non-stop adrenaline rush with epic boss battles,
intense gameplay, and a killer soundtrack.
Report
PC
10
LT_Gruber
Jan 6, 2023
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
Read More
Report
PC

85
Game Informer

The outstanding graphics, unparalleled physics, huge levels, tons of unlockable
cards, enormous bosses, and gameplay variety make this a must-have for anyone
who pines for the glory days of "Doom." [June 2004, p.134]
FULL REVIEW PC
83
Game Over Online

This title is pure unadulterated action, a great adrenaline run. Its staying
power will rest on how fleshed out the multiplayer can be and whether there are
any new maps, levels, modifications or expansion packs in store.
FULL REVIEW PC
80
Thunderbolt

Painkiller is like a cold drink on a hot day; refreshing.
FULL REVIEW PC
75
Game Revolution

If you’re a fan of mindless destruction, you’d be hard pressed to find a game as
immediately gratifying as Painkiller. Just don’t expect it to be a cure-all.
FULL REVIEW PC
49
PC Format

Hugely repetitive action game. Hugely repetitive action game. Hugely repetitive
(you get the idea).
FULL REVIEW PC
See All 62 Critic Reviews
10
coolernen
Mar 14, 2022
Shooter of the year. 2004, i think. I played this masterpiece all my childhood
on my celeron, and i love this game ever since.
Report
PC
7
ugarov_jr
Nov 19, 2022
One of the best killthemall at that time. Beautiful graphics, driving gameplay,
good atmosphere. Of the minuses, this is a very simple plot, and the second half
of the game is frankly weaker than first.
Report
PC
7
Neddy
Mar 22, 2014
I deliberated for ages about whether to buy this. I wondered if it would look
old. However it looks fine and the gameplay is great. Score 7.5/10 The video
options have the 1920x1080 resolution settings, which was a good start. I was
disappointed that the opening cutscenes froze. I hit ctr-alt-del and 'start task
manger', then clicked the icon on the task bar. This unfroze it, but brought it
to the main menu, so I could play on. Other cut scenes froze too, but I was able
to get past them with this 'fix'. This brought the game back up and running.
Ctr-alt-del also cleared a graphical glitch I met. These bugs aside the game is
fine. The weapons rock. The atmosphere in fairly unique, and this sets it aside
from many games. It has a demonic feel to many of the enemies. To be honest a
couple of the levels were boring and a very few maps were quite plain. However
it's strengths lay in its otherworld persona. Really though it doesn't look too
bad at all. I mean it's not the Crysis 3 engine, but for a ten year old game
it's brilliant - no question. [Release date April 12, 2004.] I added 32x
anti-aliasing in the nvidia control panel so all the lines are straight, with no
jagged edges. The game itself opened well, then soon I thought 'hmm a little
mindless', then it got going. It feels more like getting from A-B than just
mindless areas of enemies. I mean there is a flow and a progression. Getting
some of the secrets is fun, some are just way too tricky to spend ages trying to
get. Overall - so glad I bought it. Great stuff. N.B. Bug right at the end after
I killed the last boss. Can't finish it. Hope this doesn't affect Battle Out of
Hell. Without the bugs - easy 9/10.
Read More
Report
PC
4
PutCashIn
Mar 12, 2016
A rather Bible-esque version of Serious Sam, except where Serious Sam has decent
weapons, this game has one over powered short range shotgun, then some
ridiculous stake launcher, along with another op short range infinite ammo
starter game weapon. Beyond that I wouldn't know as I gave up at World 1 Level
Five - The Boss was untouchable with the Shotgun as it has such a short range
and the Stake gun runs out of ammo, forcing you to enter the center of the map
to gain more, whence you are insta killed by some silly tornado ability.
Interestingly, it appears you do more ammo shooting the boss in the arse rather
than Staking it in the head. Believe me, I can literally do some levels of Quake
2 either walking backwards or with my eyes shut, this is no 'spiritual sequel'
to Q2, it is Serious Sam with a Seriously bad weapon load-out. Just Bad.
Read More
Report
PC
1
kndr
May 21, 2021
Bland gameplay and level design. It is so repetitive with no change. Enemies are
bullet sponge and it doesn't give you enough health kit.
Report
PC
See All 39 User Reviews



DETAILS


DETAILS

View All

Summary You play as Daniel Garner, a seemingly regular guy who as just been
killed in a horrific car accident. Trapped in a dark and unwelcoming world
between heaven and hell, you struggling to uncover the reasons why you've been
denied entry into heaven. Awaiting your purification, you must fight through a
seemingly endless number of demon sold... Read More

Rated M for Mature
Platforms:
 * PC

Initial Release Date: Apr 12, 2004
Developer:
 * People Can Fly

Publisher: DreamCatcher Interactive
Genres:
 * FPS

Full Credits & Details



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