Painkiller Reviews
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.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
An uninspired return, frantic and fun, but lacking the soul and depth that made the original Painkiller a cult game.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The levels all look very similar, the characters play very similarly, and the story is forgettable. However, anyone looking for a classic shooter and who can convince their group of friends to buy "Painkiller" can certainly be entertained for a few hours.
Review in German | Read full review
Painkiller is an enjoyable experience, though one that varies greatly from what many fans were expecting it to be. The gunplay is fun, and in co-op the game can be a good time. However, it suffers from a lack of content and endgame, which may be made worse by the game’s dwindling player count
Leaving aside the extremely generic metal playing in the background, Purgatory's reboot of Painkiller is clearly more "metaphysical" in its subject matter, which seems like a missed opportunity.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Painkiller is a game that, while not entirely bad, doesn't quite click with me as a player of other similar titles, and I would have preferred the original experience brought to life with current technology.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Overall, Painkiller is a decent title, although it is not designed for fans of the original, of which it shares little more than the name. For those looking for a fast-paced but light-hearted pastime to enjoy with friends, it could be a pleasant experience. For those feeling nostalgic, however, it will be difficult not to miss the charisma and brutality that made the first Painkiller so unique.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Painkiller's concept is far better than its execution. The concept of raiding and earning upgrades and tarot cards is fine in itself, but it defeats the purpose if you have no idea why you're doing it. After completing nine levels, you're done. The gameplay is so monotonous and there are no ranking features, so you basically have to entertain and satisfy yourself with customizations you can purchase. In terms of content, the game offers a decent amount of gameplay, around six hours, but you're pretty much done after two levels. The chaotic gameplay has little real skill; it's mainly shooting and more shooting. The light platforming elements and interactions you can perform in the levels don't make this any better. This doesn't make Painkiller the reintroduction we were truly hoping for, but it is a mindless shooter that plays simply and easily, but nothing more.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
The game is an enhancement on the original and lots of fun as long as you accept it for what it is and enjoy the ride.
Painkiller reimagines the cult classic as a three-player co-op raid shooter, blending its breakneck gunplay with modern progression and a fresh take on heaven and hell’s eternal war. It doesn’t quite reach its full potential due to a short length, awkward mechanics, and limited content, but when the action hits, the promise of a great game is here.
In the end, Painkiller aims for a complete overhaul of the series to attract a new audience but delivers a disappointing co-op experience that falls far short of its competitors. The campaign is excessively short, and enemies are recycled to exhaustion. Although the combat system shows some promise, it’s severely hindered by repetitive design that gives the impression of a rushed project.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Slick combat can’t save Painkiller’s 2025 reboot from being a lifeless, uninspired shell of the series’ already rough legacy.
Painkiller is a strange game because it is both a return and a new start. On the one hand, it has the kind of fast, hard gunplay that makes arena shooters so fun. But it takes away a lot of what made Painkiller great, like the creepy tone, the sense of adventure, and the gothic grandeur.
If you’re looking for a classic Painkiller experience, this isn’t it. But if you’re looking for another multiplayer experience akin to Left 4 Dead and Back 4 Blood, then this Painkiller is for you. Solo or not, this is an enjoyable, albeit shallow experience. Limited level variety, shockingly low quantity of weapon, but the gameplay itself is quite solid and addictive. The shooting is fun, mods on weapons also give a bit of variety.
If you're looking for a co-op shooter to have fun with a group of friends, Painkiller can indeed be a good choice. However, it's important to take into account the numerous flaws the game has, such as weightless gunplay, easy enemies, and uninspired level design.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Painkiller's reimagining is a complicated beast. It's not a perfect homage to the original, nor is it meant to be. Painkiller is still worth checking out if you take nostalgia out of the equation, and I will recommend it even if I can't particularly say it with a clear conscience.
A lot is going on in Painkiller, which is great and will give many hours of enjoyment. However, I question how long Painkiller will stay relevant in today’s market, especially in the co-op shooter genre. Painkiller has solid mechanics and a sturdy frame in which to build on. I’m thoroughly enjoying my time, but if content doesn’t come out at a pace to keep interest, I fear the player base will dwindle, which would be a shame.
Painkiller franchise returns as a live service co-op shooter, abandoning everything that made the original game special. With no proper campaign, repetitive gameplay, and a worrying lack of content at launch, this reboot is more painful than an eternity in hell itself.
Painkiller is like cheap paracetamol—might work for a short while, but don’t expect miracles. As a chaotic boomer shooter, it delivers some smooth, mindless fun, but lacks the plot, character depth, and content variety to really stick. If you're in for four to five hours of flashy, no-brain blasting, it’s worth a shot—otherwise, you might want to reach for stronger meds.
Review in Dutch | Read full review