If you’d asked me about *Painkiller* a hot minute ago, I’d have been like, “Pain-what-now?” 🤷♂️ But then, Digital Foundry dropped a video on RTX remix ray-tracing for the 2004 classic, and BAM! 💥 I was suddenly knee-deep in demon guts. This wild ride somehow led me to Anshar Studios and 3D Realms’ *Painkiller* (2025), which is either a brilliant reinvention or a complete desecration of everything we hold dear. No in-between.
Despite my extremely limited, two-level experience with *Painkiller* (2025), I’m feeling cautiously optimistic, or maybe just delusional, about its October release. Unlike the OG *Painkiller* (2004), this ain’t your grandpa’s single-player fragfest. Oh no, this is a raid-based multiplayer experience built from scratch in Unreal Engine 5. If you’re a purist or someone who still wears their *Painkiller* t-shirt from 2004, you’re probably screaming into the void right now. 😱 But hold your horses! Anshar Studios and 3D Realms might actually be onto something, creating a game that’s both familiar and a massive middle finger to the congested boomer shooter genre. A fresh three-player raid experience? 🤔 We’ll see about that.
The “good” news is that the gameplay and gunplay in *Painkiller* *supposedly* feel true to the original. No modern FPS garbage like aim-down-sights or parkour here. Just pure, unadulterated shooting action that will either make you nostalgic or give you a headache.😵💫 It’s a fast, frenetic experience that will either have you shouting “Praise the old gods!” or “What is happening?!”
*Painkiller* features four playable characters: Ink, Roch, Void, and Sol. Each comes with “unique perks,” like slightly more ammo or a tiny bit more damage. Basically, stuff that doesn’t really matter. 😒 But hey, at least they have weapon modifications and tarot cards!
The weapon mod system in *Painkiller*, despite being in early development, is supposedly promising. It offers a dizzying array of branching mods and skills to pimp your arsenal. You can add ice, electric, or fire-based modifiers to your weapons and turn them into instruments of mass destruction. The mods can drastically change your secondary fire, which is either super fun or incredibly confusing. You’ll have to grind for Ancient Souls to upgrade your weapons. So prepare for some monotonous grinding. 😩
The weapon selection includes the Stakegun, Shotgun, Rocket Launcher, Hand Cannon, SMG, Electrodriver, and the iconic Painkiller. The Painkiller, for those uninitiated, is a gothic blender-blade gun that shreds through mobs and restores ammo for your other weapons. It’s a total ripoff of *Doom’s* glory kill system, but whatever. Plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery, right? 🤡
Base weapon proficiency can also be upgraded with currency earned from raids. Unlocking new weapons takes a considerable amount of time, incentivizing you to play on harder difficulties or complete optional challenges. It’s a classic case of carrot-on-a-stick game design.
Tarot cards add another layer of complexity to *Painkiller’s* gameplay. These cards provide unique modifiers that can either make you a god or a laughingstock. You might get reduced damage from specific enemies, increased damage output, or some other random effect. Like weapon upgrades and mods, tarot cards take time to earn. So get ready to spend countless hours grinding for that perfect deck. 😫
Gameplay in *Painkiller* emphasizes combos, similar to action games like *Devil May Cry*. String together kills to build your combo meter and earn bonus points. These points translate into better rewards at the end of each level. The levels themselves, like Defiled Quarry and Cathedral Bridge, felt like one giant level split into two maps. They feature some interesting variety and key areas that are reminiscent of classic FPS challenge rooms, complete with secrets, shortcuts, and lite platforming sections. 🧗
My only “minor” complaint is the over-reliance on filling up reliquaries or blood vials by killing enemies in proximity to unlock locked gates. After doing this only a few times, I felt like smashing my keyboard. Seriously, guys, find some better ways to gate progression. 🙄
Enemy variety in *Painkiller* also seems promising, featuring hordes of undead warriors, minotaur-like monsters, and spell-casting fiends. There are also some familiar-looking zealots that are reminiscent of the 2004 original. But let’s be honest, they’re probably just reskinned enemies with slightly different stats. 🤷
Finally, the three-player co-op in *Painkiller* feels well-implemented. Many sections within the raids require all three players to be present to unlock chests or secrets. The enemy encounters are also tuned towards having a full squad of human players. *Painkiller* does offer CPU players for those who want to play alone or with only one other person. But on higher difficulties, you’ll be as useful as a chocolate teapot. ☕
One exciting element that I didn’t get to fully experience is the boss encounters. Bosses seem like a great addition to the mix and could potentially take advantage of the three-player co-op with unique puzzle-based fights. But who knows? They could also be giant bullet sponges that are incredibly frustrating to fight. 😠
With its October release just around the corner, *Painkiller* might be worth checking out if you’re a masochist or just looking for a fast-paced multiplayer FPS experience. Just don’t expect it to be the same game you remember from 2004. *Painkiller* will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series consoles. Good luck! 🤞
Pixel P. Snarkbyte, widely regarded as the “Shakespeare of Sh*tposts,” is a video game expert with a unique knack for turning pixels into punchlines.
Born in the small town of Respawn, Pennsylvania, Pixel grew up mashing buttons on an ancient NES controller, firmly believing that “blowing into the cartridge” was a sacred ritual passed down through generations.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte: proving that life, much like a buggy open-world game, is better with a little lag-induced chaos.
