Painkiller: Battle Out of Hell Critic Reviews

If you own the original, not buying the extra levels would make you a sinner. Now, stop treating your body like a carnival ride.

It may not showcase a cutting-edge game engine or add brand new features to the FPS genre, but Painkiller: Battle out of Hell is, without a doubt, one of the most intense and straightforward FPS rides the genre has seen yet.

It is short, yes, but it is priced low to match. It is even more stylish than the original campaign and engages your attention much better than the original game. Compared to other games in the genre, this is a real treat.

Battle out of Hell not only adds new content to Painkiller, but it also steps up the visuals. There are new visual distortions and lighting capabilities, which really make the game look great. They are all very noticeable differences.

A must buy to those that enjoyed the original. Hardcore fans should already own it, and everyone else will miss out on another great game yet again.

An excellent expansion pack that does exactly what it sets out to do; it delivers more monsters, more weapons, more tarot cards, and exciting new levels to explore and interact with.

A near perfect expansion pack. It gives gamers more levels, more bad guys, and more multiplayer content. What else can you ask for in an expansion pack? Not much.

It's got the same flaws as Painkiller, as well as all its considerable merits.

For fans of the first game, I have only this to say: semi-automatic sniper-rifle stake gun. With more of everything, this is a must own!

It’s delightfully twisted, I love it.

We found the frantic gameplay, gorgeous graphics and downright scary soundtrack was right up our street and Painkiller, and its newly released expansion pack are more than worthy contenders to that elusive list of brilliant FPS.

Delivers some of the most imaginative levels ever found in a first person shooter, and is a great reason for Painkiller fans to go back to purgatory.

More of the same old good Painkiller. I absolutely love the new sniper-auto-polegun. The underground tunnel levels are lame, but otherwise the level design ranges from mediocre to fine.

It's not powerful enough to convince Painkiller detractors to join the fold, but it's certainly everything a fan the original game will love.

Everything is just as wonderfully crafted, over-the-top crazy, and mouse-crushingly intense as it was in the full game. It's more Painkiller, and that's what you'd expect from an expansion, right?

Still a hell of a good time. The new multiplayer modes are fun, the weapons are interesting, and it's not like shooting zombies has lost its charm since "Wolfenstein 3D."

Generally speaking, though, the gameplay of Battle out of Hell has the same adrenaline-soaked excitement of the original. Wild firefights, huge minibosses and the occasional challenging puzzle are rolled up into the same tight, clean, delicious package.

In the end, the game is just more of the first: mindlessly slashing waves of AI-less monsters coming out at you to Satan’s music, with the extra touch of intensified seriousness and atmosphere.

All in all, Painkiller: Black Edition is a mixed bag of goodies.

So enough with the puzzle bosses! And fix the loading times! And get rid of the idiotic jumping puzzles! Make more levels like the orphanage! Please.