Painkiller Critic Reviews

With speed and smarts to match its outrageous visuals, Painkiller boasts fiendishly clever monsters that attack in groups and learn from your defenses. No corpses shambling around like they have a load in their pants, these are monsters of the 28 Days Later variety: quick and scary.

This game is the sort of which I'd like to see more: breathtaking attention to detail, deeply satisfying gameplay, and a focus on pure, simple fun that doesn't in any way defeat or diminish a richly powerful thematic narrative.

It gamely delivers the pure joy of superbly crafted chaos, something it does better than any game released (so far) this year.

I love it. I became addicted to this game very quickly. My wife is starting to get jealous now.

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.

Painkiller puts the action back into action gaming and will pull you in, pump you up, and unleash the righteous demon-slayer buried within.

Perhaps what's most amazing is that it plays like the work of a seasoned developer with a rare grasp on atmosphere and tone, a rock-solid set of technologies, and sophisticated ideas about game design.

To call the game simple fun is to ignore Painkiller’s proof that straightforward play in elaborate environments with creative, demonic enemies and a sophisticated sense of style is tremendously entertaining. This is a first-person shooter that can be enjoyed in brief sessions or a protracted weekend of play.

An excellent mix of intense first person shooting combined with a sophisticated risk-reward system that actually integrates into the gameplay. The Tarot cards are pure genius and add a whole new level to the genre.

It offers a quick adrenaline rush and beautifully detailed levels running on the spectacular Havok2.0 physics engine and, I must say, this game is one of a kind.

Painkiller sports some of the best graphics to come down the PC pipe all year. The bosses (the hammer-wielding Saphathoraél in particular) all look incredible.

But obviously, the gameplay is incredibly repetitive. There’s no denying that you don’t do much beyond running around shooting monsters and blowing up stuff.

Painkiller delivers satisfying gameplay, excellent visuals, and a visceral feel that veteran FPS players will feel right at home with.

Its addictive and amazingly detailed single player game, coupled with a fun and varied old school multi-player game, set Painkiller apart from the rest while at the same time harkening us back to shooter days of old.

A visceral, intense shooter with well designed and realized levels, and certainly a “must have” title for FPS aficionados.

Breathtaking attention to detail served with great graphics that'll run on anyone's system all make it highly commendable. The game provides a lot of intensely focused carnage, but absolutely nothing else, and that wasn't quite enough to keep us entertained for it's whole duration.

The shooter has outstanding graphics, addictive gameplay and solid multiplayer components, but it’s held back from becoming a true classic through its disappointing narrative and mediocre soundtrack.

A great game that will truly be appreciated by FPS purists like myself who remember the good old days where all you needed was a bunch of ammo, some nasty monsters, periodic powerups, and an itchy trigger finger to get you from the beginning of the stage to the end.

In long stretches, Painkiller can become repetitive. (By long stretches, I mean two or more hours.)

Gruesome, bloody and at times compelling - even if you might admonish yourself for thinking it.