shots
| Painkiller PC review | |
| developer | People Can Fly |
| publisher | Dreamcatcher |
| author | Mike |
| date | Apr. 19, 2004 |
| graphics |  |
| sound | |
| gameplay |  |
| value | |
| reviewer's toast | |
| overall | |
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| pros: Fantastic graphics, atmosphere, level design, totally old-school | |
| cons: totally old-school gameplay may not be enough for some, copy protection issues without patch | |
Chromehounds
NA Review by Marcin
Oblivion-The First 3 Hours
PC Quicktake by walTer
Comic Quick Takes January 25, 2006
Feature by Mike
As gamers, we are always looking forward for that ‘next great game.’ We squander just as much time reading about what is coming as we do actually playing what is out. Every once in awhile, a game like Half-Life or Deus Ex comes along and shakes up the concept of what a first person shooter is thought to be, and we as gamers benefit. Unfortunately, in our eagerness for the future, we sometimes fail to remember what got us here in the first place. Fortunately, Polish developers People Can Fly have not forgotten, and have offered a healthy dose of nostalgia with their latest game – Painkiller.
While Painkiller is first and foremost an action game, there is a back-story that fills in as you progress through the game. You play a rather rough bloke named Daniel Garner, who is killed while driving with his wife Catherine on a stormy night. While Catherine seems to make it to heaven, Daniel does not. He is trapped in some terrible place between heaven and hell, trying to survive the oddities that plague that world. Things are looking rather bleak for Daniel, until he is approached by a celestial being named Samuel, who offers him freedom from this terrible place, and the chance to rejoin Catherine again. Unfortunately, there is always a catch - they need Daniel’s special talents to take on Lucifer’s army, which includes dispatching his armies and five generals that have been unleashed, and stop the potential final war. As the game moves on, you learn the hows and whys through well done, but unspectacular cut scenes.
Painkiller is an exceptionally well done throwback to a time when FPS had one straightforward goal: kill everything that moves, move on, and kill some more. Painkiller has much more in common with Serious Sam than Half-Life, and that is not a bad thing. The basic game flow goes like this: enter a room, the doors lock, some very nice industrial metal kicks in, and swarm after swarm of very cool creatures give you everything they have. Once you have cleared out the room or area, the next level is opened up, and you do it again. At the end of each chapter, there is a boss fight, and I challenge you to find more impressive bosses in any current PC game. They are absolutely huge, often taking up the entire screen. The screenshots don’t do them justice, but give a good idea of what I am referring too.
There is also a bit of depth with the included ‘Black Tarot card’ feature. Each level has an explicit bonus challenge, such as breaking all items or only using a certain weapon, and completing that challenge will unlock a card that you can use in game. The cards give you special powers – half damage for a set amount of time, slo-mo, etc. You’ll also collect coins as you destroy items, which you use to purchase - or activate - the cards you have unlocked. There are two types of cards – Silver, which you can use throughout the level, and Gold, that can only be used once. The cards also add replay value to Painkiller, as you can go back and retry any level you have finished to complete its goals. In addition to collecting coins, you will also grab the usually collection of powerups – ammo, health, armor and souls. The soul aspect is another nice feature; each time a monster is killed, it drops its ‘soul’ for a short time. Collect sixty-six souls, and you turn into a powerful demon with invulnerability for a short time.
A first person shooter is only as good as its weapons, and Painkiller is no slouch in that department. There are five weapons, each with a standard and alternate fire. The first, and perhaps one of the coolest weapons ever devised, is the painkiller itself. The painkiller mounts on your arm, and opens into a whirling fan of rotating blades. There is also a shotgun, a rocket launcher, a stakegun, and the Electrodriver, which shoots a stream of shurikens at a rapid rate. Each weapon also has an alternate fire, such as freezing or electrocuting enemies. All of the weapons are useful, and some are more effective on certain enemies and bosses. While the total number of weapons is short, the alternate fire adds some additional firepower and unique ways to waste the bad guys.