Painkiller Hell & Damnation

If there ever was truly a need for high definition (HD) remakes of past titles, then Painkiller Hell & Damnation might be the most obscure to return in a new package. Certainly with the timeless appeal of the game’s mass shootings of demons in anciently constructed levels, there is no imminent need to redo it but prettier. The aesthetics have been set ages before. However, this albeit shortened story comes with a multiplayer option of sorts and some new gadgets. Still, is that enough for this shooter to stand the test of time? The short answer is “no,” but not through any fault of its own.

Painkiller is about visceral pleasure, which stems from shooting gruesome characters such as towering abominations, skeletons and anything caught in between this nightmarish scenery. Through a selection of decaying stages that go from cathedrals, cemeteries to more elaborate temples or even sewers, the lead played by a man named Daniel Carver must collect souls by killing monsters. Anything else is best seen as filler, though Painkiller HD does offer a breathtaking introduction and some excellently produced cutscenes. Levels usually stay in the brownish, grimy scene, but there are some notable changes, such as an opera house or an exotic temple. Its atmosphere thrives on this somber nature however, which is then tightly kept together by blasting metal riffs whenever there is danger about. Crude is its nature, but that’s the hook and that hook is self-indulgently decadent.

Its gameplay is equally crude, as everything is geared towards blasting. Hordes of enemies swarm Daniel at every corner and big or small, these things need to bleed and die. There is a difference between small and big critters, slow or fast and melee or ranged. However, most of the time, players will need to either find a funnel to devastate large numbers easily or run around in order to avoid the overwhelming horde, regardless of the monster type. It’s do or die, even if Daniel can take a serious punch.

Decimating demons follows older first person shooter models of a large selection of weapons, which have ammo scattered throughout a level. Not all are equally handy for any situation, yet Painkiller HD seems to offer an overabundance of ammunition that does take away some of the challenge. Rarely does Daniel ever have to scrounge for ammo and choose his options carefully. There’s usually ammo ready for either a devastating saw blade or a stake that instantly impales most enemies. When a rocket launcher comes to pass, the only real threat that remains is Daniel himself if he shoots too close for comfort. It is a shame, as Painkiller can have some hectic situations, were it not for this ease of destruction that forces to drive up the difficulty rating for anything but the slightly confusing boss fights.

A new addition in the form of a Soul Catcher weapon destroys challenge even further with a primary fire that literally cuts through an entire line of foes, along with a homing second fire with unlimited ammo. Especially in some multiplayer modes, this becomes more of an annoyance than a boon. Why even risk twitch-shooting a stake that needs 3 seconds to reload, when it’s easier to stay close and hop around an opponent?  Luckily, some later stages in the campaign offer multiple tiers that make this trickery harder, even if other weapons will easily remedy this. The story in all doesn’t take more than a few hours to complete anyway and will lose the adrenaline rushes as this challenge is sedated through easy killing sprees. Not even Painkiller’s bullet time, unlocked through the collection of souls, can alleviate this with its fancy Angel of Death vision that destroys anything in its path.

The addition of a few multiplayer maps is in essence a good idea for the frantic gameplay this game presents. Blows can be devastating and even armors and powerups can’t save players from a powerful blast to the skull. That paired alongside the ability to jump and speed through sections makes for near nausea-inducing action, certainly with the game’s violent head bobbing.  If anything, levels that spread the same ammo and goods throughout their hellish construction make for good old fun times, should it work. A Survival mode also pits players against each other to kill the most monsters, which definitely gets hectic. However, multiplayer games have had issues during the launch period, with cooperative games and lobbies continuously coming up empty, indicating the wrong stages and amount of players and so on. This puts a damper on the high-octane entertainment otherwise pitched by this title. Given the crude nature of the game, let’s reiterate in such a manner: “Woulda, coulda, shoulda.” It would have been nice to relive this decadence, it could’ve added a ton of value with titillating multiplayer and it should’ve gotten its act together. Yet, it didn’t.

No, Painkiller Hell & Damnation isn’t a bad game. As mentioned, its timeless and simple premise of shooting things in the face will never get tiresome when you can stake a hulk with a ball-gag in its mouth onto the nearest wall. However, its facilitating rework cuts through the otherwise gripping challenge like butter and the multiplayer that should exhilarate a community is crumbling like its pristine, remade levels. So, yes, it’s still enjoyable as hell to carve through demon skulls, but that is a pyrrhic victory if there ever was one. Simple fun just got simpler.

Daav Valentaten, NoobFeed. (@Daavpuke)