Painkiller (game) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

PainKiller is a first-person shooter

First-person shooter

First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...

video game released on April 12, 2004. It was developed by Polish

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

game studio People Can Fly

People Can Fly

People Can Fly, Sp. z o.o. is a video game developer established in February 2002 by Adrian Chmielarz and based in Warsaw, Poland. Their first video game was Painkiller, but many of their members had already worked on various titles before this. Some members helped create 10 different titles since...

(now a subsidiary

Subsidiary

A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...

of Epic Games

Epic Games

Epic Games, Inc., also known as Epic and formerly Epic MegaGames, is an American video game development company based in Cary, North Carolina. Its most recent success has been the Gears of War series of games, although it is also known for its Unreal Engine technology. It is the parent company of...

) and published by DreamCatcher Interactive (later acquired by JoWooD Entertainment). It attempts to replicate the "old-school FPS" gameplay of Doom and Quake. It has 24 levels of seemingly unconnected designs that include medieval castles, factories and lunatic asylums. Five of the levels are "boss levels" with some of the largest FPS bosses to date. The game takes place in Purgatory

Purgatory

Purgatory is the condition or process of purification or temporary punishment in which, it is believed, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for Heaven...

and Hell

Hell

In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...

. It is notable for using the Havok 2.0

Havok (software)

Havok Physics is a physics engine developed by Irish company Havok. It is designed primarily for video games, and allows for real-time collision and dynamics of rigid bodies in three dimensions. It provides multiple types of dynamic constraints between rigid bodies , and has a highly optimized...

physics engine extensively.

Gameplay

The game is inspired by such classic titles as Quake and Doom, with the emphasis on killing large numbers of monsters. The game is divided into five chapters, each about five levels long. The player's objective is to get through each level, from start to finish, by slaughtering hundreds of monsters. One of the game's most important aspects is its diversity. Each level presents a new location with various themes and art styles. The levels include castles, monasteries, an opera house, Venice, graveyards, and more. Monsters are also very different, with new ones almost every level. There are five "boss" levels where player fights a boss. The game presents an option to complete a special task each level, which results in the player getting a "tarot card", a rare, hard-to-obtain bonus. Each equipped card provides different bonuses for a small amount of time, like powered-up weapons or slow motion. The game features multiplayer, which includes classic modes like Deathmatch and capture-the-flag.

Story

The game revolves around a young man named Daniel Garner (Cam Clarke

Cam Clarke

Cameron Arthur "Cam" Clarke is a prolific American voice actor and singer, well known for his work in animation and video games. Clarke is well known for providing the voices of Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Shotaro Kaneda in the 1989 original English-dub of Akira. He often voices...

), who is happily married to his wife Catherine (Vanessa Marshall

Vanessa Marshall

Vanessa Marshall is an American actress, voice actress and model. She is the daughter of actress Joan Van Ark. She got into voice-over work after being discovered at a one woman show.-Films:* Bagboy! - Mrs...

). At the start of the game, Daniel is about to take Catherine out for a birthday meal. As they drive towards their destination at high speed, in the pouring rain, Daniel takes his eyes off the road to look at his wife and while his attention is diverted, he ploughs their car into a truck. Both of them are killed instantly in the crash.

While Catherine manages to make it to Heaven

Heaven

Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...

and lives in harmony, Daniel is trapped in Purgatory

Purgatory

Purgatory is the condition or process of purification or temporary punishment in which, it is believed, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for Heaven...

. One day meeting an accomplice called Samael

Samael

Samael is an important archangel in Talmudic and post-Talmudic lore, a figure who is accuser, seducer and destroyer, and has been regarded as both good and evil...

(John Cygan

John Cygan

John Cygan is an American actor, voice artist, and comedian.-Career:Cygan is notable for his television work and his voice work .-Filmography:*The Commish ......

), he is told that in order to receive purification, he has to kill four of Lucifer's

Satan

Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...

generals in order to prevent a war between Heaven

Heaven

Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...

and Hell

Hell

. Lucifer has been secretly organizing a massive army that could overwhelm Heaven, taking over Purgatory

Purgatory

Purgatory is the condition or process of purification or temporary punishment in which, it is believed, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for Heaven...

in the process. Small portions of the army are already beginning the march. With little choice available to him, Daniel accepts the task. With the forces of Hell seizing and corrupting various parts of Purgatory, Daniel goes through different and random phases of history within Purgatory, which range greatly from ancient times to the modern era. These include Medieval Europe, Babylon

Babylon

Babylon was an Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...

, the Crusades, 1800s and even a time slice of modern industry.

After killing the first general, Daniel meets a woman named Eve (Vanessa Marshall

Vanessa Marshall

), another soul who has been in Purgatory

Purgatory

Purgatory is the condition or process of purification or temporary punishment in which, it is believed, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for Heaven...

for a long time. She gives him information about the whereabouts of the remaining generals and small elements of Lucifer's army already mobilizing. She also tells him about life in Purgatory

Purgatory

Purgatory is the condition or process of purification or temporary punishment in which, it is believed, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for Heaven...

, and the possibility that he could be dragged to Hell should he fall in battle and become lost forever. While this is all understood, what Daniel does not understand is why he came here, but Eve insists it is because of something in his past, and it is up to him to find out.

After the second general and reuniting with Eve, Daniel travels to meet a demonic friend named Asmodeus

Asmodeus

Asmodeus may refer to:* Asmodai, a demon-like figure of the Talmud and Book of Tobit* Asmodeus , Austrian black-metal band*Asmodeus , the name of several characters in Marvel Comics*Asmodeus...

(Jim Ward

Jim Ward (voice actor)

James Kevin "Jim" Ward is a voice actor who has contributed to a large number of video games and movies. He co-hosts The Stephanie Miller Show, a nationally-syndicated liberal radio talk show which features a number of his impersonations of political figures and other celebrities and newsmakers...

), for information about new rallying positions for Lucifer's armies. Asmodeus once saved Daniel's life after he single-handedly defeated four demons at once one day, almost losing himself in the process. Eve is wary of Asmodeus and questions as to why he did not finish Daniel when he was weak, but he insists that he did not come to Purgatory to fill the graves with lost souls like the others. He also questions Eve if she is really "The Eve

Eve

Eve is the first woman created by God in the Book of Genesis.Eve may also refer to:-People:*Eve , a common given name and surname*Eve , American recording artist and actress-Places:...

" referenced in the Bible, in which Daniel jokes "Where is Adam?" before continuing on.

After the third general, he confronts Samael, having had enough of the fighting and wanting out of Purgatory, but Samael remains firm with Daniel that it is not that simple to leave and he must finish the task given to him. After being directed to the whereabouts of Alastor (Jim Cummings

Jim Cummings

James Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 100 roles. He has appeared in classic animated movies such as Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as taking on roles in more current films, such as Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, and Winnie the Pooh.-Personal...

), Lucifer's right-hand and final general, Daniel is warned that Alastor is already aware that he is being pursued and his own elite soldiers are prepared and waiting. Daniel reluctantly continues his quest for purification.

After Daniel kills Alastor, Eve arrives at the scene in shock, realizing Lucifer will no doubt be on his way and they should make themselves ready. Surprisingly, Asmodeous arrives, complimenting Daniel for his victory and examining the scene. Suddenly, both Eve and Daniel find Asmodeus highly suspicious and try questioning him as to why he is really in Purgatory, in which he eventually replies, "I didn't come here to fill graves; I dig them." Suddenly, he dissolves into a ball of fire and Lucifer himself (Lex Lang

Lex Lang

Walter Alexis "Lex" Lang is a two-time Emmy Award–winning American voice actor, producer and entrepreneur. He is the cofounder of The Love Planet Foundation, a non-profit organization which creates educational materials for children on the importance of recycling, world water awareness, and the...

) appears. He mocks Daniel while recognizing him as a worthy opponent and thanking him for removing Alastor, who had been constantly arguing with Lucifer that the armies should have attacked sooner rather than wait. He snatches Eve, whom he claims had escaped from hell, and takes her with him before disappearing back into Hell.

Samael appears, congratulating Daniel for his success and informs him his task is done. Now he may proceed to Heaven and reunite with Catherine. But Daniel refuses, knowing that it is not over yet, "not even close" to use his words. He also knows that it would be only a matter of time before Lucifer can fledge a new and massive enough army, but the next time would be far worse. He decides to go after them, but Samael tries to make him reconsider, for if Daniel goes to hell, there will be no escaping from there. Daniel turns down the offer once more and asks that Catherine be told not to wait for him, for he will not be coming. Samael gives in and shows him the direction to the gates of hell, warning that they are protected from the inside by the most elite of the demonic forces for the purpose of keeping the souls of those who are damned within Hell.

Daniel eventually emerges in hell, a twisted landscape made of torn fragments from various wars throughout history (a play on the phrase "War Is Hell"). After vanquishing enough souls of the damned, most of which are recognizable as foes he has defeated, he confronts Lucifer in Demon Mode and kills him, rescuing Eve in the process, who has been rendered unconscious. After killing Lucifer, Alastor reappears before him, with hordes of demons around him. Daniel learns that he did not really kill Alastor as he could only be defeated in Hell. With Lucifer gone, the position of Hell's ruler is open. Alastor has already taken it and announced his ultimatum. He leaves Daniel to the mercy of the demons around him, who eagerly accepts the challenge. The game ends with Daniel defending himself against the never-ending hordes.

If the game is finished in Trauma (the hardest difficulty in the game), an extra ending is presented. Daniel is now finally able go to Heaven and reunite with Catherine at last.

PainKiller: Battle out of hell

PainKiller: Battle out of hell is an expansion pack for PainKiller, released on November 22, 2004. It was developed and published by the same companies as PainKiller. PainKiller: Battle out of hell features an all-new 10-level single player campaign, two new weapons (with two fire modes each), new multiplayer game modes, and improved visual effects.

The story continues where the original left off: Lucifer is killed and his position as ruler of Hell is now free. Alastor

Alastor

Alastor can refer to a number of people and concepts related to Greek mythology:...

, one of four hell generals Daniel Garner was assigned to kill in the original game, appears with a horde of demons and confronts Daniel, who now has to retreat with the help of Eve. Daniel's new goal is to battle through out of hell and eliminate Alastor, who is now rightful ruler of the demonic forces. Before confronting his powerful enemy, Daniel visits such places as an orphanage

Orphanage

An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...

full of possessed children, a hellish circus

Circus

A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...

named Loony Park, a pirate bay, coliseums

Colosseum

The Colosseum, or the Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre , is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire...

, Necropolis

Necropolis

A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...

, and even a twisted version of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

Leningrad

Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...

. After taking out Alastor, Eve thanks Daniel for allowing her to take control. Eve offers Daniel the chance to rule by her side, but Daniel refuses. Eve then invites Daniel to leave and join Catherine in Heaven, but Daniel again refuses, and begins firing his gun at Eve as the screen fades to black.

PainKiller: Overdose

PainKiller: Overdose is a sequel for PainKiller game, released for Windows

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...

on October 30, 2007 worldwide. Originally being developed by Mindware

Mindware Studios

Mindware Studios is a video game development company, founded in Prague in 2002. The company's first game, Cold War, was a minor success in the EU and was published in North America by Canadian games publisher DreamCatcher Interactive.-Games:...

from Czech Republic as a fan-made game mod, DreamCatcher granted the project full financial and technical support. In Overdose, the player takes the role of Belial

Belial

Belial is one of the four crown princes of Hell and a demon in the Bible, Jewish apocrypha and Christian apocrypha...

, a half-angel, half-demon gatekeeper. The game contains 6 new weapons, 40 monster types and 16 new levels. The story is a spin-off and is said to tie wandering ends and provide a bridge between the original game and a potential sequel. On October 17, 2007, the demo was released. On October 23, 2007, DreamCatcher announced that the game had started shipping to retail stores.

The story is set just after Daniel kills Lucifer. The death of Hell's leader allows Belial, the prisoner and outcast, to escape and start his vendetta against those who imprisoned him: demonic beast Cerberus

Cerberus

Cerberus , or Kerberos, in Greek and Roman mythology, is a multi-headed hound which guards the gates of the Underworld, to prevent those who have crossed the river Styx from ever escaping...

and Sammael, an angel who betrayed his own kind. Belial starts his journey with killing his prison warden (and later using his head as a weapon). After traveling through various hellish places and defeating countless demons he kills Cerberus and reaches Sammael's lair. There, Belial defeats the fallen angel and rips his wings off as an act of vengeance.

PainKiller: Resurrection

On April 9, 2009, Homegrown Games (developer) and JoWooD Entertainment (publisher) revealed PainKiller: Resurrection, a sequel/spin-off to the original game. It was released on October 27, 2009 for Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows

.

It features six new levels, and a new hero: William "Bill" Sherman, who is blown to pieces by his own C-4

C-4 (explosive)

C4 or Composition C4 is a common variety of the plastic explosive known as Composition C.-Composition and manufacture:C4 is made up of explosives, plastic binder, plasticizer and usually marker or odorizing taggant chemicals such as 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane to help detect the explosive and...

payload, with which he wanted to eliminate a group of mobsters. The fact that he accidentally blew a bus full of innocent civilians means he is about to be claimed by Hell. However, he wakes up in purgatory and is tasked with redeeming his soul by battling a new demonic threat, which is revealed to be led by Astaroth, once a general of Lucifer, and Ramiel, a corrupted angel.

PainKiller: Redemption

PainKiller: Redemption is an add-on released in February 25, 2011, as a downloadable game. Similarly to Overdose, the new expansion pack was originally a mod, created by a small group of fans under the label "Eggtooth'". Additional development by "Homegrown". Official publisher of PainKiller: Redemption is DreamCatcher (subsidiary of JoWooD). It features new heavy metal soundtrack, better graphics, and 6 levels with nearly 6000 enemies to kill. Redemption continues the story of the series, featuring the return of Daniel Garner and Belial, both as playable characters. The development team has released free post-release support for the game, which includes extra content for multiplayer, co-op, or a new single-player chapter. Eggtooth Team didn't create any new content, so the new maps are the ones originally used in multiplayer, and all monsters are taken from previous PainKiller installments, including the final boss, who uses the model of King Alastor from Battle Out of Hell.

The game is narrated through animated text messages, and starts when Belial, the hero of PainKiller: Overdose, saves Daniel Garner from Eve, the current queen of Hell. Together, Daniel and Belial fight a big battle through her minions in the Purgatory, until they've found Bill Sherman, the protagonist of PainKiller: Resurrection. With Bill's help, they are able to strike at Eve and destroy her. The game ends with the surprising arrival of Samael, an angel of God who once tasked Daniel with destroying Hell's leaders. With Eve dead, Samael plans to use the dark essence left by her to become a new ruler of Hell. The game concludes with Belial and Daniel understanding that the battle is not yet over.

PainKiller: Hell wars

In 2006 the game was ported by People Can Fly

People Can Fly

on the Xbox

Xbox

The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...

as PainKiller: Hell wars. While not a straight port, it is actually a mix of the game and its expansion, PainKiller: Battle out of hell. PainKiller: Hell wars was also announced for Sony

Sony

, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....

's PlayStation Portable

PlayStation Portable

The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...

and PlayStation 2

PlayStation 2

The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...

. However, both versions were canceled worldwide. Official publisher of PainKiller: Hell wars is "DreamCatcher".

PainKiller: Special Edition

PainKiller: Special Edition is a budget version of the game. It includes only 12 of the 24 levels in the full game, no full-motion videos, and no multiplayer mode. It does, however, show its award winning features on the front case like PC Gaming World Game of the Year, Game Informer

Game Informer

Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...

game of the month and Gamespy's

GameSpy

GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...

editor's choice.

PainKiller: Gold/Black Edition

PainKiller: Gold/Black Edition combines the Battle Out of Hell expansion with the original game onto a single disc. It also features mapping and editing tools

Mod (computer gaming)

Mod or modification is a term generally applied to personal computer games , especially first-person shooters, role-playing games and real-time strategy games. Mods are made by the general public or a developer, and can be entirely new games in themselves, but mods are not standalone software and...

, a limited edition Penny Arcade

Penny Arcade (webcomic)

Penny Arcade is a webcomic focused on video games and video game culture, written by Jerry Holkins and illustrated by Mike Krahulik. The comic debuted in 1998 on the website loonygames.com. Since then, Holkins and Krahulik have established their own site, which is typically updated with a new comic...

poster, a making-of

Making-of

In cinema, a making-of, also known as behind-the-scenes, is a documentary film that features the production of a film or television program...

movie, and behind the scenes interviews, and the latest patch which adds new features to the game and bring its quality up to competition standard (see Professional gaming below). The technical difference is that the Gold Edition has the game over six CDs, while the Black Edition has the game on DVD.

PainKiller: Universe/Triple Dose

PainKiller: Universe/Triple Dose was released July 8, 2008. The original game, as well as the Battle Out of Hell and Overdose packages, are all contained in one case.

PainKiller: Pandemonium Edition

This edition contains the original game as well as its three expansions Battle Out of Hell, Overdose and Resurrection.

Reception

**Reviews**
Publication	Score
*PainKiller*
GameSpot GameSpot GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...	8.5/10
PC Gamer PC Gamer PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries...	84/100
Game Informer Game Informer Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...	8.5/10
IGN IGN IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...	7/10
GameSpy GameSpy GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...	4/5
metacritic Metacritic Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...	81/100
Game Rankings Game Rankings GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...	82%
*Battle out of Hell*
GameSpot GameSpot GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...	7.6/10
Game Informer Game Informer Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...	8/10
IGN IGN IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...	7.5/10
Game Rankings Game Rankings GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...	77%
*Hell Wars*
GameSpot GameSpot GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...	7.9/10
Game Informer Game Informer Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...	7.75/10
IGN IGN IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...	5.2/10
Game Rankings Game Rankings GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...	70%
*Overdose*
GameSpot GameSpot GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...	7/10
Game Informer Game Informer Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...	6.75/10
Game Rankings Game Rankings GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...	65%

With the first release of the original PainKiller in 2004, reception was generally positive with an average critic score of 82% at Game Rankings

Game Rankings

GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...

. PainKiller was mostly praised for its simple yet entertaining FPS gameplay and its varied level and artistic design. Gamespot

GameSpot

GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...

noted the variety in levels and foes by stating "Remarkably, the eclectic variety of settings somehow ends up having a cohesive feel to it, and the variety itself is definitely to the game's credit" while GameSpy

GameSpy

praised the graphics engine calling it "an original, muscular engine, capable of vast spectacular levels". However while IGN

IGN

IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...

noted the gameplay positively, they also mentioned repetition in certain stages going on to say "simple aiming exercises seem to lack a little substance when compared to more recent shooters". Another criticism was focused on its multiplayer aspect being similar to that of the older Quake

Quake (series)

The Quake series is a line of first-person shooter video games produced by id Software.-Overview:The Quake series is somewhat unusual in that its focus changes frequently; the story of Quake II has nothing to do with Quake, and Quake III Arena has little to do with either of its predecessors...

games, being called by Gamespot as a more of a "throwback to the days of the original Quake" with the feel of "deja vu

Déjà vu

Déjà vu is the experience of feeling sure that one has already witnessed or experienced a current situation, even though the exact circumstances of the prior encounter are uncertain and were perhaps imagined...

".

Upon its release, PainKiller received "PC Game of the Month" awards from Game Informer

Game Informer

and Gamespot

GameSpot

, "Editors Choice" from GameSpy, Computer Games Magazine

Computer Games Magazine

Computer Games Magazine was a computer gaming print magazine. It was formerly Computer Games Strategy Plus, and before that, Strategy Plus, which had been founded as Games International in the UK in 1988. While its initial focus was on strategy games, it covered a wide range of game genres...

and PC Zone

PC Zone

PC Zone was the first magazine dedicated to games for IBM-compatible personal computers to be published in the United Kingdom. Earlier PC magazines such as PC Leisure, PC Format and PC Plus had covered games but only as part of a wider remit. PC Zone was founded in 1993.The magazine was published...

and "Kick Ass Product" from Maximum PC

Maximum PC

Maximum PC, formerly known as boot, is an American magazine and web site published by Future US. It focuses on cutting-edge PC hardware, with an emphasis on product reviews, step-by-step tutorials, and in-depth technical briefs...

. In May 2008, PainKiller was featured on Escapist Magazine's weekly review series Zero Punctuation

Zero Punctuation

Zero Punctuation is an ongoing video game review series created by comedy writer and video game journalist Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw and published by the online magazine The Escapist.-Background:...

. The reviewer stated that PainKiller was an example of an excellent FPS game, praising its removal of aspects such as key hunting and fetch side quests in favor of "pure genocidal fun." Seemingly hours after the review, the PainKiller banner found on the Steam Store appeared on the front page, now sporting the tag "All you really need to know is that there is a gun that shoots shurikens and lightning...", a quote from the review. In 2010, UGO

UGO

UGO Entertainment, Inc. is a website providing coverage of online media in entertainment targeting males age 18–34. The company is currently based in New York, New York, United States. On July 24, 2007 it was announced that Hearst Corporation would acquire UGO Entertainment...

included the game on the list of the 42 Best Games Ever.

Battle out of Hell was also met with a positive response but with less only being an expansion pack

Expansion pack

An expansion pack, expansion set, or supplement is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game or video game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, and/or an extended storyline to a complete and already released game...

. While some were enthusiastic over the new content, like Game Informer even saying "If I had to pick a game to be the poster child

Poster child

A poster child is a child afflicted by some disease or deformity whose picture is used on posters or other media as part of a campaign to raise money or enlist volunteers for a cause or organization...

for the concept of expansion packs, PainKiller: Battle Out Of Hell might well be it", others like Gamespot found some of the levels not as interesting as the original saying "for the most part, much of the rest of the game is kind of bland" but still found "Great PainKiller gameplay mostly intact". They also pointed out longer loading times and "aggravating" puzzles.

Upon the release in 2006 of the Xbox

Xbox

port Hell Wars, many were generally pleased with its translation while others found some issues. IGN were not favourable towards the "Environmental textures" that "don't do much to enhance the experience" and even found the port to have additional bugs like when enemies "get stuck out of sight on a level [that] mean you can't advance until you reload your game".

Three years later in late 2007 when Overdose was released, reception, while also positive was quick to point the game's shortcomings. GameZone

GameZone

GameZone is an American multiplatform video game website. GameZone's daily coverage includes reviews, previews, news, hints & cheats, and editorials. Additionally, GameZone offers downloads, a child-targeted website and in association with GameStop, hosts GZGameShop, an online retailer...

praised Overdose for retaining the basic gameplay elements that made the original 2004 title popular, and that it "extends the world with new weapons, enemies, bosses, and levels that will fulfill any adrenaline junkie's craving". Gamespot however were still annoyed by the long load times and unhappy with the quiet multiplayer mode but were still positive over the gameplay concluding" this old-fashioned shooter is a welcome respite from the scripted, story-driven epics littering the FPS landscape these days (and a pleasant reminder of the simple joy of shooting fiendish creeps in the face)". However, Game Informer found the game to be aged and while "there is a group out there who will find this game charming", it concluded that "their numbers might be growing thin."

Professional gaming

At the end of 2004 PainKiller was chosen by the Cyberathlete Professional League

Cyberathlete Professional League

The Cyberathlete Professional League , founded on June 27, 1997 by gaming entrepreneur Angel Munoz, is a professional sports tournament organization specializing in computer and console video game competitions....

to be their official 2005 World Tour game. This was slightly controversial with many e-sports

Electronic sports

Electronic sports comprises the competitive play of video games. Other terms include competitive gaming, professional gaming and cybersports...

followers and competitors due to the fact that other games had proven themselves at least as popular online multiplayer games. As the tour had already been announced as a one-on-one deathmatch

Deathmatch (gaming)

Deathmatch or Player vs All is a widely-used gameplay mode integrated into many shooter and real-time strategy computer games...

format competition, Unreal Tournament 2004
Unreal Tournament 2004
Unreal Tournament 2004, also known as UT2K4 and UT2004, is a futuristic first-person shooter computer game developed by Epic Games and Digital Extremes...

and Doom 3
Doom 3
Doom 3 is a science fiction horror video game developed by id Software and published by Activision. An example of the first-person shooter genre, Doom 3 was first released for Microsoft Windows on August 3, 2004. The game was later adapted for Linux, as well as being ported by Aspyr Media for Mac...

were also fan favourites for this tour. However, since Unreal Tournament 2004
Unreal Tournament 2004
Unreal Tournament 2004, also known as UT2K4 and UT2004, is a futuristic first-person shooter computer game developed by Epic Games and Digital Extremes...

developer Epic Games

Epic Games

was in the process of changing publishers from Atari

Atari

Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...

to Midway Games

Midway Games

Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...

and could not guarantee their full support throughout the year-long tour, it was not chosen.

This agreement between the CPL and Dreamcatcher also meant that no other organization was allowed to use PainKiller in a gaming competition with prizes above USD

United States dollar

The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

2000.- without obtaining a license from the CPL. It also had effects on PainKiller beyond professional competition; a patch

Patch (computing)

A patch is a piece of software designed to fix problems with, or update a computer program or its supporting data. This includes fixing security vulnerabilities and other bugs, and improving the usability or performance...

was released to add new features to the game and bring its quality up to competition standard. This updated version of the game also resulted in a special edition re-release of the game bearing the CPL World Tour logo, entitled PainKiller: Gold Edition in North America and PainKiller: Black Edition elsewhere. This new version contained both PainKiller and its expansion pack PainKiller: Battle out of Hell unpatched, among other additions including a video about the making of the game.

However, Quake 3 was selected as the one-versus-one deathmatch game of the CPL for 2006, replacing PainKiller.

Film

On August 1, 2007, producing company Guy Walks Into a Bar announced they acquired the film rights to PainKiller and have begun pre-production. Jon Berg (Elf

Elf (film)

Elf is a 2003 comedy film directed by Jon Favreau, written by David Berenbaum and starring Will Ferrell, James Caan, and Zooey Deschanel. It was released in the United States on November 7, 2003 and grossed over $220,400,000 worldwide.-Plot:A baby crawls into Santa Claus' sack while he is...

, Out of Time) and Todd Komarnicki (Elf

Elf (film)

) will act as producers.

External links

http://www.projectoverdose.com/ — PainKiller: Overdose official website (not updated)
http://www.peoplecanfly.com/ — People Can Fly
People Can Fly
People Can Fly, Sp. z o.o. is a video game developer established in February 2002 by Adrian Chmielarz and based in Warsaw, Poland. Their first video game was Painkiller, but many of their members had already worked on various titles before this. Some members helped create 10 different titles since...

official website
http://www.dreamcatchergames.com/ — DreamCatcher official website
http://www.mindwarestudios.com/ — Mindware
Mindware Studios
Mindware Studios is a video game development company, founded in Prague in 2002. The company's first game, Cold War, was a minor success in the EU and was published in North America by Canadian games publisher DreamCatcher Interactive.-Games:...

official website

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