Painkiller: Hellwars Review

As far as multiplayer goes, Painkiller offers a smattering of options and the gameplay is a dead-ringer for the deathmatch of yore and only supports 8 players. The action is very fast and boils down to frantic running and desperate aiming. The weapons are as fun to use here as they are in the single-player game.

The Painkiller series has sought to take the mantle of madcap killing by the thousands. Like Serious Sam, it mixes hordes of enemies with lots of power-ups, fantastic settings, and potent weaponry. It is a decent distraction for the price and offers at least a dozen hours of entertainment and incentive to play more than once. The requirements to unlock tarot cards are especially fun to attempt. While not really spectacular in any way, Painkiller is a pleasant diversion. It won’t cure your desire for more serious and challenging fare, but it will dull it for a while.

	REPORT CARD : Painkiller – Hell Wars category rating comments Creativity 3 Not content to just run and gun, Painkiller works in new features that tweak the standard gameplay. Graphics 3 The enemies are nicely animated while the environments are bland and repetitious. Very short draw distance. Sound 3 Squishy. Creepy chanting is nice, but positional audio doesn’t do much and most sound effects blend together over time. Longevity 3 A Decent length campaign has replay incentives and multiple difficulties. Plus, nice multiplayer modes. Fun Factor 4 Painkiller is an engaging diversion and a well-done shooter that is good in spurts and fun to revisit when your mind needs a break. FINAL VERDICT: 3 out of 5 stars