Painkiller: Hell & Damnation Review for PC

System: PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Dev: DEVELOPER
Pub: PUBLISHER
Release: MONTH DAY, 2010
Players: 1
Screen Resolution: 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p	ESRB RATING

Aside from the graphics, Painkiller HD’s biggest upgrade comes in its multiplayer suite. You can play either competitive or cooperative multiplayer this time around. Competitive multiplayer is the same “kill the other guys before they kill you” gameplay that you remember, though a capture the flag mode has been added. Co-op includes Survival, which is essentially Painkiller’s rendition of Gears of War’s Horde Mode, and the ability to take Eve—who is dressed in only a towel—along for the ride in the single-player campaign. The co-op campaign is the same as the single-player campaign, and is pretty barebones. In fact, you can’t even save your co-op progress. It’s really just a way to go back and play single-player levels with a friend. Which is cool, but it gets old pretty quick.

Painkiller: Hell & Damnation Screenshot

So there you have it. Painkiller HD is essentially exactly what the name implies: Painkiller in HD. The developers have taken some artistic license, changing around some weapons and stages, but never to the extent that it feels like a different game. The big question is, how much do you value graphics? Hell & Damnation is far better looking, but the core gameplay experience hasn’t changed enough to make it feel like a different game. So you are pretty much getting the same gameplay experience whether you pick up Painkiller HD or the classic Painkiller: Black Edition.

Painkiller HD is retailing for $19.99, while Painkiller: Black Edition goes for $9.99. If you’ve never played Painkiller before, then go ahead and pick up the HD version. It’s certainly a feast for the eyes and is probably the superior way to get introduced to the game. If you are a fan of the original, on the other hand, you are essentially paying $20 to play a far prettier, slightly shorter, somewhat adapted version of what you have already played.

By
Angelo M. D’Argenio
Lead Contributor
Date: November 5, 2012

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

4.0

Graphics
The graphics are a huge improvement over the original.

4.0

Control
It’s kind of hard to screw up keyboard-and-mouse first-person shooter controls.

3.0

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The voice actors can only do so much with the writing, but Jon St. John gives a good performance.

3.5

Play Value
It’s comparable to Painkiller: Black Edition, but I wouldn’t call it better.

3.7

Overall Rating - Good
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 - 1.9 = Avoid	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	3.5 - 3.9 = Good	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair	4.0 - 4.4 = Great	5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

100 % uncut version in all languages.

A modern remake of the Classic shooters Painkiller and Battle Out Of Hell.

14 adrenaline-filled levels, including 4 Boss levels.

Over 30 of the nastiest, darkest creatures from Hell.

Devastating and unique arsenal of weapons.

Singleplayer and Cooperative Campaigns spread across 4 Chapters.