Game studios explore their back catalogue often, either for inspiration or for bringing them back from the dead. Remakes, remasters, and reboots are brought into the conversation of their value as art instead of making something completely new. More than a quick cash-in, true changes into what made a video game special is put at odds with fans of the original series in favor of appealing to modern audiences without losing its essence. The 2025 re-imagining of 2004’s Painkiller does exactly that, to mixed results.
Back then, directly taking a page from Quake, Doom, and Serious Sam, it is obvious where this new online co-op shooter’s inspiration lies. As the saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Doom (2016) and its follow-ups revolutionized FPS games with their fast-paced combat and extremely gory kills. Although its subsequent platforming was received unfavorably, it tried to inject variety to an otherwise constant shooting gallery. Painkiller (2025) does a lot of the same things, but with the added value of being able to play with friends to give it an edge. Is it enough?
Rip And Tear
Stuck in Purgatory for their sins, four main characters that you can choose from, two male and two female, are tasked with killing archdemon Azazel before he obliterates Earth. With the middling help of sassy archangel Metatron (no relationship to Transformers), you must arm yourself with several weapons and skills to plow through endless hordes in order to defeat Azazel. As soon as you take control of any unlucky soldier of God, the comparisons with the latest iteration of Doom are apparent.
Gameplay-wise, there is a sense of quick movement to run around the gothic-themed areas. Sliding, jumping off walls, and dashing are the abilities at your soldier’s disposal to not be cornered by the copious forces from Hell. With the main goal usually being to clear each room of enemy forces, there are some other tasks needed to be done to progress further. Filling barrels with demons’ blood and loading them onto certain mechanisms to unlock doors, marching alongside a cart emitting a barrier that protects you from outside danger, and platforming is thrown the player’s way to keep things fresh.
The gun movement is just tight enough that it feels very similar, with the only difference being that the weapons at least have a personality of their own. A melee-based gun, titled “Painkiller” (like the game itself), has saws spinning around it, so any lesser demon close to you is turned to shreds. Another highlight is the Stakegun, that, as the name implies, is a gun that shoots stakes and impales enemies to the wall, rendering them incapacitated. The fact that none of the weapons need to reload is a breath of fresh air. While these weapons came straight from the original game, at least the generic Doom accusations can be kept at bay with such unique weaponry.
In Limbo
Out of the 9 campaign levels available, not all of them are as straightforward as others. Some have platforms that you will need to work with your teammates to open gates and reach items to buy more useful tools. Going off the beaten path is usually rewarded, with AoE item effects that will make your team regain some health, or set traps that will be triggered by your foes and make them explode in a gruesome fashion. The intention when playing with others is implied to be communicating and having one item each in case it is needed depending on the situation.
Before each incursion starts, you can choose two tarot cards that will benefit you in one way or another. Regenerate energy 30% faster, or earn more gold coins to buy more weapons, skins, or tarot cards? The choice is yours. Because the game’s primary focus is to play each level again and again, several difficulty settings can be adjusted to earn more rewards, but, at the same time, more damage will be taken when hurt by enemies. The gameplay loop is simple, but again, when sharing with others, it becomes a fairly entertaining pastime.
Boss fights, which are few and far between, have you moving swiftly across the map to avoid their massive attacks while doing actions in the area to create an opening to stun them. Shooting pillars to create a weak spot as you avoid waves of blood, the banging heavy metal music in the background, will at least resonate with some folks.
More Bark Than Bite
As the story does not seem to be the strong suit of Painkiller, to hear quite bawdy dialogue caught me by surprise. The identity of the game lies on being rather edgy, which somewhat works as being stuck in Purgatory, I assume, would make for cynical conversation. Even the weapons’ descriptions are imbued with such impetus, with the Electrodriver described as “(a) shuriken-splitter that considers first impact as foreplay. Fill a chamber with shurikens and call it interior decorating.”
In that same vein, the skins of each character are something you likely won’t find in other blasphemous games of their kind. The character Sol, who also quips sexual remarks every so often, has a skin called “Nun with a Gun,” which looks decidedly badass, and fits the setting perfectly (Disclosure: The mentioned skin is part of the Deluxe Edition). With each of the character’s skins costing a pretty penny, working towards earning them all with in-game currency is what the game is hoping you do instead of maining one of them every run.
The brief banter that sparks from different combinations could entice players to try them together, but it is unlikely. Considering every one of them has a unique trait, like Sol having 50% more ammo for her weapons, once you have found one you connect with, there is little to nudge you to play as any other character.
Falling Flat
First-person shooters are a dime a dozen nowadays, and making yours stand out is as difficult as it will ever be. Bloody gameplay and a justifiable gimmick sometimes are not enough to bring in new audiences. Just like the original game did back in 2004, Painkiller takes from its more highly qualified predecessor, Doom, to make something that you have seen before with the hope that you want more. With its main offering being the ability to shoot your way through Purgatory with friends, the shine wears off rather quickly.
Thank you to our PR Partners for review access to Painkiller. You can find Seasoned Gaming’s review policy here.