Painkiller

Just the tonic for those after a fresh and uncomplicated shooter...

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Developer People Can Fly and publisher Dreamcatcher have certainly done their homework in creating Painkiller - a Serious Sam-style romp through the innards of hell controlling one mean 'mutha' (the grizzled Daniel Garner) against the minions of Satan, whom Garner must single-handedly vanquish to leave purgatory and enter the pearly gates. As you'll know already, then, the premise is one of pure hokum, but in the style of shooters of old (most notably Doom, Quake and Duke Nukem 3D), not to mention throw-backs such as the Serious Sam series, Painkiller is an exceedingly enjoyable game and though it won't be winning awards for innovation, it will be keeping FPS fans up past their bed times with a demonic blending of well crafted components.

Painkiller's no-nonsense approach to the venerable genre of FPSery is evident from the outset, with little plot, narrative or scripted sequences added to create a sense of immersion or oneness. Instead, you're instantly thrown into levels, packed from beginning to end with all kinds of fiendish ghouls, terrifying foes and combat en masse. Indeed, the only slight concession People Can Fly appear to have made to the god of story is in the cut-scenes which intersperse the title's five chapters - and these largely uninspiring affairs seem to have been cobbled together more to give the player a welcome breather - rather than for any loftier designs.

Like any retro shooter worth its salt, the end of chapters does not pass unnoticed with Garner faced with a titanic battle against one of Lucifer's generals before proceeding. The boss battles are great fun, and the demonic spawn themselves are actually quite terrifying, towering above poor Daniel and raining down all manner of murderous hellfire. Unlike the levels themselves, which generally require little more than a mixture of hyperactive reactions and merciless composure to progress through - the bosses are a different kettle of fish entirely - and will demand a spot of planning and guile of they're to be defeated. Weaknesses must be found and exploited.

The game has twenty-four levels - none of which you'll be revisiting as part of any narrative-driven structure, all of which contain their own health, ammo and weapons, and this linear-progression is enhanced further by a compass on-screen directing you to the level's end or on to the next fire-fight. On average difficulty, your health will even be restored once a stage is completed, which if nothing else emphasises the game's unserious arcade leanings.

So, we've established that Painkiller offers little of complexity, both in terms of its design and what it expects from you - this is all about romping through levels at high-speed, adrenaline-pumped and heavy-metal fuelled - meeting out death to all who cross your path. But what it lacks in sophistication, it makes up for in many ways through sheer diversity and quantity. Take the levels and their settings - without the constraining binds of plot and premise Painkiller leaps from opera houses to caverns via lunatic asylums and medieval castles! Such locales are actually very well realised, too, often with deceptively subtle levels of detail, all of which keeps the player interested and intrigued, whilst also offering something akin to a reward for progression.

Likewise the games monsters, which won't be joining MENSA any time soon, but will give you a nasty shock from time to time, and certainly prove sufficiently variable to keep you on your toes, boasting different styles of attack and vastly different appearances. In a sort of twist, monsters will leave behind their soul be it good or bad - when killed - and Garner can collect these to gain a percentage point of health (if they're a good soul), or lose a percentage point if they're bad. The risk element to this makes for interesting gambles, especially when your health is already low - and the extra boost can come in handy during epic battles in which every little helps. Weapons-wise the five on offer are cunningly diverse and offer genuine pros and cons to be weighed-up, whilst others are pure hilarity, the stakegun firing lethal wooden stakes which thud gruesomely into the oncoming hordes and can sometimes pin the evil buggers to walls with their force. A nice touch - though not one for the faint of heart.

This over the top death scene leads me on perfectly to the game's physics, which are nothing short of outstanding, allowing the player to destroy all manner of miscellaneous scenery, which will shard and scatter widely, causing damage elsewhere and shifting the layout of the level. Enemies will also be flung hither and thither by the blast from your weaponry, and the over-stated approach People Can Fly have taken with this results in some entertainingly knock-on-effect style scenarios. Enemies also fly apart when hit in a suitably gory fashion, filling the air with entrails - and you can also make them drop their weapons on occasion, which is tactically useful.

Multiplayer Painkiller is an unashamedly uncomplicated beast, offering frenetic and near-constant combat through claustrophobic levels in a similar fashion to the Quake of old. The built-in server browser makes finding a match easy too - and up to sixteen players are supported. There's even a few new modes - twists on the deathmatch and team stalwarts present. Voosh makes for some interesting tussles, automatically assigning players with the same weapon and limitless ammunition, which will be switched as the game progresses. The light bearer mode also shines (sorry..), as one player will find themselves equipped with lethal ever-lasting quad-damage - which all the other players will want to relieve them of. Oh, and I must not forget to mention the 'People Can Fly' mode, which quite literally features a whole lot of flying people, being set in arena-style levels with mandatory rocket launchers and unlimited ammo.

All in all, the Polish team at People Can Fly have done a very fine job indeed with Painkiller - an accomplished FPS that has rightly earnt its place among the 'good examples' of the genre category. Certainly, the downright daft enemies and over-powered weapons don't make the game particularly hard times - but part of Painkiller's joy is that it rarely frustrates. There's no cooperative mode, which is a lamentable exclusion, and loading quicksaves is hardly quick - though this is a niggling fault at worst.

Painkiller looks fantastic: gorgeous, rich, diverse and atmospheric, and is actually pulled-off with sufficient aplomb to suggest an element of personality one wouldn't expect from such a title. The music further adds to the ambience, and all in all the fast-paced light-hearted mayhem of the game is maintained well from beginning to end. That said, Painkiller is something of a no-brainer and certainly won't be making you gasp with its originality and Hollywood-standard plotlines.

Gruesome, bloody and at times compelling - even if you might admonish yourself for thinking it.

85%

By Luke Guttridge