More multiplayer

There’s no chance to sneak in and steal the armor before the player controlling the map gets there while running his route. There’s also much less skill in prediction – if everyone can do it, it’s not an ability that helps discern who is better, but merely a common trait. Speed-wise, Painkiller is fast, though perhaps not as fast as Quake, but it’s difficult to tell, what with engine differences and all.

With all these comparisons to Quake, you may wonder – why not just re-make the game? Well, copyright issues aside, nobody really wants just Quake again; it’d be interesting to see someone’s take on it, the variations that may improve the game or make it more interesting.

Aside from the weapons and levels, there are some other minor changes to the Quake formula. For instance, there’s no air control – if you jump in a direction, you’ll continue jumping there – no moving side-to-side or stopping. The ‘cue’ sounds are also quieter; you won’t hear the armor being grabbed, or someone jumping, from across the map.

There will be five weapons in the final game, each with two shot modes. The namesake weapon, the Painkiller, is the tool of choice for melee and its secondary mode launches a thingamabob that will stick to most surfaces. When the painkiller is aimed at that part, a laser beam forms between the two, damaging anyone caught in it. The shotgun’s alternate mode isn’t available in the game, the stake gun launches a huge wooden stake or grenades, and the rocket launcher’s alternate fire is that of a minigun.


We’re a little concerned as to the effectiveness of the stake gun; the bolt flies fast enough for singleplayer but it’s really difficult to hit someone in multi. Of course, it’s so powerful that we’d rather it be slow-moving than hitscan and slow the pace down like the railgun slowed Quake II.

Overall, it’d be an understatement to say we’re excited about Painkiller’s prospects. Any Quake fan will be able to appreciate what People Can Fly are attempting and will doubtless enjoy it – and for those who missed the Quake craze, you can soon learn just how ruthlessly a game can determine the skill levels between two competitors.

Painkiller discussion thread

So what do you think of Painkiller? Do you think we need more Quake-like games, is the current realism fad getting to be too much? Come discuss this and more on the FiringSquad forums. Ask about hardware, gadgets, PC games, consoles and more! Your current FS login will work just fine, and if you don’t have one, signing up is as easy as 1-2-3.