Admin [DC]
12-14-2007, 04:37 PM
Painkiller Overdose
More Demons than you can shake a boom-stick at...
81% - Excellent
View full magazine review here (http://www.dreamcatchergames.com/forums/../newsletter/sales/fall07/pcgamer_review_pkoverdose.pdf)
In my review of Crysis in the Holiday 2007 issue, I talked about the 'Crysis Effect' - I didn't think I could ever go back to playing a tight linear shooter with dumb AI without feeling like I'd just been handed 'Baby's First FPS.' Well, it's only a month later and I'm already eating crow. Painkiller: Overdose is a manic, balls-out kill-fest that is virtually Crysis-proof in its construction and a fantastic reminder of what I loved about the first Painkiller. If Crysis is like a deep, engrossing movie, then Painkiller: Overdose is like a day at Universal Studios theme park, noisy, with little depth, lots of action, and a surprise around every corner.
Mindware seamlessly takes over the reins from original Painkiller developer, People Can Fly, leading us on a wild ride through 16 all-new levels of unrelenting mayhem. Billed as a 'prequel to [Painkiller's] eventual sequel, Overdose casts you as Belial, a smack-talking half angel/half demon who has been imprisoned by Lucifer deep in the bowels of Hell, taking vengeance on all of Satan's little helpers along the way.
Like its predecessor; Overdose's gameplay is linear, fast-paced Serious Sam-style shooting action. The key to preventing this kind of frenetic shooter from getting boring is to pack every level to the brim with creativity, variety, and tons of surprises-which helps you forget that the dozens of gaudy enemies that keep teleporting into the gameworld are brain-dead simpletons who wouldn't know a flanking maneuver from a Krispy Kreme donut. Overdose delivers with a grandiose spectacle that whips through places in Hell you probably didn't learn about in Divinity class, such as medieval battlefields, gang-ridden 'hoods, boggy marshes, and outer space. Each chapter ends with a battle against a colossal end boss.
Most of the weapons from the first game return (including the titular Painkiller flying cube), along with six new ones, including exploding gas bombs and a screaming goblin head. And, of course, stat-enhancing tarot cards (earned by completing secret goals in each level) and the one-shot kill demon-morph mode (triggered by collecting enough of your victim's souls) are also back. In addition to the rollicking single-player campaign, Overdose is also jam-packed with fun multi-player modes (eight in all), ranging from simple deathmatch to Last Man Standing, and 13 total multi-player maps. (A level editor is included, so expect more maps soon.)
Considering its budget pedigree, Overdose's $39.99 price tag may seem a bit steep. But for fans of mindless fun, it's worth every penny.
More Demons than you can shake a boom-stick at...
81% - Excellent
View full magazine review here (http://www.dreamcatchergames.com/forums/../newsletter/sales/fall07/pcgamer_review_pkoverdose.pdf)
In my review of Crysis in the Holiday 2007 issue, I talked about the 'Crysis Effect' - I didn't think I could ever go back to playing a tight linear shooter with dumb AI without feeling like I'd just been handed 'Baby's First FPS.' Well, it's only a month later and I'm already eating crow. Painkiller: Overdose is a manic, balls-out kill-fest that is virtually Crysis-proof in its construction and a fantastic reminder of what I loved about the first Painkiller. If Crysis is like a deep, engrossing movie, then Painkiller: Overdose is like a day at Universal Studios theme park, noisy, with little depth, lots of action, and a surprise around every corner.
Mindware seamlessly takes over the reins from original Painkiller developer, People Can Fly, leading us on a wild ride through 16 all-new levels of unrelenting mayhem. Billed as a 'prequel to [Painkiller's] eventual sequel, Overdose casts you as Belial, a smack-talking half angel/half demon who has been imprisoned by Lucifer deep in the bowels of Hell, taking vengeance on all of Satan's little helpers along the way.
Like its predecessor; Overdose's gameplay is linear, fast-paced Serious Sam-style shooting action. The key to preventing this kind of frenetic shooter from getting boring is to pack every level to the brim with creativity, variety, and tons of surprises-which helps you forget that the dozens of gaudy enemies that keep teleporting into the gameworld are brain-dead simpletons who wouldn't know a flanking maneuver from a Krispy Kreme donut. Overdose delivers with a grandiose spectacle that whips through places in Hell you probably didn't learn about in Divinity class, such as medieval battlefields, gang-ridden 'hoods, boggy marshes, and outer space. Each chapter ends with a battle against a colossal end boss.
Most of the weapons from the first game return (including the titular Painkiller flying cube), along with six new ones, including exploding gas bombs and a screaming goblin head. And, of course, stat-enhancing tarot cards (earned by completing secret goals in each level) and the one-shot kill demon-morph mode (triggered by collecting enough of your victim's souls) are also back. In addition to the rollicking single-player campaign, Overdose is also jam-packed with fun multi-player modes (eight in all), ranging from simple deathmatch to Last Man Standing, and 13 total multi-player maps. (A level editor is included, so expect more maps soon.)
Considering its budget pedigree, Overdose's $39.99 price tag may seem a bit steep. But for fans of mindless fun, it's worth every penny.