Neoseeker's first preview of Painkiller is outstanding. You simply must read the preview and check out the awesome pics!



WARNING!! May be a little slow loading at this time, but it's well worth the wait!
Neoseeker preview of Painkiller Beta by VeGiTAX2


Well reply with your impressions below!

I just saw this game on X-play, it looks like just what I am looking for, killing demons to get into heavan
I realy like the backgrounds and the physics of this game are very real and 25 levels in single player just one question, what do you think the music will be like?

Right now it's all mellow when you run around with no killing. When all hell breaks loose then it turns to some straight metal as you start building up stacks of bodies. Pretty cool stuff though. I prefer to keep the action going that way it seems like nonstop gore.

what do you mean mellow, is it like evil/creepy/gothic or like Kenny G mellow that sounds cool though, heavy metal music to break the monotony. this game reminds me alot of DOOM, the clip I saw on X-play, none of the enemies had guns, maybe the rely on ambushing and hideing in dark rooms.

Kinda like a gothic orchestra thing going on with it in the normal parts where no one is trying to slaughter you.

Enemies have axes, machine guns, molotovs, spiked bats and a giant 50 foot sledge hammer for starters ^^; each area has their own set of groupies to go by for killing. The Chaos Cathedral had totally different enemies then City on the Water. We'll see if they can maintain that over the course of the whole game though.

WELL guyz this game just copy serious sam but it look way cooler. i think its coming out for PC first??

Yeah it's using the same basis in a sense but they're planning to develop a stronger following than SS held originally.

The PC is set for the first launch with the XBOX shortly behind. We dont have anything new but I'm aiming at around late summer/early fall we'll see a new build of alpha or possibly a beta.

Pain Killer is definitely not Serious Sam. Its way better by far.

Update for those wondering where that magical new article went.

Pre-Alpha Preview

This is based off of the PC platform and the interface system while it is in improvement it'll change for the final version and most likely take another revision in the port to the XBOX. ^^

Looks like this game is really shaping up. Thanks for adding another game to my must buy list!

Keep us posted when you get a closer to release copy.

Well, from the trailer, I always thought this game had, or has the potential to rival Doom 3...hey the more the merrier!

Microsoft | Xbox | Previews



Platform: Xbox
Publisher: Dreamcatcher
Developer: People Can Fly
Genre: First Person Shooter
Ship Date: 09.14.2004
ESRB:





Painkiller
By Chris Buffa -- Staff Writer
Published 12:07 PM CDT, February 9, 2004

Ever want to just blast away and not have to worry about a story? Now you can with Dreamcatcher's upcoming FPS.

Hot Meter
With so many first person shooters trying to weave a story in between the mayhem, it's nice to see that some are simply about wanton destruction. Dreamcatcher Interactive's Painkiller continues the legacy that id began with Wolfenstein 3D and runs with it. You'll annihilate legions of evil creatures with powerful weapons such as a shotgun, minigun and a rocket launcher. There's even a stake thrower that allows you to pin enemies to walls! In addition, Painkiller's graphics are absolutely gorgeous. Some of the environments consist of sprawling gothic locales teeming with the undead, and the glorious Havok 2.0 physics engine should provide realistic environmental interaction and rag doll physics unrivaled in the industry. Say a prayer, face your fears and lock and load. The Xbox and PC are about to play host to yet another glorious first person shooter.

Preview
In the world of fast and frenetic first person shooters, the title of Dreamcatcher Interactive's latest game, Painkiller, is certainly apropos. After a rough day in the real world, the game promises to whisk you away on a hellish ride through waves of undead creatures that need to be obliterated without remorse or consequence. It's a concept that's been done before, but developer People Can Fly has added a magic touch to this horror-themed blast-fest, and you'd be doing yourself a favor to keep an eye on it.

Painkiller has the sort of story that's become typical in games of this ilk, that being of the "tacked on" variety. You play as average Joe Daniel Garner, a man who's just been killed in a car accident. Unfortunately for him, Heaven's gates are closed, and he's stuck somewhere between there and hell. What's worse is he's been lucky enough to be caught in the middle of a war between the two sides, and since he isn't doing anything, he's enlisted to fight in it and destroy demonic hordes of monsters. What a crappy day.

The story's cookie-cutter and I think it's intended to be. You're not going to sit through lengthy cut scenes. You're going to be dropped in the $%^& and running for your life as you're pursued throughout the game's 19 levels. However, and as per the usual, you're equipped with some good ol fashioned weapons capable of obliterating the monsters and sending them back to hell. A pistol, minigun/rocket launcher combo and a stake thrower are but a few of the game's weapons, and many carry dual, and sometimes-combined functions. For example, the stake thrower allows you to pin creatures (Ala Buffy) to the wall, but if you use the secondary fire it'll launch grenades. However, if you press both buttons together you'll fire a stake/grenade combo. It's a cool idea, and an innovation of sorts.

While details are scarce, Garner will be able to harness demonic powers from time to time to aid him in the battle. Every defeated enemy leaves behind its soul, and Garner can use them for health, but for every 100 souls he collects he's consumed by this power and transforms into a demon. He'll have different abilities and perspectives in this form, though exactly what they'll be is still a secret.

While the story and the weapons are in place, a fps's nothing without a solid engine, and I can happily report that Painkiller's is as solid as they come. The indoor/outdoor environments are absolutely gorgeous and varied. Gothic cathedrals and prison-like environments are but a few of the locales you'll blaze through. In fact, no textures will be reused between levels, which is something that should give each one a unique personality. The game also makes use of the Havok 2.0 physics engine that was made famous in Max Payne 2. Enemy bodies realistically bounce off walls and each other, and many of the environments feature objects that can be destroyed.

Ok, so you've got your story, your weapons and an engine that runs at a speedy frame rate. However, there's no use packing this kind of heat without targets, and Painkiller excels in the creature category as well. Featuring a varied assortment of highly detailed beasts, the game sends multiple waves after you that come in all shapes and sizes. There's skeleton warriors brandishing maces, demonic knights, bikers, wicked old ladies, and blade-wielding priests, and I'm just getting started. Some of the creatures are so enormous it boggles me as to how I'm going to destroy them. I mean, how do you stop a 50-foot demon that's swinging a gigantic hammer? The detail is simply amazing, and even more jaw dropping when they go bye-bye after being unloaded upon. Blood splatters and bodies fly all around you. It's truly a shooter lover's utopia.

While no details have been announced regarding Xbox Live support, the PC version will feature online play for 32, and you'll find the usual death match and capture the flag options, though there will be other game types.

While Painkiller looks like a hit, it's debatable whether mindless blasting will be enough to hold my interest and carry me through to the end. Even Serious Sam became monotonous after a while, leaving me to wonder whether Painkiller is unique enough to stand out from the pack. However, I'm willing to bet that like the great shooters it pays homage to, it'll turn out to one of the finer guilty pleasures of 2004. Check it out on the PC when it releases this April, and the Xbox later this year.


This message was edited by razurkiel on Feb 09 2004.