Painkiller Hell & Damnation

In order not to lose fans, The Farm 51 decided to create a sequel to the original "Painkiller" called "Painkiller Hell & Damnation". But the dashing first-person shooter caused more negative emotions than positive among gamers, since they expected more. Still, fans of chasing monsters with super-cool weapons appreciated the new entertainment, so it's difficult to give an unambiguous assessment of the new product.

Painkiller Hell & Damnation plot twists

The game takes place after the main part of "Painkiller", when the main character Daniel Garner, who defeated the army of Lucifer, was forced to get stuck in Purgatory. As promised, the guy was not allowed to visit his deceased wife Catherine. And then the Reaper appears and offers to organize this most coveted meeting if Dan collects 7 thousand souls for him. For which there is even a special weapon, which is called “Soul Catcher”. The hero's former acquaintance Eva tries to dissuade Garner, but he still signs up for an adventure. Then the meat grinder begins, when Dan seeks to quickly fulfill the order in order to see his beloved wife.

Looking ahead, it is worth noting that the Reaper did not count the efforts of the mercenary, arguing that 1 soul is not enough for a full count and demanded the soul of Eve. When Garnet refused to do this, he killed the girl himself. Of course, the case ended in a fight, and Daniel sent the customer to Hell. Then the hero opened his eyes in the hospital ward, where Eve explained to him that the Reaper was now eager to start the Day of Judgment on earth, since 7 thousand souls would be enough for him. And he is even going to call for help his brothers - the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, whom he plans to free. And if War, Pestilence, Hunger and Death come into play, the outcome of the battle will be decided. So now we need to confront the Forces of Evil again, and it would be better for Daniel to do it himself. Thus, in the plot, a bridge is thrown to the next games.

Gameplay Features

On locations, the authors did not add anything new, as well as on characters, which caused discontent among gamers. True, they improved the graphics and added characteristic details. Daniel again finds himself in an abandoned cemetery, in the temple of an ancient cult, the Colosseum, where ghosts with scythes, monks with axes, fire-breathing samurai and other nightmarish creatures try to prevent him. In total, there are more than 30 nightmarish creatures of Hell. But this time, possessing a powerful weapon, Daniel turns any crowd into a bloody vinaigrette with very little effort.

With Tarot cards that give bonuses, the developers have made the task more difficult. To get a card, you need to complete a mini-task, for example, collect gold, destroy some monsters, kill bosses. This time, the authors left the hero the opportunity to unlock 2 cards per level. If he is stuck or cannot break through a crowd of enemies, you can use not even one card, but several at once.

Enemies and Weapons in Painkiller Hell & Damnation

With such a powerful weapon, the war against monsters is more like a walk, but it also has its own thrill. The essence of the game remains the same: crush enemies, move from level to level, choosing new types of weapons. By the way, skeletons can be removed from a shotgun with one shot, they are much weaker than in the first part of the game.

As for the weapons, the game has a decent set, from the original and additions. But since the game is rapidly gaining momentum, by the third location you will need something more powerful than a colomet. The new "Soul Catcher" is similar in action to an automatic shuriken thrower with electricity, the rate of fire is not too high, but the blow is powerful. You need to suck souls in a different mode, switch to the green beam. The Soul Catcher also has a super-duper feature. If you press all the fire buttons at once, then he will shoot energy that will make enemies allies. It’s a pity that it’s not for long, but the help is invaluable.

Briefly about the results

The game turned out to be dynamic, it gives a good discharge and adrenaline rush. The picture is bright, but at the same time there are no more turbulent rivers of blood and dismemberment, everything is very moderate. Music is heavy metal, at first it adds vigor, but over time it starts to put a little pressure on the ears. There are as many as 18 levels, plus a special Halloween one, so it's enough to take your soul away.

The players did not like the modest set of maps, the developers did not even transfer all or even the most interesting options from the original. Perhaps the authors decided that duplication would reduce interest in the first game? But, be that as it may, the lack is felt, and even very much.

Daniel will also have to run without automatic health regeneration, so he needs to be distracted by treatment. Bonuses for air strikes and combo kills are also not given, not all players like this.

As for the engine, we chose UE3, which added to the atmosphere of gloom. Fog, shadows, lighting - everything works to exacerbate the situation and emphasize the particular difficulty of fighting the Forces of Evil.

The developers even implemented the ability to play for several players at once, but the gamers did not really like it. After all, when evil spirits chase two Daniels on a split screen at once, it kills all the pleasure.

In general, the plot is fascinating, and most importantly - it leaves the belief that Good always wins.