4/5 ★ – drifferx's review of Painkiller: Overdose.

This second Painkiller's expansion is, to me, the best Painkiller game I've played so far. Let's explain why. First, the good stuff. The gameplay has been polished and upgraded. The AI is not as brainless as it used to be, but not every enemy has multiple attack modes like in the original Painkiller (I think). What they have now is, on one hand, transformations or evolutions and area damage. Status damage is a big mechanic in this game. Because, on the other hand, the enemies and the scenarios can burn, poison or blind you. Another addition is the "enemy generator enemy". An abortion that keeps giving birth to more abortions trying to kill you at the same time. The enemies' designs are great though, they seem to be more inspired. As I'm saying, lots of new stuff. There is a new whole set of weapons and they are all super different from each other, making the gunplay more varied. And they all feel brutal to use, having, like usual, two different modes. Have you played Doom Eternal? I know this is going to sound crazy, but hear me out. I've got almost the same feeling playing this game. Constantly moving, jumping, shooting. It's crazy that a game with such technical limitations can get a feeling similar to a AAA 2020 game. Well done. Tarot cards just are present like in the previous games, which I find brutally useful not only because they can make you unstoppable, but because, in order to unlock them, you have to do a certain task at each level, which make the gameplay more challenging and adding replayability. Scenarios are also well designed, but they are more focused on outside areas. I think it's a fresh idea. The only bad thing it's that they re-used a map. A great map indeed, but that felt lazy. Now, the negative stuff. The bad thing about the gameplay is the lack of ammo. I think I've used the "melee" weapon more than the guns, so you know. Another negative point, the music. The heavy metal that made the first game iconic has left us, and now we have a generic soundtrack. It's far from horrible, but it's not Painkiller. Big miss. Keeping with the negative stuff, the loading times are just ridiculous. I'm not an expert but I guess it's because they were using the same engine while adding a lot of new stuff and better graphics, which made the loading times seem infinite. You get used to it but it's absurd. Some people don't like the main caracter, which is Belial, a half-angel half-demon guy, because he makes corny jokes. There is even a mod to disable his quotes. But, if you've watched Supernatural (the TV show), you would know that demons are just like that. They are playful, chaotic and corny. I love Belial quotes. I can't stop saying "I'm like Johnny Appleseed" on a daily basis. Overall, the game feels like it was made with passion, which makes sense because it was originally a mod made by fans. Everything feels like a tribute to Painkiller but offering a new character and story, which can be considered canon or not. I absolutely recommend this game even if you've never played any other Painkiller game before. ''Mom and dad never took me to the fair. Mom always preferred the torture chambers. Dad always preferred never to see me.'' - Belial, the half mommy issues half daddy issues monster.