| Game Reviews From a Parental Perspective! | |
|
|
|
| Home | Forums | Review Archive | Columns | Feature Articles |
|
Home >
Review Archive >
Video Games
> Results: Painkiller
Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us Scroll down for our Kid Factor. 
The simple "run and gun" 3-D shooter games of the 1990s ﾖ dominated by titles such as "Doom," "Quake" and "Duke Nukem 3-D" ﾖ have been replaced by a newer breed of action games that require more strategy, tactics or stealth.
But those who long for the days of no-brainer blast-fests should pick up a copy of "Painkiller," a new title that serves as a fun throwback to the golden years of 3-D shooters. What the game lacks in ingenuity, it more than makes up for with extraordinary graphics and addictive game-play. Played from a first-person perspective, this gothic game focuses on Daniel Garner, the victim of a fatal car accident who finds himself trapped in a dark and twisted purgatory. In order to join his wife, Catherine, who also died in the crash, Garner is commissioned by a representative from heaven to seek out and destroy four generals in Lucifer's army to prevent an unholy war. The story, told via movie sequences between levels, is forgettable ﾖ it simply provides an unnecessary context for the carnage.  With a handful of weapons -- including a gun that shoots wooden stakes and another that lets you freeze an enemy and then blow it to pieces with a shotgun ﾖ the goal is to lay waste to more than 50 of hell's wildest species. The highly-detailed enemies range from shrieking banshees and axe-wielding evil monks to WWI zombie soldiers and armless skeletons who attack with their teeth. Part of the fun is to see what new monsters await with each subsequent level. The four demonic generals serve as the tougher "boss" fighters in the game, some standing about 100-feet tall. After a beast is killed, its soul lays lingering for a few seconds, waiting for the player to collect it. When 66 are found, Garner morphs into a demon state -- the world turns black and white except for enemies, which are now outlined in fiery red. The player cannot be harmed during this temporary spell. Gamers must also pick up ammunition, armor and health packs. Gold pieces can also be found and used to purchase tarot cards that grant special powers. The gothic environments in "Painkiller" are just as twisted as the game's grim premise, including creepy ghost towns, cemeteries, prisons, asylums, catacombs, castles and hell. Fans of multiplayer gaming over the Internet can launch one of five game types, including the familiar kill-or-be-killed "Deathmatch" mode. The fun "People Can Fly" mode (named after the Polish development studio that created this game), is played in small arenas with rocket launchers. Players must rack up "frag" points (kills) within the predetermined time limit, but the catch is that players can only bite the bullet when they're airborne. "Painkiller" is one of those games to play at the end of a long day, one that requires absolutely no brainpower whatsoever. There is a market for such a game, and this title fits the bill. 
What are you kidding me? This is a bloody game. I mean, the main weapon, the Painkiller, has two modes. One snaps it forward like a fishing like and hauls enemies toward you and the other is a circular saw you can use, effectively, to chop up bad guys into little bits. The developers are students in the art of "gibbing", which means enemies break into bloody horrid chunks when gunned down. Splotches of blood tag the walls, ceiling, floor, and your view occasionally. Add in the Hell/Heaven dichotomy, the fact that your guide in the cutscenes is Eve (as in Adam &ﾅ) and she wears her hair strategically as a braﾅ and you've got a seriously demented game that kids are going to want to play! Should you let the older one's play? Up to you. The game is graphic but not realistic. You aren't killing people, this isn't a simulation, it's just an over-the-top carnagefest.
Kid Factor by Andrew Bub
Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us Home > Review Archive > Video Games > Results: Painkiller |
Read the GamerDad 2007 Holiday Guide!
|
Please Note: GamerDad is not intended to be read by anyone under 18. We stay clean, but be warned! Content Management System developed by Redbird Solutions. |
