Painkiller: Fun Mindless Co-op FPS Action

As the gaming industry struggles with the ever-increasing demands of AAA development—massive budgets, lengthy timelines, and sky-high expectations—Painkiller emerges as a refreshingly unpretentious roguelike FPS. This mid-tier shooter knows exactly what it is: a low-stakes, beer-in-hand co-op experience perfect for casual sessions with friends. Will it dethrone this year's top FPS contenders? Not with Doom: The Dark Ages on the scene. Does it boast an award-winning narrative? Hardly—and that’s by design. Instead, this revival nails what made the original great: a stress-free, three-player cooperative bullet-hell shooter featuring customizable weapons, perks, and difficulty settings across multiple levels—all without live-service baggage. Simply put, it’s pure, undemanding fun—something gaming desperately needs more of.

Painkiller wastes no time diving into its hellish premise. You play as a wisecracking demon hunter dumped into Purgatory, armed and ready to cleanse the underworld. Purgatory’s Crossing serves as your hub, where you select characters, gear up, and pick tarot cards before launching into raids. Whether you team up with friends or bots (surprisingly competent in my preview sessions), squads always consist of three hunters. I tested Ink (20% health regeneration boost), Void (10% weapon damage), and Roch (+25 HP), while Sol (50% ammo capacity) remained unused. Their sporadic banter during missions adds levity to the deliberately repetitive gameplay loop.

The arsenal shines with standout weapons like the Stakegun—a railgun-esque monster that skewers foes to walls with satisfying force. Its grenade-launcher alt-fire packs a punch when charged, while the Electrodriver’s lightning AoE clears crowds with style. A default spinning blade handles weaker enemies, and all gear receives permanent upgrades using currency earned from kills and objectives. The real genius lies in Painkiller’s brutality-meets-strategy balance: pinning demons to walls with a Stakegun never gets old.

Deckbuilding spices up the formula through tarot cards—pricey but impactful. Drawing Profane Blessing boosted my damage by 30%, a no-brainer pick. Early-game economy limits excessive redraws, forcing tactical trade-offs. Once in the field, Painkiller embraces its boomer-shooter roots: dumb but relentless enemies, squad-based revives (complete with last-stand tension), and deliberately campy dialogue. Graphics won’t win awards, but the self-aware schlock fits the tone—this is gaming junk food, proudly so.

Releasing October 9 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, Painkiller delivers exactly what it promises: an undemanding co-op distraction for friends. In a year flooded with GOTY contenders, its modest ambitions might underwhelm some—but for no-fuss demon-slaying with buddies, few games nail the vibe better.