I’d say I’m not one for nostalgia, but that’d be a bold-faced lie. When I saw that the legendary Painkiller was being revived by none other than 3D Realms and Saber Interactive, I was thrilled. Then, it struck me that I wasn’t sure if this was such a good idea.

For those who haven’t kept up with mildly obscure legacy FPS franchises of yesteryear, the classic Painkiller games were a kind of an edgy Serious Sam ordeal. Super-speedy run-and-gun titles where players stepped into the shoes (or hooves, as it were) of various humans and demons at the precipice of redemption. The only way to redeem themselves in the eyes of the ominous Creator, though, was to slaughter thousands upon thousands of demons. Who knew redemption could be achieved through the use of stake guns, weaponized meat grinders, and the like? The thing about Painkiller, though, is that it was very much a product of its time, and the developer Anshar Studios needs to prove it’s got the moxie to update the formula.

Is now the time to revive Painkiller, and what could be done to make it happen?

The developer attached to the neo-Painkiller project, Anshar Studios, is no slouch. The studio has been credited for work on Layers of Fear, Observer: System Redux, and Baldur’s Gate 3 of all things, though largely in support roles. Crucially, Anshar stakes claim to the acclaimed cyberpunk RPG , which admittedly has absolutely nothing to do with Painkiller‘s specific brand of gameplay.

Honestly, I’m not overly concerned as far as the talent goes: Anshar’s got loads of that. The bit I’m uncertain about is whether Painkiller has the chutzpah necessary to eke out a niche for itself in the modern gaming scene. It’s seriously difficult to overstate just how simple and straightforward these games were, even back in their heyday. Go from A to B, slaughter everything that moves along the way.

The reboot does have some novelties to its name, granted: three-player co-op is a particularly important feature judging by marketing materials, though the developer cites “full offline support” for those of us who can’t stand other people for whatever reason. Anshar Studios hasꦗ also highlighted game-changing tarot card perks to add a bonus layer of complexity to the slaughter, but each of the four playable characters also has their own unique abilities and whatnot to make them interesting.

2025’s Painkiller reboot is thus supposed to take the old, brutal run ‘n’ gun formula and slap a fresh layer of paint on top of it via distinctive characters, perks, and co-op. It could very well work: 2016’s Doom has proven that there’s an appetite for ultra-speedy shooters. The only question that remains is whether the Painkiller IP, specifically, can command a substantial audience in this day and age. I know I’ll give it a fair shake, at least.