As the year comes to a close, the time has come to reflect on everything that Netflix had to offer. 1p5r1s

The streaming titan put out an impressive collection of new projects. The TV series released this year were particularly quite successful. From the faithful adaptations,  to original stories, it’s been a great year for Netflix, and these shows dominated in 2023. 

10. Painkiller 6u4vo

This scathing drama series chronicles the opioid crisis as it follows Richard Sackler of Purdue Pharma, where OxyContin was first manufactured and distributed nationwide. The show was based on the acclaimed New Yorker article by Patrick Radden Keefe, and Barry Meier’s novel covering the crisis. 

9. Castlevania: Nocturne p407

Netflix’s announcement of a sequel to the original Castlevania series was met with extreme excitement, and thankfully, the follow-up did not disappoint! Nocturne is set during the French Revolution, and follows Richter Belmont, the descendant of Trevor and Sypha Belmont. Together with his friend Maria, and a former slave named Annette, they fight the forces of evil as a new threat emerges, the Vampire Messiah. 

8. Beef 4y3v5f

Ali Wong and Steven Yeun had audiences letting out primal screams of rage in this comedy-drama series. The pair star as strangers who get involved in a sprawling beef after a road rage incident. The show tackled themes of rage, race, classism, and more in a funny, yet poignant manner that resonated with viewers. The show would later get shrouded in a major controversy, but fans are ittedly still hoping for a second season.  

7. That ‘90s Show 3re4b

Fans of That ‘70s Show were initially wary when Netflix announced a sequel about the teenage daughter of Eric and Donna Forman. Thankfully, the show was a success and has been renewed for a second season. It follows Leia Forman as she spends a summer with her grandparents Red and Kitty, and the escapades that she engages in with the other teens in the neighborhood. That ‘90s Show also struck some nostalgia chords by bringing back the original series’ stars (though not Danny Masterson, for obvious reasons) for some comedic cameos.

6. One Piece n6y70

Live-action anime adaptations have historically been more misses than hits. However, Netflix managed to knock it out of the park with their adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s iconic anime, One Piece. The show follows aspiring pirate Monkey D. Luffy who dreams of becoming the King of the Pirates. He sets off in search of the legendary One Piece treasure, assembling his crew and evading pirate-hunters. The adaptation was well received, with praise going to its cast and special effects. 

5. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 3v494g

Netflix once again struck gold with the third entry in the highly acclaimed period romance, Bridgerton. The prequel limited series follows Queen Charlotte at age 17, and her arranged marriage with King George. Despite neither party being enthusiastic about the union, they grow closer as they face multiple challenges as Charlotte rises to prominence. In usual Bridgerton fashion, there were marvelous exclamations of love, emotionally gripping moments, and steamy scenes!

4. All The Light We Cannot See 2wq5x

Based on the Pulitzer-winning novel of the same name, this miniseries was a huge hit on Netflix. The four-part series follows Werner, a young German soldier as he begins to question his beliefs on the war when he starts listening to a radio show hosted by Marie-Laure, a blind French girl. The show transcends borders and time as we see the trajectory of their lives and how they intersect. 

3. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off 2i2p55

The Scott Pilgrim comic series, as well as the cult classic 2010 film are widely beloved. The 2023 animated series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is a retelling of Scott’s story, following most of the same plot beats and battles against Ramona’s exes. Released to critical acclaim, the series reunited the cast of the live-action to voice the characters. This made for an even more exciting series filled with hilarious and absurd events that is sure to be a great watch for old and new fans alike. 

2. The Fall of the House of Usher 4p6k1

Fans of horror filmmaker Mike Flanagan were obsessed with his Edgar Allan Poe-inspired Netflix series this year. The miniseries revolves around Roderick Usher, the prestigious and corrupt CEO of a pharmaceutical empire, as his heirs begin to mysteriously die. Following an interview format, we see Usher recount the events that led to his success and demise in this chilling series. 

1. Blue Eye Samurai 636b3y

Blue Eye Samurai has been making waves for its impressive animation and story. Set in the Japanese Edo period, the animated series follows Mizu, a half-white Samurai who had been discriminated against all her life for being mixed-race. After the death of her mother, she sets off on a quest of vengeance to hunt down the four remaining white men in Japan, knowing that one of them must be her father. With a compelling plot, striking visuals, and superb voice acting, Blue Eye Samurai wasted no time in becoming a hit!

Stephen King has made a cozy home for himself on whatever we’re calling Twitter these days, combatting trolls and political figures with a deftness that he’s historically had trouble fitting into a limited number of characters. He’s also become a vocal advocate for Netflix streaming series, with ive shout-outs popping up on his with heartwarming regularity. Here are 10 series that were beloved by the guy who, with a grain of salt, hated the Kubrick version of The Shining but vouched for the one with Steven Weber.

Dracula 5f532d

Not to be confused with the 1931 film Dracula, the other 1931 film Dracula, the 2000 film Dracula 2000, or the 1979 film Dracula, the 2020 series Dracula tells the story of Dracula in three feature-length parts. Reimagined through the minds of Doctor Who alums Steven Moffatt and Gatiss and returning viewers to the duo’s particular fascination with people being cremated alive, it manages to breathe new life into a preposterously well-known story – this time with an uncharacteristic lack of weird vampire horniness, which may have come as a shock to the writer of Skinwalkers.

The Night Agent 314v2s

One of the more recent additions to the list, 2023’s The Night Agent, has a little bit of everything that a Netflix subscriber could want: the FBI, conspiracy theories, and runtimes that come in at under an hour regularly. King called it “farfetched, but ridiculously entertaining,” he’s sort of the authority, having once written a book about a very angry car for adults.

Painkiller d552d

There is a bleak but real possibility that King just got confused and thought he was reviewing actual painkillers, seeing as he described having loved the series “almost to death” and considering the fact that the show has yet to crack 50 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Mindhunter 8f6

It would have been weird if Stephen King hadn’t liked Mindhunter. Everybody liked Mindhunter. Some Quakers found Ed Kemper’s motivations for killing in season one compelling. Still, you don’t kick a rave review from America’s most popular author out of bed for eating crackers, and it must have been nice for David Fincher to see that King called the show “highly recommended.”

Money Heist 2i54x

Stephen King loved Money Heist, marking another in a series of statements best responded to with something like “Who didn’t?” Also, do you guys worry at all that he’s maybe watching too much Netflix? Like, a concerning amount of Netflix? I didn’t write the most successful horror novels of the last 50 years, so it’s not really my place to say what he should be doing, but man.

Anyway, he said that the first episode of part four of Money Heist had “More excitement and pure daffy fun than in the whole season of most shows,” and he would know since apparently “most shows” is exactly what he’s watched.

Kleo 3u193x

“What a breath of fresh air! Suspenseful and also very funny.” Those were the words of praise heaped on the spy thriller Kleo when it hit Netflix in 2022. The German language series received praise when it debuted in 2022, even achieving the highest of Netflix honors: Not being canceled immediately.

Midnight Mass e6l2u

Midnight Mass turned a lot of heads thanks to its eerie presentation, crackerjack writing by Gerald’s Game director Mike Flanagan, and stellar performances from never-not-good actors like Hamish Linklater. Stephen King had nothing but nice things to say about it when rank got him the privilege of seeing the series early, and he helped hype audiences up for it with a praise-heavy tweet.

DARK 4655d

Another acclaimed German series, described by King, and this is true, as “German.” Say what you will. The guy knows how to use language evocatively. Also, he loved the show and even offered fans advice on where to go if and when they got irretrievably confused.

The Stranger 505t1u

It’s safe to say that Stephen King knows mysteries, and he knows addiction, so you’d do well to listen when he calls 2020’s The Stranger “an excellent mystery” and “addictive.” The British miniseries based on the book of the same name by Harlan Coben was praised by critics for its solid cast and tense atmosphere.

Fauda 3k1r5h

It wasn’t a series that got a ton of watercooler attention stateside, but the Israeli drama series Fauda was popular enough to warrant four seasons and an Indian remake. King called it “all killer, no filler,” a statement that made anyone who read It get really sad about the number of lives they lost learning about space turtles.

One of the many benefits of following Stephen King on social media is that you’re never too far away from a film or TV recommendation, but the legendary author is in vehement disagreement with critics and a lot of viewers when it comes to his latest.

Netflix miniseries Painkiller only holds a 49 percent critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 62 percent audience score, but the master of horror couldn’t speak highly enough when he praised it on social media, even if the subject matter hits closer to home than you’d expect from a splashy, stylish, and star-studded streaming series.

As King alluded to, by his own ission he was using “a lot” of Oxycontin in the late 1990s following the car accident that almost killed him, while in a previous life his wife Tabitha staged an intervention in 1987 after his use of cocaine, Xanax, Valium, NyQuil, beer, tobacco, and marijuana saw him begin the journey to sobriety.

Although Painkiller may be fictionalized to a certain extent, diving deep into the opioid crisis still highlights the general sense of desperation that plagued everyone from the perpetrators to the victims who found their lives changed forever after the unstoppable rise of Oxycontin quickly became an epidemic among huge cross-sections of society.

It may not be Netflix’s best-reviewed original of all-time, but if it’s good enough for Stephen King, then you’d imagine quite a few folks left on the fence as to whether or not they should add it to their watch-list have just had their minds made up by the praise emanating from the literary giant.

Do you want to watch a streaming series focused on America’s opioid crisis? No — we have Dopesick at home (on Hulu). We’re talking about Netflix’s Painkiller, starring Matthew Broderick, Clark Gregg, Taylor Kitsch, and Uzo Aduba.

It’s a stacked cast, and the series tackles the opioid crisis in an even more all-encoming format than Dopesick. However, critics and audiences seem to enjoy it significantly less than its Hulu competitor. Its critical score on Rotten Tomatoes sits at 42 percent, and its audience score isn’t much better at 59 percent. This is compared with 89 and 93 percent, respectively, for Dopesick.

It’s also worth noting that Dopesick has earned 14 Primetime Emmy nominations and three Golden Globe nods, though Painkiller would likely not be in contention for awards until roughly a year from now. But the word on the street is that this isn’t really an “awards show.”

Critics have complained that Painkiller‘s attempts at satire and black comedy create a wildly uneven tone, while others protest that the series is flat-out overkill.

But Painkiller has one thing that no viewer or critic can take away from it: It’s new, which means a lot of people are streaming it regardless of its quality.

Sure enough, Painkillers is at the top of Netflix’s Global Top 10 for the most-watched TV shows on the platform. Over the week of Aug. 7 through Aug. 13, the series drew 7.2 million views across the world, amounting to 35.9 million hours viewed. That’s a heck of a lot of people watching star West Duchovny belly-flop into a pool while on Oxycontin.

We’ll see if Painkillers has the same staying power as Dopesick — or if the Netflix series proves to be anything but addictive.

Despite Netflix‘s best efforts, Heart of Stone does not seem to be delivering what it promised, with the first batch of reviews revealing a lackluster effort brought down by formulaic, repetitive, and uninventive writing and directing. At least the film is not alone when it comes to disappointing premieres, with Uzo Aduba and Matthew Broderick miniseries Painkiller also getting smashed by critics.

As for the charts, which have not yet been updated to count the viewership of the Gal Gadot vehicle, they boast a completely unexpected worldwide champion, as a remake we all forgot even existed somehow climbed all the way to the number one spot of most watched movies by Netflix subscribers.

Sex Education might still dish out a few more lessons at Moordale if we’re lucky 5n6e4k

Sex Education has been some of the very best television produced at Netflix in the last few years, so the news that its fourth season would also be its last came with its fair share of dejection. Even if dragging on stories that appear to have reached their natural conclusion is never a good idea, which makes the Sex Education team’s self-awareness and restraint a welcome affair, it’s still always sad to see a good show come to an end.

With a little over a month to go before the release of the show’s final word, creator Laurie Nunn is adding some hopeful ellipses. Speaking to TUDUM, Nunn said that she will indeed be stepping away from the world of Sex Education for a bit after she’s done with season four, but that the doors have not closed for good on Moordale Secondary School. “Moordale is a really rich world, and writing about teenagers is always a lot of fun. So, I think that there’s always potential for more to be explored in that world,” the screenwriter shared.

High school television shows are known for introducing new generations of students every couple of years in order to extend their narratives. The likes of Glee, Elite, or Skins have employed this practice in the past and, while it’s always hard to let go of the characters we fell in love with first, if done well, the new stories can be just as engaging. Could that be the future for Sex Education?

Netflix’s latest action extravaganza sinks like its name under the weight of devastatingly poor reception 2x4w2d

It looks like not every veteran superhero can find solace in the ever-growing world of Netflix action cinema, judging by the initial reaction to Heart of Stone — the Gal Gadot-led spy thriller that premiered on the platform Friday, Aug. 11.

Following Chris Hemsworth’s surprisingly pleasant outing in Netflix’s Extraction 2 in June, it was the Wonder Woman actress’ turn to go from comic book mythological demigod to badass action hero, but it looks like the transition did not go as smoothly.

The latest Netflix release is facing a disappointing 31% on Rotten Tomatoes’ review aggregator at the moment, with critics exposing its soulless action sequences that just can’t do justice to the movies it claims to be trying to emulate. In fact, the Tom Harper flick is not even the best movie titled Heart of Stone out there.

Painkiller might have to get a taste of its own medicine to help with dispiritingly low reviews 2y354i

Also just fresh out of the Netflix oven is Painkiller, a miniseries about Purdue Pharma and its impact on the opioid crisis that has devasted America in the 21st century. Led by Uzo Aduba, Matthew Broderick, Taylor Kitsch, Dina Shihabi, and West Duchovny, the six-episode limited series takes from a 2003 book by Barry Meier, and a 2017 article published in The New Yorker.

Despite an interesting cast and premise, critics have not been kind to the property, which currently holds a 44% score on Rotten Tomatoes after 32 reviews — the majority of which call out the show for a somewhat sensationalist and melodramatic approach to its core issue, with comparisons to Hulu’s Dopesick becoming inevitable. Audiences showed a little more appreciation, giving the show an average 61% score.

A surprising chart-topper seemingly indicates Netflix can, too, apparently read minds 5c2x1v

In 2019’s What Men Want, Taraji P. Henson plays a sports agent who is able to hear the thoughts of her male co-workers — a gender-reversed remake of the 2000 rom-com hit What Women Want, which barely made a splash at the time of its release. According to FlixPatrol, however, the four-year-old film is the surprising leader of Netflix’s Top 10 most-viewed films for Aug. 10 and Aug. 11.

It doesn’t matter that the concept has been explored a handful of times in the past, Netflix subscribers are apparently still happy to give this underwhelming remake directed by Adam Shankman a chance, in spite of its mild-to-cold reviews and box office shortcomings. Although audiences keep asking for more original productions, this turnaround proves Netflix, like the protagonist of this unlikely success, knows what’s really going on in viewers’ content-gobbling minds.

If you want to watch a riveting, engaging, and widely-acclaimed streaming series focusing on America’s opioid crisis, then look no further than Hulu’s Dopesick. However, if you want a show that deals with the exact same thing but does it worse, then look no further than Netflix’s Painkiller.

Current Rotten Tomatoes scores of 42 and 59 percent from critics and audiences are a long way behind the 89 and 93 percent ratings of its spiritual contemporary, and we doubt Painkiller is going to match Dopesick’s 14 Primetime Emmy nominations and three Golden Globe nods, either.

One thing they do share is an eclectic and esteemed ensemble cast, with Netflix drafting in Matthew Broderick, Clark Gregg, Taylor Kitsch, Uzo Aduba, and many more besides to explore the beginning, middle, and aftermath the drug-induced epidemic that ruined even more lives than it claimed, with the story digging deep into ability that never came and the consequences that befell hundreds of thousands of people as a result.

The subject matter wasn’t handled expertly, with the jarring attempts at satire and black comedy creating a wildly veering tone that never really works, but its status as a splashy new original has at least guaranteed big viewing figures right off the bat.

Per FlixPatrol, Painkiller has arrived as the second most-watched episodic title around the world by debuting on the Top 10 in 74 countries, which still hasn’t been enough to knock The Lincoln Lawyer down from its perch. That might change in the coming days, but it depends if those scathing reviews have a knock-on effect.

There’s a scene in Painkiller in which the main character, high out of her mind on the drug she sells to doctors, belly flops straight into a pool. The purpose of the scene is to serve as a stark reminder of just how strong Oxycontin is, but according to West Duchovny, it was one of her favorite things to shoot.

If the name Duchovny sounds familiar, that’s because it is. West is the daughter of David Duchovny and Téa Leoni, and in the film she plays a young pharma rep named Shannon Schaeffer who schleps the dangerous drug around the country. 

Shannon goes through some moral struggles during the show, which is six episodes long and exclusively on Netflix. In an interview with Tudum, Duchovny shares,

“I think a lot of people are going to see themselves in her … a theme for her is [the desire] for success and trying to do good and grappling with the pressures of money and how that changes you.”

The pivotal pool scene takes place at a corporate conference in Miami. Shannon takes the drug and walks right into a pool, in essence morally waking up to what she’s doing. Duchovny said it was a favorite scene to act out.

“I think [Shannon is] not only drawn to Purdue because of the money, but because she thinks that she can help people and do good,” said Duchovny. “I think that’s the moment where she can’t come up with an explanation — there’s just been too much evidence of what’s really going on… Thinking back on Shannon and her arc and this final moment and just all the emotion — it was one of my favorite things to shoot.”

Painkiller is streaming now on Netflix.

Netflix has hit the nail on the head this time. The new show from the streaming giant is called Painkiller, and within just a few hours of its release, it has already become a hit due to its exploration of the themes surrounding the opioid crisis that struck the United States in 1999. The series is based on Patrick Radden Keefe’s New Yorker article titled The Family That Built an Empire of Pain, as well as Barry Meier’s book Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America’s Opioid Epidemic. The limited series consists of six episodes in total, with a central focus on the OxyContin manufacturer.

In addition to its gripping premise, the series boasts a star-studded cast. Uzo Aduba, known for her role in Orange Is the New Black, leads the cast, alongside actors like Sam Anderson and Taylor Kitsch. However, one name, in particular, has captured the attention of fans – West Duchovny. The actress portrays Shannon Schaeffer and immediately captivated the audience with her acting prowess and, of course, her striking appearance. To many, however, it might come as a surprise that she is the daughter of two famous actors. Here’s all you need to know about this ‘nepo baby.’

Who are West Duchvony’s parents? 1h2r2y

The emerging actress, with a compact yet acclaimed repertoire, happens to be the daughter of David Duchovny and Téa Leoni. Duchovny gained worldwide recognition for his portrayal of the FBI agent Fox Mulder in The X-Files back in 1993, and subsequently as the writer Hank Moody in Californication. Apart from these iconic roles that firmly establish him as one of the most accomplished TV actors of all time, the 63-year-old actor has also left his mark in the realm of cinema. In 1992, he appeared in the comedy-drama Chaplin alongside Robert Downey Jr. That same year, he also starred in Beethoven, the heartwarming family comedy centered around the beloved Saint Bernard dog.

Téa Leoni, on the other hand, is easily recognizable from her performances in Jurassic Park III, the 1995 action-comedy Bad Boys, and the CBS political drama series Madam Secretary. Presumably influenced by her parents’ prominence in the entertainment industry, West was destined to rise as a star herself, despite her parents no longer being together. In fact, Leoni and Duchovny parted ways in 2014 after seven years of companionship but continued to amicably co-parent West.

At present, the 24-year-old can be seen in the new Netflix drama sensation, alongside some of her minor roles also available on Netflix, including her small yet denting appearance in the 2015 fantasy hit The Magicians.

Netflix is shining a spotlight on one of the biggest culprits behind the opioid crisis through its latest limited series, Painkiller.

The six-episode series debuted on the streaming platform on Aug. 10 and quickly caught viewer attention. Its focus on, in particular, Purdue Pharma’s contributions to the opioid scourge is sparking widespread debate, as people revisit a conversation that’s been simmering for decades. Purdue Pharma is one of the biggest, and most insidious culprits behind the rise of opioids around the nation, and the manufacturer’s focus on OxyContin, in particular, led to a crisis, particularly in the United States. Deaths from prescription opioids have dropped slightly in recent years, as a result of better access to information and the slow downfall of Purdue Pharma.

The company’s been embroiled in legal disputes for more than a decade now, and — despite several high-dollar payouts — its still paying the price for the human cost of its pursuit of wealth. Netflix’s work to shine a light on the company, and people, behind the painkiller craze isn’t enough to ease the hurt Purdue caused — but it is reminding people of how much work is yet to be done.

The Painkiller cast u6mg

Painkiller seeks to tell a multifaceted story about the rise of the opioid epidemic and the company that’s been paying for its involvement since the 2000s. It highlights a number of important figures over the course of its 6-episode limited run, including the executives and salesmen behind OxyContin’s development.

The Sacklers 5l731g

The Sackler family is at the core of the drama that unfolds across Painkiller. The family purchased Purdue Pharma from its founders in 1952, and, in the early 90s, pivoted it to primarily focus on pain management. Soon, drugs like fentanyl, codeine, and OxyContin were the company’s bread and butter — and, within a few years, a wave of opioid-related deaths were the result of their efforts — as was their silence on the drugs’ addictive properties.

Matthew Broderick leads the Sackler squad as Richard Sackler, one of the family’s primary forces in pumping out highly addictive painkillers. ing him as Raymond Sackler and Mortimer Sackler are Sam Anderson (as Raymond) and John Rothman (as Mortimer).

Edie Flowers w2x

A vital element of the Painkiller story is brought to audiences by the talented Uzo Aduba, who plays Edie Flowers, a lawyer with the US attorney’s Roanoke, VA. office. Flowers is an amalgamation of several different real-world figures, who — while not entirely fictional — were altered and dramatized into one character to help keep the story tight. She is one of the driving forces of the Painkiller plot, as she works to develop a case against Purdue Pharma and its contributions to the opioid crisis.

Dr. Gregory Fitzgibbons v733b

Like Flowers, Dr. Gregory Fitzgibbons isn’t entirely based on a real-life person. Instead, he is based on a collection of doctors who, following the rise of OxyContin, refused to prescribe it to their patients, despite pressure from the likes of Richard Sackler. He’s played, in Painkiller, by John Ales, who audiences will recognize from his stints on Euphoria, Star Trek: Picard, and Station 19.

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The drama that compounds over the course of Painkiller is very much based on real life, but the series hesitates to put OxyContin’s real-life victims in the spotlight. Instead, it creates new, fictional characters, who experience fallout based on real-world experiences. The Krygers — Glen, Lily, and Tyler — aren’t based on any specific IRL people, but their tragic experience very much is. The family is played by Taylor Kitsch, of John Carter and The Terminal List fame, who portrays Glen, alongside Carolina Bartczak’s Lily and Jack Mulhern’s Tyler.

Additional cast 5q152h

The Painkiller cast isn’t massive, but quite a few talented people came together to bring this story to life. ing heavy hitters like Matthew Broderick are Tyler Ritter, who plays John Brownlee, Ron Lea, who brings Bill Havens to life, Ana Cruz Kayne as Brianna Ortiz, West Duchovny as Shannon Schaeffer, John Murphy, who adds Michael Friedman into the mix, and Dina Shihabi, who plays a character simply classified as “Britt.”

Let’s be honest, the Painkiller franchise hasn’t had the easiest of all roads. While the original Painkiller was fairly highly praised by critics, the subsequent expansions, ports and mods brought to retail have sullied the game in the eyes of most gamers. This is fair, since those releases were pretty much horrid across the board. Many of us, myself included, thought the franchise was dead, or at least hoped it was to spare it further embarrassment.

The Farm 51 had other plans, however, and surprised us with a reboot in Painkiller: Hell & Damnation. It may have a new shiny coat of paint and a revamped engine, but it’s the same Painkiller we loved almost ten years ago. Well…. almost. And that’s where the problem is to be had. Calling Painkiller: Hell & Damnation a reboot is a bit disingenuous. Painkiller: Hell & Damnation plays out more like an homage to everything that was awesome about the original in a “best of” format. The game has been heavily truncated. The original Painkiller featured 24 levels and the Battle out of Hell expansion featured an additional ten levels, leaving a fairly beefy game even if not all of those were exactly fantastic. Painkiller: Hell & Damnation is limited to 14. I really can’t understand the logic behind this, as it turns an already short game into something I was able to complete in four hours. Painkiller had some incredibly memorable moments that didn’t make the cut, such as being able to tear down the Opera House’s chandelier onto your foes or the absolutely fantastic warzone lost in time that closed out the game. Don’t get me wrong, playing through the updated Theme Park is an absolute blast but knowing that there’s so much more that should have been here really put a damper on the experience.

While Painkiller hasn’t ever been huge in regards to storytelling, Hell & Damnation seems even more bare bones than I . Players take on the role of Daniel Garner (voiced by none other than John St John of Duke Nukem fame, as well as being my personal favorite narrator for Fifty Shades of Grey) a man trapped between heaven and hell desperately trying to find his wife. Death promises to reunite the star death crossed lovers if Daniel can provide 7 thousand souls as payment. As you progress through the game, you’ll be ed by Eve (yes, that Eve) who tries to warn you to be careful. It’s extremely hard to follow as the game seems to think you either already know a bit of Painkiller lore or simply don’t care about the story and would rather focus on blowing things up. As usual, Painkiller really thrives when it comes down to the weaponry you’ll use to dispatch demons. Everything is completely over the top and feels absolute fantastic in use. Each weapon seems to carry a bit of weight behind it and justifies the massive amount of damage you can pull off. The new addition of the Soulcatcher is probably going to stand out as a favorite for many players this go round. The primary fire launches a saw blade capable of cutting down enemies in a line all while rendering their limbs free from their torsos. The alt fire is a low damage beam that drains health and ultimately the soul of your foes, storing them in the weapon. Once the weapon is fully charged, you can launch out a powered blade that converts enemies in a small radius to your side, giving you a bit of help in the battle field. The weapons are completely overpowered and insane, exactly what I would expect from a game of this lineage.

The Farm 51 tried to upgrade the controls to fit the modern gamer and the results are a bit of a mixed bag. The Painkiller Staff’s alt-fire and the Stake thrower’s grenades have been mapped to individual buttons, essentially introducing melee and grenades into the mix as a more standard affair. The default scheme isn’t too accommodating for those of you with smaller hands or less nimble fingers, so I’d highly recommend looking into remapping a few buttons. If you’re anything like me with freakish Slender Man fingers, you should be ok. The game is also fully playable with a controller. Soup is also fully edible through a shoe. Just because something is there, doesn’t mean it’s any good. The controller scheme is clunky and without the ability to remap buttons you’re kind of stuck with what you get. Cycling through the weapons can be a bit of a chore and trying to balance some of Painkiller’s nuances with the sticks just feels cumbersome. Let’s hope they address this before the console release come January 22^nd. While I lamented the levels that didn’t make the cut for Hell & Damnation, I was sadly surprised to find some of the AI did. The old school twitch shooters didn’t really need much when it came to enemy AI, the goal was to send hordes of baddies at you and let you try to deal with the onslaught. The issue arises when the enemies get stuck behind scenery unable to pose any real threat or get lost in the level leaving you to hunt them down before you can progress. The com will show you where the slackers are hiding out, so it’s not a major issue, but it’s an annoyance that should have been caught. However, I imagine this will be patched fairly quickly. Other issues, such as having to wait for bodies to disintegrate into green souls, slow down the action just when things are really starting to heat up. Minor complaints to be sure, but when we’re talking about a 5 hour campaign the core experience really shouldn’t be marred with these flaws.

Bosses are an annoyance for all of the wrong reasons in Hell & Damnation. While they look absolutely stunning rendered in UE3, the experience of actually fighting them is fairly painful. You could say I needed a Painkiller to deal with it. (Ed note – You know I will fire you, right?) All of the bosses suffer from the same annoyances: Massive amounts of health, attacks that you have no chance of avoiding, and incredibly obscure weaknesses. I love a boss battle where I need to find a unique way to take them down and end up feeling like the smartest man in the room when I do, but often the boss battles boiled down to “Just throw everything against the wall and see what sticks.” Hell & Damnation brings co-op into the mix, but I can’t imagine this gaining any real traction. It’s a blast blowing away hordes of baddies with a buddy, but without being able to tell where your friend is on the map, it can be hard to keep track of exactly what’s going on. The ultimate nail in the coffin is the inability to save your progress playing through co-op. You can choose what missions you want to play through, so it’s easy to simply do your favorites, but removes any real incentive to sit down with a friend and go to town. The competitive multiplayer sees some massive upgrades from the original Painkiller, but I do have to wonder if it’ll be enough. The new modes help spark a bit of interest in the mode, but I don’t know if that alone will be enough to pull players over. If you’re still playing the original Painkiller online, you don’t need a new physics system or better visuals to pull you in. Players new to the series will get a taste of some old school twitch shooting, but there are better examples of it out there.

The one thing that matters the most when it comes to games is if it’s actually fun to play, and I can say overwhelmingly that Painkiller: Hell & Damnation is a blast. While it was over too soon and had its share of issues, I immediately wanted to play through it again when I was done. Watching a line of skeletons topple to the grown as I saw off their legs never got old, and there was enough challenge to keep me coming back to my keyboard. I can’t say for certain that I would recommend it over the original Painkiller: Black Edition which is half the price and offers a bit more, albeit through a dated game, but I can say that newcomers shouldn’t be wary of picking this up. Painkiller: Hell & Damnation wasn’t the complete reimagining of the franchise it needed to put it on top, but it’s a far cry from the laughably bad games the series has suffered through recently. Hopefully The Farm 51 continues developing their interest, and with the next title we’ll see something surely worthy of reclaiming its crown.

This review is based on a PC copy of the game that was provided to us.

All aboard the hype train! The Farm 51 released two trailers for Painkiller Hell & Damnation today, one standard as well as the Doctor’s Cut, which gives us the first real look at how the game is going to play out. Everything you would expect to be here is present: Huge baddies, insane guns and chaos galore. We also get a first look at the two player co-op and deathmatch modes we can look forward to. The trailer gives the warning that “This is a skill-based old-school FPS which might not be suitable for everybody.” Where do I sign up? Painkiller Hell & Damnation will hit your PC on Halloween while those of you wanting to play it on your TV will have to wait for it to hit Xbox 360 and PS3 come January 22. Now the real question is: who’s going to mutilate some demons with me?

I’m not sure what inspired game companies to bring back the more classic FPS experience I grew up with, but I’m thankful for it. With the success of Serious Sam 3 and Rise of the Triad in development, I dare say we’re standing in the doorway of a new golden era of gaming. Cult classic Painkiller is finally getting the reboot treatment as Painkiller: Hell & Damnation will be released on PC’s this Halloween. Those of you looking to slay some demons on consoles will have to wait until January 22^nd.

“We’re committed to offering games of the highest quality and rewarding the fans with additional content that truly adds depth,” says Peter Hercher, PR & Marketing at Nordic Games GmbH. “It’s fantastic that we can offer this at a price which is superb value for money. The game is an explosive action classic that has been packed full of the darkest parts of hell and fantastic bonus material, for an extreme, demonic experience.”

Painkiller: Hell & Damnation will retail for $19.99, but there will be a collector’s edition available on the PC for $29.99 that includes the soundtrack, a making of DVD, and art book, an exclusive multiplayer skin and a tarot card power up for single mode. As always, we’ll keep you posted when we have more news to report.