An original Xbox console exclusive from 2006 has returned in 2025 with a new release, but it is proving somewhat divisive. For those unfamiliar with the term “console exclusive,” it refers to a game only available on one console platform, but also available on PC. In this case, the game in question debuted on PC first in 2004, before coming to the OG Xbox in 2006. And then it never came to any other platform. Fast-forward two decades, and a reboot of this game has been released, but it is proving not as good as the original.
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The original Xbox game in question is a first-person shooter, Painkiller, from developer People Can Fly and publisher DreamCatcher Interactive. The former is best known for 2013’s Gears of War: Judgment, 2011’s Bulletstorm, and more recently, 2020’s Outriders. Before any of this, though, it put Painkiller out in 2004 and 2006.
Contentious Reboot
After its announcement back in March, this week, developer Anshar Studios and publisher 3D Realms released a reboot of the same name. This reboot is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X for $39.99. Some appear to be enjoying it, but others certainly are not.
The original Painkiller earned an 81 on Metacritic back in the day. The new reboot does not have a Metacritic score yet, but it does have user review scores. On console, it’s being received well. For example, on the PlayStation Store, it has a 4.28 out of 5 rating after 187 user reviews. On the Xbox Store, meanwhile, it has a similar 4/5 rating after several dozen reviews. On Steam, though, where it has the most user reviews, it only has a 57% approval rating after 364 user reviews. The biggest complaint of negative reviews is that there is not much connection with the original.
For those who do not know, the differences between the reboot and the original are substantial. For one, the original was predominantly a single-player experience, and while the reboot can be played solo, it was clearly designed as a co-op game. And then gameplay is quite different. Where the original is a linear experience, the reboot has procuedural generation and roguelike qualities. To this end, it appears those who didn’t play the original are enjoying it more than those who did play the original two decades ago.
All of that said, and as always, feel free to leave a comment letting us know what you think, or join the conversation over on the ComicBook Forum.
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Courtesy of Toei Animation
