Origin Marketing is on a roll- the Indian distribution entity has been snapping up many major titles for the Indian market lately. After announcing that they will be bringing Sniper Elite 3 and MotoGP 14 to the country, they have now announced a partnership with Nordic Games, which will see them bring three Nordic published games to the country as well.

These include Painkiller: Hell and Damnation for the Xbox 360 and PS3, which will retail for INR 1,999 ($35), the Darksiders Collection for INR 2,499 ($40), and the Red Faction Collection for INR 2,499 ($40). Of these, the last one will only be available on the PS3.

Origin does in fact have one of the largest and most far reaching distribution networks for game hardware, accessories, and software in the country, so you can probably find these games in your nearest Croma or Planet M, or whatever other store closest to you sells video game hardware and software.

Painkiller was one such game, People Can Fly’s 2004 romp that took the FPS back to boot-camp with its simple gameplay and campy underworld storyline. It’s a bit of a classic (provided you can take it with a pinch of salt), but several developers have jumped on the bandwagon and released their own entries in the Painkiller series since then.

"If better graphics were what you wanted out of Painkiller, your prayers have been answered. "

Hell and Damnation is the latest release, with The Farm 51 giving the series an Unreal Engine 3 makeover. It makes the hellish world of Painkiller particularly grizzly, with the bosses especially getting a great boost from the new engine. Towering monsters that fill your screen just weren’t possible like this back when the original Painkiller was released.

The graphics supplement the game’s unified aesthetic, an over the top representation of a dreary afterlife. If better graphics were what you wanted out of Painkiller, your prayers have been answered. There are a few glitches that spoil this new found immersion, with towering boss monsters seeming less intimidating as they get stuck on the scenery. Still, Painkiller doesn’t disappoint in the visuals department.

Hell and Damnation acts as a sequel and remake simultaneously. The plot takes place after the original, with Daniel Garner now striking up a deal with Death himself. 7000 souls is the price Daniel must pay to be reunited with his deceased wife, so you set out to clear endless hordes of the damned once more.

"What many remember the Painkiller series for is its wacky arsenal of guns and, though Hell and Damnation stays true to this, it becomes clear just how much content has been recycled here. "

Where the remake part comes in is the levels, a greatest hits of the stages you remember from the original. It isn’t quite so simple though, with a few glaring omissions and the unwelcome return of that bloody swamp level. It does a reasonable job of capturing the best bits though, resulting in some iconic nostalgia for retro FPS veterans.

What many remember the Painkiller series for is its wacky arsenal of guns and, though Hell and Damnation stays true to this, it becomes clear just how much content has been recycled here. Old classics return (stake gun FTW!), but are bolstered by only one new gun.

Admittedly, the aptly named soul catcher is a boon to the game, a hybrid soul sucker and saw launcher that can rip through groups with ease. Considering this is what always defined the series, one new gun is a poor effort. Still, the arsenal continues to add variety to the action.

Though the guns may be creative, the rest of the gameplay struggles to stay relevant to the 2013 sensibilities. It was a breath of fresh air when released in 2004, but enemies that charge head on endlessly just don’t quite cut it any more. We’ve had our retro revival in areas outside the FPS genre so, despite being easy to pick up and play, H and D also comes across as far too simplistic at times. The rush tactics employed exclusively by the AI also mean you get boxed into corners a lot; and not in a fun or exciting way.

"There's also other multiplayer modes on offer but, far from recreating the glory of the original Painkiller's deathmatches, it feels hollow and soulless by comparison."

Collision detection just feels off when enemies surround you and, with no way to get out, you find yourself getting frustrated as the game spams more and more opponents your way. Enemy frustrations continue as,t with the only objective in the game being to clear an area of enemies, certain foes will get stuck in a corner of the map. This forces you to waste time hunting them down before you can proceed. It’s a small niggle but, in a game that is made by its fast-paced action, this regular need to enemy hunt becomes tiresome.

It’s a shame the game gets so repetitive, even in short bursts, but there isn’t too much game to suffer through at least. Being a compilation of levels from the original Painkiller, Hell and Damnation is even shorter than its forebear. You can run it in 4-5 hours without much effort, a disconcerting lack of content for those seriously considering parting with their cash.

Optional objectives exist within each level to unlock new tarot abilities, but these are often too basic to offer any real replay value. The inclusion of local and online/LAN co-op certainly makes the short lifespan easier to swallow and, whilst the implementation isn’t perfect, bringing a second player adds some serious replay value.

There’s also other multiplayer modes on offer but, far from recreating the glory of the original Painkiller’s deathmatches, it feels hollow and soulless by comparison. The sincere lack of players doesn’t help. Having tested liberally over the past few days I encountered barely anyone online and, whenever I did, the gameplay failed to hold up. The fast and frantic deathmatches of old just feel a little dull in Hell and Damnation.

" It plays fairly well and looks even better, but it just doesn't have enough new content to stay relevant for long."

Survival mode shakes things up a bit, with players defending themselves from a horde of AI, but this mode too offers little on top of the campaign and similarly becomes repetitive after a short play time. If you’re looking for the next big online shooter, you won’t find it here.

Despite releasing for a fairly reasonable price on Xbox 360 and PS3, Hell and Damnation remains a hard recommendation to make. The physics and back to basics gameplay that wowed us in 2004 aren’t quite so special in 2013 and, whilst the original Painkiller remains a joy to play, there’s little reason to recommend this remake over the game that started it all.

In terms of sheer content and quality, I’ll take People Can Fly’s version any day of the week, but this isn’t to decry the effort The Farm 51 have put into Hell and Damnation. It plays fairly well and looks even better, but it just doesn’t have enough new content to stay relevant for long.

This game was reviewed on Xbox 360.

Pazdur stated that, “It’s not a good time to reveal details of an upcoming project just yet, but the ending wasn’t implemented by accident. Again, the beauty of the Painkiller universe is its incredible flexibility i.e. we can pretty much expand it in all directions, like deeper into Hell, the ‘real’ world, heaven or continue in purgatory…time will tell.”

So we can at least conclude that something is in the works for Painkiller. Fair enough, but what about problems with the present one like the short campaign and multiplayer?

“Well, players have the right to expect a lot of cool stuff for their money. It’s just a matter of what makes sense to deliver when you can’t make all you want. It was not an easy decision on what direction to take, but after a couple of brainstorms we were all sure that it’s better to focus on extra value.

“This was to be generated by cooperative mode, survival multiplayer and strongly enhanced visuals on a smaller amount of levels, rather than to re-create the whole game that looks and plays exactly like the original. We laid the foundation with PKHD, and now we’re adding more and more new features and elements to remaining levels and modes.

“Besides regular updates, we will give out the mod-kit for PC, provide regular updates on the gameplay, and add more content to the game.”

So don’t worry – there’s still more to come for those who felt short-changed.

Recently, we got in touch with Wojciech Pazdur, the Development Director at The Farm 51 and Reinhard Pollice, Business Manager at Nordic Games. We spoke in great length about the origin of the game, their decision behind developing a requel and their opinion on next generation gaming.

Check out the full interview below.

Ravi Sinha: As a series, would Painkiller be a throw-back to the FPS shooters of yesteryear, where you’re invited to kill tons of enemies in extremely extravagant ways?

Wojciech Pazdur: You could say something like that. I’d just prefer to call it “going to good old times”. If there’s room for new titles like Shank or Super Meat Boy, which takes old school 2D shooters or platformer’s ideas to higher level, why not do the same with first person shooter genre? There are still thousands of people who aren’t just looking for a more cinematic experience in action games; with today focusing on pure gameplay essence is again a matter of debates and experiments.

Ravi Sinha: How was the decision made to do a remake/sequel (requel?) to the original Painkiller, rather than going forward with a true sequel?

Reinhard Pollice: We brainstormed a lot here and had ideas looking into a lot of different directions about a new Painkiller game. We ended up concluding that the market is lacking a key element of the original Painkiller, that “old school” element. So we decided that our game should be in the spirit of old school shooter games. We also noticed especially that console gamers never really had a chance to get into Painkiller, which is why we decided to take that route.

Ravi Sinha: Given that two of The Farm 51’s founders were involved in the original, was there a sense of going back and doing things differently, or just paying homage to what made the first game great?

Wojciech Pazdur: Painkiller Hell & Damnation is equally homage, continuation and expansion of great ideas from the original game. In 2004 there was a lot of performance, engine and timeline limitation that stopped us from making different things like we wanted them to appear in the game. It’s both crazy and extremely satisfying when we got back on the project and re-created the enemies, weapons or buildings exactly as we felt it should have been done years ago.

Ravi Sinha: Painkiller: Hell and Damnation has a fair bit of plot though, featuring characters from previous expansions in prominent roles. Does the straight-forward nature of the game ever feel at odds with that?

Wojciech Pazdur: Since the very beginning, we aimed at creating both continuation and re-imagination of the game universe. When we consider the flexible framework given by this insane mix of demonic and angelic worlds, there is no idea that is crazy enough to be pushed aside. Of course, to make it believable, consistent and cool, we spent countless hours on polishing characters roles, appearances, their look and dialogues – I believe the actual story makes much more sense than the original. This is because in first game it was changed several times during development and now we know what we wanted to tell from the beginning to end.

Ravi Sinha: Judging by the ending of the game though, can we thus conclude that a sequel with the Four Horsemen as antagonists is in the works? Or will it be an expansion like Battle out of Hell and Overdose were for the original Painkiller?

Wojciech Pazdur: It’s not a good time to reveal details of an upcoming project just yet, but the ending wasn’t implemented by accident. Again, the beauty of the Painkiller universe is its incredible flexibility i.e. we can pretty much expand it in all directions, like deeper into Hell, the “real” world, heaven or continue in purgatory… time will tell.

Ravi Sinha: What are your thoughts on criticism with the game, including the short campaign and multiplayer?

Wojciech Pazdur: Well, players have the right to expect a lot of cool stuff for their money. It’s just a matter of what makes sense to deliver when you can’t make all you want. It was not an easy decision on what direction to take, but after a couple of brainstorms we were all sure that it’s better to focus on extra value. This was to be generated by cooperative mode, survival multiplayer and strongly enhanced visuals on a smaller amount of levels, rather than to re-create the whole game that looks and plays exactly like the original. We laid the foundation with PKHD, and now we’re adding more and more new features and elements to remaining levels and modes. Besides regular updates, we will give out the mod-kit for PC, provide regular updates on the gameplay, and add more content to the game.

Ravi Sinha: How has the criticism shaped the development of the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game? Will we see any unique additions for the console versions or improvements to the core experience?

Wojciech Pazdur:  The console versions will deliver all bug fixes and improvements we’ve implemented to the PC game since its release in October 2012. But I think what’s more cool is the ability to play expanded campaign on additional maps that are exclusive for console releases. On top of it, several DLCs for PC version have been already released, so if any console player needs more adrenaline, it’s going to be much easier to satisfy his hunger.

Ravi Sinha: How has People Can Fly (developer of original Painkiller) reacted to Painkiller: Hell and Damnation? How deep was their involvement in the remake?

Wojciech Pazdur: People from the original team helped us a lot with their feedback on creative changes to the game. We were fighting like 10 years ago about weapon mechanics details, balance issues and visuals. Especially after the release of the PC version we got a lot of valuable design inputs that were incorporated into PC patches and our work on the console versions.

Painkiller: Hell and Damnation Intro Cinematic.

Ravi Sinha: What are your thoughts on the next generation of consoles, especially the recently revealed PS4?

Reinhard Pollice: I like a few functions that were announced but so far I personally cannot see a real benefit from buying that instead of a gaming PC. We will monitor further development closely and are also in a stage, where we evaluate certain game concepts for this hardware. Even a great platform sometimes isn’t able to convince a critical mass. A lot of factors are important here. Plus we are not in the position to be under the obligatory first-movers in that sense, so we will be careful for the time being.

Ravi Sinha: Finally, will Daniel ever have a happy ending and just be allowed to live in peace?

Reinhard Pollice: We thought about this many times but I guess “and he lived happily ever after”- peace is impossible for a video game action hero. Even Mario has to fight Bowser all over again, doesn’t he? So it might be that at some point he can escape the vicious cycle he is right now in purgatory but I am not sure if this means he can lean back and start an ordinary life again.

Special thanks to Yunus Ibrahim for setting up the interview.

We asked him what he thought about the next generation and about Sony’s recently revealed console, the PlayStation 4.

“I like a few functions that were announced but so far I personally cannot see a real benefit from buying that instead of a gaming PC,” Pollice told us.

“We will monitor further development closely and are also in a stage, where we evaluate certain game concepts for this hardware. Even a great platform sometimes isn’t able to convince a critical mass. A lot of factors are important here. Plus we are not in the position to be under the obligatory first-movers in that sense, so we will be careful for the time being.”

He also told us why they decided to do a modern remake of Painkiller and Painkiller: Battle Out Of Hell instead of doing a true sequel.

“We brainstormed a lot here and had ideas looking into a lot of different directions about a new Painkiller game,” he revealed.

“We ended up concluding that the market is lacking a key element of the original Painkiller, that “old school” element. So we decided that our game should be in the spirit of old school shooter games. We also noticed especially that console gamers never really had a chance to get into Painkiller, which is why we decided to take that route.”

People who are too invested in the PC platform may not find the PS4 that interesting considering what Nvidia had to say about its specs, but ultimately it all depends on games. More details on the PS4 will be revealed at E3.

Stay tuned for our full interview soon.

Really, who knew purgatory could have so much to do over such a long period of time?

As for the new project, there’s no word yet on what to expect but Nordic Games has stated it will be announced soon. Till then, check out The Clock Strikes Meat Night available on Steam today for the low price of just GBP 6.49.

Nik Blower, Sales and Marketing Director of Nordic Games, “Players will endure the most hair-raising Halloween experience this year with Painkiller. It’s the deadliest incarnation of the series so far, the graphics are stunning and the unique gameplay remains true to old-school FPS ideology that made the original game so well loved.”

The game is essentially a remake of Painkiller and Painkiller: Battle Out Of Hell, updated to high definition graphics supplied by Unreal Engine 3. Nordic Games was also kind enough to tell us that there will be “no killstreak bonuses, no autoheal, and no upgraded weapons”. Wonder who they’re talking about?