More than 20 years later, the original Painkiller is back. A brutal shooter coming off the back of games like Quake, Doom, and Serious Sam, this demonic FPS is one we definitely don’t talk about much these days, even though we absolutely should. With some gargantuan bosses, gorgeous levels, and an array of vicious weapons, the game is mostly lost to time. Until now, that is, as a new Painkiller RTX mod recently came out, and it completely revamps the experience to feel entirely new.
Painkiller is the definition of a cult classic FPS game. Released in 2004, developer People Can Fly’s shooter blends the fast-paced action of Doom and Quake with a grimey, gothic story filled with some truly excellent gunplay. You play as Daniel Garner, a man trapped in Purgatory trying to reach his wife in Heaven. Getting there isn’t simple, though, as Daniel needs to prevent a war between Heaven and Hell if he wants to be purified.
In my mind, Painkiller is a gem still absolutely worth trying in 2025, especially due to its sheer breadth of levels and enemies. You’ve got a cemetery, prison, opera house, and more to explore, alongside biker gangs, samurais and zombies to blast into a million tiny pieces. The game even has a load of physics interactions, which goes an incredibly long way to enhancing the overall experience by bringing you into the world.
If you want to try Painkiller out with a modern visual upgrade, though, you absolutely can. Back in April ‘Binq_Adams’ uploaded v0.1.6 RTX Remix files for the shooter, breathing entirely new life into the game. A new video from Digital Foundry even shows the overhauled shooter in all of its glory, and I’ll admit that it no longer looks like a two-decade-old game.
Even just watching Digital Foundry’s video, you can tell that Painkiller RTX greatly enhances the original game’s lighting. More shadows bounce around the levels, and general improvements to how lights actually work help plenty of objects stand out in the environment. If you’ve seen or played the Half-Life 2 RTX overhaul, the work on Painkiller feels somewhat similar. It’s also worth keeping in mind that this RTX project is a work-in-progress, but there’s still more than enough for you to try right now.
Funnily enough, this RTX version of Painkiller isn’t the game’s only revival happening right now. Developer Anshar Studios and publisher 3D Realms are rebooting the series for the modern age as a gothic co-op shooter. You take on the role of a Champion, and need to stop the fallen angel Azazel from unleashing demonic hordes onto Earth.
If you want to try Painkiller RTX for yourself you can find the assets on ModDB here, and the original 2004 game is also available on Steam.
If you want more, we’ve also got all the best horror games and co-op games you can play right now.
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