The developers have masterfully adapted everything that made the original Painkiller so enjoyable to a new engine that looks fantastic and plays liquid smooth.

When I finished this curious remake ('the best of Painkiller' suits this game better) all the flaws that I jotted down and that annoyed me ceased to matter. There's something charming in this simplicity. [12/2012, p.42]

As a horror-tinged slaughterfest that vomits blood and bile on the face of modern first-person shooter convention, Hell & Damnation distills the essence of the Painkiller series into a tight, finely honed package.

Hell & Damnation is a successful homage to the original Painkiller with a new engine, much better graphics and the same fast-paced style. It's pretty sad though, that the most fun multiplayer mode doesn't get played a lot. That would've extended the durability of the game significantly. Especially because the single player gameplay will get boring quite quickly if you don't take a break every now and then.

Quotation forthcoming.

In the end, Painkiller HD is only a half-measure, and it doesn't do everything it could have to modernize the classic fast-paced action of the original. It's worth the twenty bucks if the overhaul you want is visual, but otherwise, it's best to pass.

This isn't a remake or a reimagining of the original Painkiller; this is a high-resolution texture pack for an outdated eight-year old game that's missing significant story beats.