This year’s Painkiller reboot has failed to resonate with both fans and critics. Among those unimpressed is Adrian Chmielarz, the visionary behind the original 2004 title.
In a recent interview, Chmielarz shared his thoughts:
“I’m familiar with Anshar—they are a talented team that works incredibly hard. However, their version of Painkiller feels like a hollow imitation; the name is there, but the soul of the game has been lost.”
Clarifying that his feedback was based on the beta version, he noted that he was fundamentally at odds with the studio’s creative direction:
“It is an entirely different game. I don’t understand why people acquire a brand only to turn it completely upside down. There isn’t a trace of the franchise’s DNA left in this project, and that genuinely baffles me.”
Chmielarz observed that even previous sequels struggled to capture the essence of the original, often trading its horror roots for pure action. In his view, the latest iteration would have fared better if it hadn’t tried to lean on the established IP:
“They likely could have sold more copies and enjoyed a much better reception without the brand. In this instance, attaching the name actually harmed the creators’ prospects.”
Currently, Chmielarz is spearheading development on Witchfire, a dark shooter that many consider a spiritual successor to his original work.
Source: iXBT.games