shots
| Painkiller First Look PC preview | |
| developer | People Can Fly |
| publisher | Dreamcatcher |
| author | Mike |
| date | Jun. 5, 2003 |
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PC Quicktake by walTer
Comic Quick Takes January 25, 2006
Feature by Mike
If you followed the E3 reports, you’ll notice that one of the surprise showings was Dreamcatcher’s Painkiller. Promising advanced graphics and physics, Painkiller aims to set a new standard in First Person Shooters. Can it make a dent in an already overcrowded genre? Let’s take a look at some of the features Painkiller is promising:
: Pain Engine – Ability to put out 100X the polygons of the latest shooters.
: Increased texture quality and the latest lighting and shadowing techniques.
: Havok 2.0 physics engine – Realistic environments in a totally fantastical setting.
: 24 single-player levels, each entirely unique with virtually no texture reuse between levels.
: Multiplayer - currently targeting 32-player servers.
All of this sounds promising, but we’ve heard similar claims before, right? The burning question still remains – can they deliver? Based on an early preview build that Dreamcatcher sent us, I can firmly say they are on the right track. Keep in mind that these thoughts are based on an early, pre-alpha preview build that undoubtedly will change as the game matures in development.
The preview shows off three levels from the game; a gothic castle-like environment, a Romanesque coliseum, and city set on the water. I am not going to overly comment on the gameplay at this stage; the preview was clearly to show off what the engine can do. There is very basic run-and-gun gameplay in place, and the controls are already tight and responsive.
The first thing you will notice, expectedly, are the graphics. I can honestly say, with no reservations, the graphics in Painkiller, even at this early stage, are the best I’ve witnessed on my PC. The first level I tried was the castle, and while it’s the least impressive of the three, it still looks fantastic. The textures stay clear and sharp, even when viewed from close up. The enemies are also impressive, with careful detail right down to the cloth on their garments. The physics are also quite impressive; shoot something, and it slumps to the ground. You can even push the bodies around before they disappear. If you are being shot, it will actually push you backwards; this makes for some interesting fighting when you are on ledges or in an area where you could fall.
The second level takes place in a coliseum, and is simply breathtaking. The screenshots, which came out pretty good, don’t even do justice to the actual game. This level is a ‘boss’ level, featuring a giant enemy. I am not exaggerating when I say giant - it literally takes up the entire screen. As it walks around and attacks with a giant hammer, lightning flashes in the background and parts of the environment crumble to the ground. The physics in this level are particularly impressive. Columns crumble and stones realistically fall to the ground.
The third level was a city set on water, and also looked excellent. The water looks very similar to the water in Morrowind. The architecture is also impressive, with plenty of places for enemies to hide. This level allows you to get a feel for combat a bit better than the rest, as it seems to have more enemies. Again, the enemies are detailed and the physics are impressive - shoot one in the chest, and he blows back as you would expect.
As I said before, most of this first look details the graphical capabilities of the engine. Based on looks alone, Painkiller will undoubtedly succeed. However, the old adage ‘looks aren’t everything’ still holds, and in the end, it’s the gameplay that matters. It’s too early yet to tell how the gameplay will be in the final version. There were some graphical glitches, such as enemies sticking out of the floor after they have been killed, but again, this is an early preview, and I am sure the developers will fix this before the games release. Another concern will be the final machine specs. A game that looks this good is going to need some serious horsepower to live up to its full potential. I’ve got a P4 2.0 and a GeForce 4, and I played in 1024x768, with Anti-Aliasing set at 4x. Surprisingly, the frame rate was mostly solid, but it did chug on the water level. As I mentioned before, I am sure that the engine will be optimized before the final release, but plan to have an above average machine to appreciate it in its full glory.
If the developers can match the gameplay to the graphics, they will have a surefire hit on their hands. It will be a shame if they don’t; the engine is fantastic and has extreme potential. I’ll be the first to admit, with the exception of the Half-Life 2 trailer, I’ve not been very excited with First Person Shooters in some time. I’ve now added Painkiller to my ‘watch for’ list, and anxiously await the next step in its development. Stay tuned to Wickedtoast for further updates.