Preview, by Finger: "Painkiller has an almost Diablo-like story and atmosphere in a first person environment with frantic, bloody action in the vein of Serious Sam."

Preview, by Jolex Del Pilar: "PainKiller is going to fill a niche that caters to gamers who require 100% action, nothing more, nothing less."

Preview, by Tristan Mayshark: "The environmental detail throughout the game is decent, but in the boss arenas, special care has been taken to make for unique battles."

Preview, by Kaigen: "I came away impressed and firmly convinced that Painkiller will wind up being a great buy for any fan of fast, frantic shooters."

Preview, by Mike Butt: "Based on looks alone, Painkiller will undoubtedly succeed."

Preview, by Kaigen: "Having now played four single-player levels of the game and two boss levels, I can say with certainty that Painkiller is an arcade shooter to watch for in 2004."

By Michael Palisano. "From an aesthetic standpoint, the game looks quite intense."

Preview, by Uros Jojic: "Overall, I got the impression that Painkiller is coming along quite nicely."

Preview, by Burt Carver: "...(While) coming out around the same time as HalfLife 2 and Doom3 (it) is a completely different game and should appeal to the 'hordes of monsters' crowds."