Following the reveal of a new Painkiller game at the Future Games Show, fans of the original are giving the initial trailer a somewhat mixed reception. Released in 2004, the original Painkiller, developed by Gears of War studio People Can Fly, took inspiration from the original "boomer shooters," like Quake and Doom. The first look at the new Painkiller, set to release in the fall of 2025, however, has some fans of the boomer shooter genre pointing out its many similarities to the modern DOOM series.

As shown in the game's reveal trailer, the new Painkiller is being developed by Anshar Studios, and published by 3D Realms and Saber Interactive — but while the trailer shows off plenty of classic weapons returning from the original game, like the titular Painkiller and the Electrodriver, some fans have doubts regarding the game's faithfulness to the original. One comment from @nobodyfresh89 on YouTube, for example, points out that "the original Painkiller had great locations [...] and this looks more like Doom."

A Classic Title Reemerges With Some Big Changes

The New Painkiller Trailer Lacks Varied Environments, Fans Say

While the new Painkiller displays undeniably better graphical standards than the 2004 original or any of its many expansions or re-releases, some fans feel that the 2025 release is losing some of Painkiller's unique appeal. Several boomer shooter fans, like LETT3RBOMB on Reddit, have echoed the comparisons to the modern DOOM games, saying: "My concern is that it all looks kinda like hell from DOOM," as opposed to the varied environments and enemy types from the original Painkiller.

Although the original Painkiller was the debut title for People Can Fly, the studio is now much better known for Gears of War: Judgment and Outriders. While Painkiller (2004) has received several expansions and re-releases from various developers and publishers, it's never gotten a true sequel. Anshar Studios, the developers making Painkiller (2025), are relatively unknown. Although the studio has assisted with the development of well-known games like Baldur's Gate 3 and the Silent Hill 2 remake, its original titles mostly consist of VR shooters such as Detached and Telefrag VR.

Our Take: The Modern DOOM Comparisons Are Unavoidable

Painkiller Won't Be Able To Escape Comparisons To DOOM: The Dark Ages

While the trailer for the new Painkiller arguably invites comparisons to modern DOOM, it would be hard for the game to avoid those comparisons regardless. DOOM (2016) arguably kickstarted the modern resurgence of the boomer shooter genre, and while games like DUSK or ULTRAKILL can distinguish themselves with intentionally retro art styles, the triple-A realism of Painkiller (2025) makes it look more like DOOM than anything else currently in the genre.

Notably, the new Painkiller will release months after DOOM: The Dark Ages in 2025, making even more direct comparisons between the two unavoidable — especially since The Dark Ages seems to be embracing a more classic style of gameplay while Painkiller chases the speed and mobility of something like DOOM Eternal. Hopefully, for fans of the 2004 original, Painkiller (2025) won't end up as just a modern DOOM clone and will manage to retain some of the original game's unique identity.

Sources: FGS/YouTube, LETT3RBOMB/Reddit