Painkiller’s creator says the 2025 reboot is a “Skinwalker” — and he’s right

Why this criticism actually matters

This caught my attention because Adrian Chmielarz isn’t just another disgruntled fan-he helped build the DNA people praise about Painkiller. When the creator of the original says the 2025 reboot “has no traces of the DNA,” that’s not hot take theater; it’s a frank assessment from someone who knows what made the original tick. The reboot sits at a ‘Mixed’ 55% on Steam and the backlash focuses squarely on that tonal and conceptual mismatch.

• Brand misuse: Chmielarz calls the game a “Skinwalker” – a title that wears Painkiller’s skin without sharing its soul.
• Fans are angry: Many Steam reviews ask if anyone on the team even played the original.
• Renaming could have helped: The creator thinks the game might have performed better under a different name.

Breaking down Chmielarz’s critique

Adrian’s reaction was blunt and, at times, amused: “Next question, please.” He praised Anshar Studio as “great guys” who try hard but went on to label the reboot as basically a Skinwalker – a game that borrows the brand but not the essence. That’s not a throwaway insult. He argues the original Painkiller’s strengths weren’t only its guns or blood effects, but a specific atmosphere and self-serious horror that threaded through level design and enemy choices.

He admits he played a beta and “disagreed with every single thing they’ve done in it.” That’s brutal, but specific: Chmielarz’s complaint is that the reboot fixes the mechanical parts (co-op, modernized combat, flashy effects) while stripping the game of the tonal commitment that made Painkiller memorable. In his words, the team focused on “cool guns and cool enemies” and assumed that’s enough. Historically, that’s the fastest route to alienating a devoted fanbase.

Why the name matters — and when it doesn’t

There’s a business temptation here: slap a known IP on a competent product and inherit attention. But IP carries expectations. Chmielarz’s takeaway is practical — rename the thing. If the 2025 Painkiller had launched under a different brand, he believes reception would be better and sales higher. That’s a hot, useful take: legacy names are an asset only when the product delivers the specific experience players associate with them.

This happens across the industry. We’ve seen similar debates around Silent Hill and Resident Evil remakes where fidelity to tone made or broke fan reaction. When a game borrows a franchise’s visuals without matching its core ideas, the result is emotional whiplash for fans and a PR problem for devs.

What this means for gamers and Anshar Studio

For prospective players: this reboot looks like a competent, modern co-op shooter that leans more into the Doom playbook than the original Painkiller’s gothic-horror vibe. If you want a flashy arena shooter with friends, it might scratch the itch. If you bought it because you want the old Painkiller experience, expect disappointment.

For Anshar: branding mistakes can cost goodwill faster than bad reviews. You end up inheriting a ready-made fanbase and their anger if you don’t match expectations. Chmielarz’s point — that using the Painkiller name here actively hurt the studio — is a reminder that IP licensing is a two-way street. You gain attention, but you also inherit responsibility to the IP’s identity.

Looking ahead (and a note on Witchfire)

Chmielarz is now focused on Witchfire, his new dark fantasy FPS in early access, which feels like a clearer continuation of his interests: heavy atmosphere, careful lore, and first‑person combat that wants to be taken seriously. Expect more from him on how to build immersion properly — and perhaps a pointed lesson for other studios tempted to trade a name for short-term visibility.

TL;DR

Adrian Chmielarz didn’t mince words: Anshar’s Painkiller (2025) wears the brand but not the soul. It’s a technically competent shooter that misunderstands why fans loved the original—so much so that the creator says renaming it would have been the smarter move. If you’re chasing old-school Painkiller vibes, look elsewhere; if you want a modern co-op arena shooter, play cautiously and read the reviews.