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Painkiller was a fantastic first-person shooter from 2004 that is being reborn this year. Although the developer is well aware of how “difficult” it is to compete with beloved FPS games like DOOM in today’s industry, the team believe they have a found a way to both honor the legacy of classic shooters while also pushing the genre forward. All of this is part of an effort to bring Painkiller back from the dead for both old and new players. While the developer is honored to be the ones responsible for resurrecting Painkiller from the grave, another IP they would love a remake of is Bungie’s Oni as it was an underrated classic “well ahead of its time”.
Painkiller devs would love a remake of Oni
We recently participated in a preview of Painkiller with Creative Director of developer Anshar Studios, Damian Wyspianski. During the preview, Wyspianski revealed that “Anshar Studios was entrusted by Saber Interactive” with the unique of opportunity of bringing Painkiller back from the dead. This was an opportunity Anshar Studios jumped on as “Reimagining Painkiller goes beyond nostalgia” as it “provides a strong foundation, not just as a classic, but as a timeless gameplay experience”. The new Painkiller is set launch on October 9th, and it will be on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, as well as PC via Steam.
Realising the responsibility and honor of bringing back a cult-classic, Wyspianski was asked if there are any other iconic games and properties they would like to see remade. While Wyspianski is looking forward to remakes such as Knights of the Old Republic and the Max Payne games, if they “had to choose one classic title that truly deserves a remake, it would be Oni, from Bungie”.
As for why Oni, the Painkiller Creative Director explained, “It’s a game that flew under the radar back in the day but had some genuinely innovative ideas”. Wyspianki hailed it as a “fusion of stealth, melee combat, and third-person shooting—wrapped in a slick cyberpunk aesthetic heavily inspired by Ghost in the Shell”.
Wyspianski also said, “It was ambitious and ahead of its time [as its] deep combat systems often felt underutilized, and its early 3D controls were clunky as the industry was still finding its footing”. However, if Oni were to receive a remake, Wyspianski believes that “With today’s design maturity and modern tools, a remake could finally let Oni’s vision shine—reintroducing its unique blend of genres and style to a new generation in the way it always deserved”.
Oni came out in 2001 developed by Bungie West, and it actually has ties to Rockstar as it was ported to PS2 by Rockstar Canada. It was a fantastic game many people still adore, but, unfortunately, there are no plans for a remake as of writing. Bungie have shown they’re willing to revisit the past as they are brining back Marathon from 1994 with a complete reboot, but, unfortunately, the odds of a remake or reboot for Oni seem incredibly slim. The best we can probably hope for is maybe one day the PS2 version of Oni joining the PS Plus Premium classic catalogue and PSN store.
In other FPS news, Tripewire Interactive has shared the Year 1 roadmap for Killing Floor 3.
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