This game looks like Painkiller and plays like Painkiller, but it is not Painkiller!
Now comes the third installment in the series, however, this time Dreamcatcher couldn't catch that unfathomable dream that made the first game unforgetable. In fact they haven't even tried as they were only supervisors of the project. Well, where were they looking...? Overdose is everything that the original Painkiller was but it has no soul.
Start from the uninspired level design. Most levels are plain dull - you walk from one square room to another, monsters spawn, you shoot them, the door opens, repeat. Only the textures change. And the worst level by far is the very first one. Very bad first impression of the game... Some levels like the Studios and the Disney-like haunted forest are fun, but they don't even come close to pure art like The Monastery, the soviet level from Battle out of Hell, or the best level ever - the frozen armageddon at the end of the original Painkiller.
Next come weapons. Well, the original Painkiller had great original and what's most important, effective weapons. If those in Overdose were seen for the first time, they would have been a dime, however, they were supposed to be new, but most of them are just skins for the old weapons - the Razorcube plays exactly like the Painkiller gun. So does the Bonegun which is in fact the Shotgun. The Rocket Launcher / Chaingun thing is back again but looking different. There is an acid gun which plays like the Stake Gun and a Crossbow which is... again like the Stake Gun!!!! The list goes on.
As I mentioned the soviet level above I remembered - well, the heavy soundtrack is gone. Too bad...
And since I started discussing technical aspects, graphics haven't changed one bit since 2004. Yet, the game manages to have horrific loading times. And you might see those often, especially if you try to play on Trauma, because the game is somewhat harder than the original Painkiller.
On the other hand boss battles are easier and uninteresting, uninspired just like the levels.
Actually, for me, the worst downfall of Overdose is that the first half of the game utterly lacks what's in my opinion the salt and the pepper of Painkiller - secrets and holy items. You won't need the latter though, because I also found Tarot cards useless in this game. They hardly affect gameplay. What is more, most Tarot cards are old but the new ones are just stupid. A card that gives you +5 max health!? And it costs 1000 gold to place it!?!?!? The one that gives you 20 armour at the start of each level is a bit more useful but it costs 1800 gold!!!?!?? And speaking of Tarot cards, objectives to get them are generally easy. Nothing like the insane objectives from Battle out of Hell which yielded terrific cards and more importantly, great satisfaction.
In fact the only positive thing I can think of, is that there are new enemies who look just as crazy as before. Everything else is just mediocre. Just like this expansion pack.