Review: Pain

Game cover: PAIN. Photo/ Supplied

PS3
Rating: ***
Verdict: If you played Pain online and enjoyed it, there are a lot of additional levels available and an entertaining download. If wanton destruction isn't your bag, give it a miss.
Rated: M

Pain is a delightfully addictive anti-social destruction game that was originally available as a PSN download. It's now grown up - a bit, at least - offering a host of extra content and an online mode, although still focused on exactly the same gameplay as the original. The aim of the game is to use a massive catapult to fire a bunch of strange characters into big environments, with points scored on tricks pulled in the air, pain caused to the character and cost of destruction to the environment. While probably horribly offensive to some members of the videogame wowser brigade, it forsakes gore and is basically violent - but harmless - cartoony fun. Slamming characters like Santa or his sexy elf, Cookie, Mexican wrestler El Chile Grande, PlayStation star Daxter and even quiz master Buzz into buildings is highly entertaining - for a while at least. There's even Mime Toss mode, when you get to fire a character at a mime who you then try to throw into panes of glass. Low-brow genius. As fun as launching people into the ether with sole intent of destroying things is, it's addictive nature becomes its downfall - a few plays and it's starting to lose its shine.