Choose Painkiller: Resurrection
Choose Painkiller: Resurrection if you want the Multi-player side of the pairing. Painkiller: Resurrection launched in 2009.
Painkiller: Resurrection vs Painkiller: Recurring Evil
Painkiller: Resurrection and Painkiller: Recurring Evil both land in Action on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Action games on Steam. Painkiller: Resurrection (2009) is 3 years older than Painkiller: Recurring Evil (2012). Painkiller: Recurring Evil scores higher on Steam reviews (42.1% positive) than Painkiller: Resurrection (26.5% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Painkiller: Recurring Evil
Choose Painkiller: Recurring Evil if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 42.1% positive across 133 reviews.
Both Painkiller: Resurrection and Painkiller: Recurring Evil sit in Action on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Painkiller: Resurrection |  Painkiller: Recurring Evil | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2009 | 2012 |
| Genres | Action | Action |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 26.5% positive (219 reviews) | 42.1% positive (133 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Single-player only |
| Developers | Homegrown Games | Med-Art |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Painkiller: Resurrection (2009) is 3 years older than Painkiller: Recurring Evil (2012).
- Painkiller: Recurring Evil scores higher on Steam reviews (42.1% positive) than Painkiller: Resurrection (26.5% positive).
- Painkiller: Recurring Evil is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Painkiller: Resurrection (9.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Painkiller: Resurrection is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Painkiller: Recurring Evil has no Deck rating yet.
Painkiller: Resurrection vs Painkiller: Recurring Evil — FAQ
- Which is better, Painkiller: Resurrection or Painkiller: Recurring Evil?
- On Steam reviews Painkiller: Recurring Evil scores higher (42.1% positive) than Painkiller: Resurrection (26.5% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Painkiller: Recurring Evil is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Painkiller: Resurrection or Painkiller: Recurring Evil first?
- If you want chronology, Painkiller: Resurrection (2009) came out before Painkiller: Recurring Evil (2012). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Painkiller: Resurrection and Painkiller: Recurring Evil similar?
- They overlap on Action on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does Painkiller: Recurring Evil have multiplayer like Painkiller: Resurrection?
- No. Painkiller: Resurrection supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Painkiller: Recurring Evil is listed as without multiplayer support.