I’m In Pain! – Smashed Painkiller Collector’s Edition…
Painkiller Collectors Edition was purchased at Amazon, for some reason it was all smashed up when it arrived here – a thing that normally never happen with Amazon orders.
I’m In Pain! – Smashed Painkiller Collector’s Edition
Yesterday I received 2 packages in the post, 1 was Painkiller: Hell & Damnation Collectors Edition and the other was Metro: Last Light, happy days i thought but shock hit me when i opened the envelope/cardboard box for the game Painkiller came in… the packaging was too small so the collectors edition box (and the C1 envelope actually) was squashed flat, Amazon normally packs and ships items in great condition and good sized packaging but this time around…not so, anyway more about this soon.
Looks good? , I have been a games collector for several decades now, so i know how to try and rescue damaged boxes etc. Anyway, more about that soon.
A really cool box on this game; it’s just one of those medium-sized paper boxes, but they managed to make it very cool even without bump-mapped art and so on. This is a box i definitely would’ve checked out in the local shop if i were passing by.
Standard look on the back, and funnily it says nothing about the Collector’s Edition content (did they forget?)… One really cool thing is that the game supports both split-screen and online co-op play, not a common thing these days (especially split-screen).
So here we go again… a new game, a new box, a fresh collector’s item — and it arrives squashed. What do you even do at that point? Not much, honestly. Damage is damage. But with a few tricks, you can at least make it look better.
The photos above show the situation pretty clearly: the box was completely flattened, the inner contents had pushed their shape through the cardboard, and the corners were crushed. I ended up using my usual repair routine — a bit of damp/steam, a little water, and on the inside, transparent tape combined with inlay cardboard (yes, straight from a grocery box). The tape and cardboard are crucial because they help the box keep its shape while you’re trying to restore it.
I use this method regularly, and it does work, but it’s incredibly frustrating when the game is brand new. It will never look perfect again. I managed to get this one looking better than the photo above, but you can still see the damage on the front, the bottom, and a few other spots.
Is it “not so bad”? I don’t know. But as a collector, this stuff matters.
For the record, the contents inside weren’t bent, but the game case was cracked, and some of the inlays and posters had that typical “squashed” look.
Naturally, I filled out Amazon’s complaint form — something I’ve only done once before — and here’s how they responded.
And honestly? That’s what I call service. Amazon’s customer support is absolutely fantastic, and when things like this happen, they handle it brilliantly. As you can see from the email, they went above and beyond.
Which means this slightly “squashed” copy will soon be up for grabs for one of you. Give me a reason why you should get it — and only you.
Just what i wanted! a postcard from hell! Actually, the package comes with 2 postcards, and both are from hell, but there is one problem… It’s just standard glossy “manual” paper and not stiff cardboard postcard material so these things… do not feel like a real postcard even tho it does look like one. How devilish of them!.
Looks good? i think so and i would have sent it to one of the visitors here on this very site if it had been possible to send it as a postcard, but instead, it’s just like a pamphlet/leaflet… bah!…
Artbook time, 75 pages of colourful drawings of hell and blood and everything nasty that comes from that part of the “world”, looks awesome but the artbook is just a normal “manual” book, feels cheap and the paper is very thin, but luckily the pictures are very glossy and bright/colourful.
Painkiller: the soundtrack is really cool heavy metal-type music, and this is one of the first times i have ever seen a soundtrack being bundled in a collector’s edition; see the CD? See the book? Well, there was no room for a Jewel case in the collector’s edition box, so they decided to deliver it like this and then leave you the option to put it in one if you wish to.
Normally soundtracks would just come with just the CD and no inlay on the side; well done, Nordic Games!.
The Making Of Painkiller, A DVD movie, is quite interesting and cool as always, to see how people work in the game studios, and since i have some experience in the field, it’s always even funnier for me to see these things, as i was used to dark rooms with lots of noise and old pizza smell.
What is a Collector’s Edition without stickers? , These stickers are actually broken due to the package being handled badly in the post, but it still looks nice, and i have tried to rescue it, but as you can see, there are still some torn’s etc.
Great-looking stickers and this is how stickers should look like and not like the Defiance Ultimate Edition ones…
Painkiller comes with 2 posters actually, both small (A2) but of quite ok quality, although the paper thickness could’ve been stiffer.Here is the second poster and unlike so many other games, this game comes with 2 separate ones and not just a flip-over poster, very nice!
I’ll round this article up with a final picture of everything inside the box, quite a lot of stuff but quality varies and there ain’t a figurine (grrr..) which i am getting too much into now even if i shouldn’t as everyone knows that figurines ain’t that common really.
So, the game? , Oh yes it is a game… umm it’s a remake of two older games (Painkiller: Hell Wars & Painkiller: Battle Out Of Hell) formed into one game and the game is made by no other than the awesome Polish studio “People Can Fly” who did games like Bulletstorm and Gears Of War.
It’s a Doom /Quake type of game and feels very “oldish” yet very cool and i bet it’s very similar to the originals. I haven’t played the game all that much yet (Damn you Defiance!!!) but this is a game i will definitely pick up and play very soon as it’s “something different” over all the other games this generation and while the game might be crap or whatever…i don’t care.
There was also a follow-up article to this one; click the link below to see my frustration go even higher.
Edit 2026: I finally found the emails, so i have added some screenshots from those, as i am sure I will look for them again one day. Notice the price i paid.
I’m In Pain! – Smashed Painkiller Collector’s Edition
I’m In Pain! – Smashed Painkiller Collector’s Edition
A really cool box on this game; it’s just one of those medium-sized paper boxes, but they managed to make it very cool even without bump-mapped art and so on. This is a box i definitely would’ve checked out in the local shop if i were passing by.
Normally soundtracks would just come with just the CD and no inlay on the side; well done, Nordic Games!.
The Making Of Painkiller, A DVD movie, is quite interesting and cool as always, to see how people work in the game studios, and since i have some experience in the field, it’s always even funnier for me to see these things, as i was used to dark rooms with lots of noise and old pizza smell.
What is a Collector’s Edition without stickers? , These stickers are actually broken due to the package being handled badly in the post, but it still looks nice, and i have tried to rescue it, but as you can see, there are still some torn’s etc.
Painkiller comes with 2 posters actually, both small (A2) but of quite ok quality, although the paper thickness could’ve been stiffer.
Here is the second poster and unlike so many other games, this game comes with 2 separate ones and not just a flip-over poster, very nice!
So, the game? , Oh yes it is a game… umm it’s a remake of two older games (Painkiller: Hell Wars & Painkiller: Battle Out Of Hell) formed into one game and the game is made by no other than the awesome Polish studio “People Can Fly” who did games like Bulletstorm and Gears Of War.
