PAIN is all about launching a guy named Jarvis through a bustling metropolis, the goal to wrack up points as his indestructible body takes out mimes, monkeys, windows and bricks. Fun comes from not only breaking things, but from also watching him contort into uncomfortable positions, so while Jarvis never breaks his neck or loses his limbs, it's easy to cringe as he folds into an accordion shape and plows through a plate glass window. For whatever reason, however, the game's too complex, and a lame tutorial mode nearly killed our amusement.

We love using Havok physics to cause mayhem, so the idea of an entire game based around this concept was exciting, especially when it involves sending some poor guy to his doom. To that end, the developers did an outstanding job creating a "bull in a China shop" atmosphere. Using the left analog stick, you maneuver a slingshot, and hitting X sends Jarvis flying. He'll take out scaffolding, crash through signs, barrel into explosives and get splattered by a train, all of this causing chain reactions that net you thousands more points, so while it's fun watching his body twist into uncomfortable positions, the goal is to cause the most damage in a single launch.

Doing this, however, requires a lot of trial and error, and this is where PAIN gets too complex. For whatever reason, the developers elected to utilize all of the SIXAXIS controller's buttons, and remembering them all is a pain in the ass. It's not that we can't memorize how to grab objects, strike a pose and throw bombs; we just didn't want to. Even worse, Sony forces you to slog through a tutorial that may take you upwards of 30-45 minutes to complete. But finish it you must, since you cannot play the single or offline multiplayer modes without doing so. That alone nearly ruins the game.

At the same time, all those functions add depth to the experience, as you're able to strike dramatic poses for additional points, steer Jarvis' body through the air and even move his body after he lands, intensifying the impact by shaking the SIXAXIS controller. And to the developer's credit, they spice things up by allowing you to partake in mini games that'll have you chucking Jarvis into bowling pins, throwing mimes through glass windows and taking out monkeys. With that being said, we're not happy that you can't play online with friends, nor can you view other gamers' videos to see how they achieved their high scores.

Because of these issues, PAIN is little more than a novelty, a tech demo that offers a couple of hours of amusement. The promise of additional characters and environments (for a price) could greatly enhance the experience, but until we snag that content, this is a shallow video game that offers up few laughs.