Hellraiser Revival: The horror game is now available — our review

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In Hellraiser: Revival, you play as Aidan, a man hurled into a descent into hell to rescue his partner Sunny, abducted after solving the Cenobites’ cursed puzzle box. The gameplay hinges on alternating brutal melee or gunplay with the use of the mystical powers of the Genesis Configuration — a twisted variant of the famous puzzle box. Exploration sits at the heart of the experience, from an extreme BDSM club to a grimy laboratory and a demonic dimension, punctuated by gore-drenched puzzles and mechanics drawn from the saga’s sadomasochistic universe.

A game for the damned… and the fans

Hellraiser: Revival targets fans of survival horror who crave dark, narrative-driven experiences, and it also appeals to die-hard followers of the franchise. With Clive Barker overseeing, the game deliberately moves away from the criticized cinema sequels to return to the mythic, psychosexual core of the early films.

As the author points out, quoted by Ecran Large:"They immersed themselves in the Hellraiser universe, capturing its essence - the bewitching appeal of suffering, the beauty nestled in the grotesque - to forge a narrative that invites players to cross the threshold".

While the initial trailer favors pure action, some observers hope that the game will also instill the pure horror expected of such a universe.

Hellraiser Revival: Our Take

From the outset, Hellraiser: Revival sets the tone: it's raw, it's graphic, and clearly aimed at a mature audience. There’s a mix of revulsion, pain, and disorientation that gradually drags you into the protagonist’s skin, and the rising tension pulls you right in. This isn’t a game built on grotesque bloodletting and endless jumpscares: while Hellraiser: Revival is intensely graphic, a subtle horror atmosphere also takes hold. The gameplay, much like the world it inhabits, nods to the tangible horror of a Resident Evil, with all the action that entails, enhanced by a mysterious layer featuring chilling entities.

This action-heavy approach risks breaking the unsettling immersion and may raise eyebrows among film purists who see it as a bit of a sidestep, even though the Hellraiser aesthetic remains intact. By the way, you don’t need to have seen the franchise to play and understand: the story is new. In some respects, fans of the Silent Hill universe will also recognize elements in Hellraiser: Revival—particularly this more psychological fear that underpins the atmosphere, plus the chase sequences and melee weapons with limited durability. Unlike Silent Hill, however, Hellraiser: Revival plunges you straight into the heart of the action.

Clive Barker and the Video Game Legacy

Clive Barker isn’t new to the world of video games: he’s already given us Undying (2001) and Jericho (2007), two titles lauded for their atmosphere and horror aesthetics. With Hellraiser: Revival, he appears more hands-on than ever in the creative process, bringing his universe—both baroque and philosophical—into an interactive medium. The return of the original Cenobites, notably the iconic Pinhead, signals a renewed commitment to the franchise’s roots.

Trailer for Hellraiser - Revival:

Finally, the promise of a dense narrative, gameplay that blends pain with pleasure, and a confidently unsettling atmosphere could make Hellraiser: Revival one of the horror titles to watch in the months ahead. As summarized by Matthew Karch, CEO of Saber Interactive, and repeatedly cited by our colleagues at Ecran Large: "We can't wait to open the gates of hell". Chains at the ready…

And for the other trailers, it’s right here:

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