Hellraiser: Revival is The Game Horror Fans Deserve

In the horror video game market, there are entries that will usually fall into set categories. Perhaps the biggest these days are the “asymmetric multiplayer” entries, with titles such as Dead by Daylight and Halloween: The Game seeing survivors attempt to save their skin while fighting against a solo slasher. There are also traditional “first-person jump scare” affairs that typically act like railed haunted house experiences. With Hellraiser: Revival, however, the game breaks the mold and creates an amazing love letter to Pinhead and his Cenobites.

For those who might not know, Revival functions as something akin to Resident Evil 4, taking the player and placing them into the shoes of protagonist Aidan Lynch. Rather than acting as something of an observer, Lynch finds himself dragged to hell and beyond, attempting to save his girlfriend while dodging the Cenobites themselves and a Leviathan-obsessed cult dubbed the Scarlet Church. Now, to be fair, the game itself does have its fair share of issues when it comes to gameplay and what players often refer to as “jank,” but the devil is in the details in creating a perfect horror experience for fans of Clive Barker’s brutal universe.

Hellraiser’s Revival Soars

Where Hellraiser: Revival truly shines is in its story and atmosphere, especially when it comes to allowing players to explore the bloody corners of Leviathan’s domain. Routinely, Aidan finds himself needing to return to hell to either save the love of his life and/or learn the parameters of a twisted deal he has made with the Cenobites to survive. Pinhead’s home turf is beyond gorgeous in a deliciously skin-crawling sort of way. It’s been quite some time since we’ve seen an environment from a popular work of fiction recreated in a digital format in such a pitch-perfect way.

Another aspect that Revival has going for it is that it completely doesn’t hold anything back. This is a game that absolutely should not be played with a loved one unfamiliar with the setting watching over your shoulder. Nudity, gore, uncomfortable scenarios, cursing, and monstrosities permeate the game’s story, often outdoing the movies that in themselves felt like they were breaking the horror mold. It’s almost amazing to see that this Hellraiser game received a rating at all, considering the horrors and sexual content you find within, which works perfectly in tandem with Barker’s work.

Hellraiser: Revival is far from a perfect game, as it has bugs and gameplay issues that most reviewers were able to find. However, if you’re a fan of the franchise, this game seems tailor-made to tear your soul apart.