Hellraiser: Revival

Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival is probably the best thing to happen to the franchise since the original trilogy of films was released. Not only does it deliver the exact style of gruesome gore and borderline obsession with punishment and eroticism being blended together, but it also does it in a fairly solid video game as well.

After watching Hellraiser: Revival’s finale stumble through the same visual and audio potholes plaguing the rest of the journey, I was angry. But upon taking time to cool down and reflect, my ire shifted to disappointment and relief that I didn't have to play more. During the rare moments Hellraiser: Revival isn't on fire in some way, it's a halfway respectable take on the popular horror franchise. I just wish playing it didn't so often feel like enduring the twisted machinations of Pinhead himself.

Hellraiser: Revival nails the franchise’s grim, transgressive tone, with a great Pinhead, a striking Labyrinth and a clever telekinesis system, but repetitive bosses, overused chases, thin story delivery, PS5 bugs and zero replay value hold it back. Fine for die-hard fans, forgettable for everyone else.

While the studded scalp of otherworld antagonist Pinhead absolutely looks the part, it’s a shame that little else in Hellraiser: Revival has been nailed to anywhere near the same extent.

Hellraiser: Revival is everything I wanted from a game based on Barker’s series. The extremity of its depiction of the slippage between pain and pleasure, the visualisation of both the Cenobites and the Labyrinth, even the sheer visceral nature of the combat and environment. I might be a little biased as I am such a fan of the source material, but this stands out to me as one of the best horror tie-in games I can remember and is essential for anyone with even a slight fondness for the Cenobites and their dark delights.

Hellraiser: Revival takes an old, cheesy IP and turns it into a solid-assed video game. Seriously, there’s a ton of butt cheeks, boobs, and more for the sexiest sickos out there. It isn’t wasted, as mostly fun gameplay mechanics back up a decent story. At $40, it’s a no-brainer for one looking to delight in the bliss of suffering.

Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival is extremely violent, but justifies it with strong thematic depth that respects the pioneering material penned by its horror author creator. Though combat can be weightless, Pinhead and the crew help leash this tight adventure, serving as a fantastic follow-up to the first two movies, and a great make-good for decades of subpar direct-to-video Hellraiser escapades.

Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival is an excellent entry into the horror genre and an even better entry into the Hellraiser universe. It pushes boundaries, revels in the uncomfortable, and makes you complicit in its cruelty through a suffering-based combat system in a world that forces you to look at every gory detail. Gorgeous visuals, stomach-churning sound design, and a career-capping return from Doug Bradley make it a must-play for horror fans, provided they have the stomach for it.