An announcement trailer forClive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revivalshowcases the first"true"game adaptation of the iconic horror franchise, revealing a first-person survival horror title. Having similarities toResident Evil VillageandAlien Isolation, this might be the perfect game for a horror series I adore. However, one mechanic often seen in survival horror games could break my interest immediately.
According to the official website forHellraiser: Revival, the game features a unique story included in theHellraisercanon. While it doesn’t say so in the trailer,the game is available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC through Steamwhen it launches. ThisnewHellraiserchapteris sure to be fascinating for fans of the franchise like myself, who’ve seen the series at its best and worst.
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival Is Its First “True” Gaming Adaptation
Hellraiser: Revivalmarks the first time the horror series has received a"proper"game adaptation, or at least one with a fully planned release. Pinhead has appeared as a playable killer inDead by Daylight, butthis new game is a huge step up from a mere guest showing. Ever since the canceled NESHellraisergame, the horror series has been left out of games, leaving other iconic series likeFriday the 13th,Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and others to get full titles.
From the trailer alone,Hellraiser: Revivalseems to take inspiration from the first movie, Clive Barker’s originalHellraiser. This is made clear by Barker mentioned in the game’s title, and the showing of the original four Cenobites, including Pinhead.
The themes of pain and pleasure going hand-in-hand seem prevalent in the game, with a relationship between two characters taking center stage. According to the official website,the game is a survival-horror, story-driven single-player experiencekickstarted by the notorious puzzle box known as the Genesis Configuration.
Thisstory revolves around the character Aidan, who must use the box’s power to save their girlfriend Sunny, who has been trapped in the hellish dimension called The Labyrinth. This adventure seems to take Aidan to every dark corner of the hellscape, while he fights off against monsters, cult members, and evensome of the Cenobitesthemselves.
Gameplay Footage Shows First-Person Survival Horror
Weapons And Stealth Seem To Help Players Overcome Danger
From what limited footage the announcement trailer offered, it seems like Aidan has multiple ways to defend himself from the Labyrinth’s terrors.Survival horror gameplay shows Aidan picking up weapons to fight against enemies, including a spiked club used to hit one foe. It seems like the Genesis Configuration has some practical applications as well, unleashing chains that tear apart one of Aidan’s adversaries.
While there is no information about a crafting system, it seems like Aidan can collect objects from the worlds in the Labyrinth he visits. This is a classic survival horror mechanic, where the tools from the environment become the key items you need to progress or defeat enemies.
While the game does seem to have action similar toother survival horror titles, the environments are what have captured my interest the most.There are so many areas of the Labyrinth it seems Aiden will explore, from loud nightclubs, underground tunnels, and haunted fields filled with monsters. Even the Leviathan Configuration, the ultimate form of the Genesis box, is seen approached by Aiden above the Labirynth’s many corridors.
Some enemies look either horrific or deranged, with a supposed cult of the Cenobites rampant throughout the game.While gameplay footage does seem to show Aidan fighting often, there are moments where he seems to be running away or defending himselfinstead, implying that not all enemies in the Labryinth can be defeated.
Hellraiser’s Cenobites Shouldn’t Be Enemies You Can Fight
This all leads me to my greatest concern - that the Cenobites will be enemies you can eventually defeat. While a boss fight against Pinhead might sound interesting, I think that would defeat the purpose of having the Cenobites in the story to begin with.If the game focuses on action too much, the threat of the Cenobites would diminish, reducing the fear they convey when they do show up.
Furthermore,the Cenobites from the first film aren’t the real villains of that storyeither. Despite their horrifying status, thereal enemy of the firstHellraiserwas Frank Cotton, whose drive for new pleasures had them solve the first Lament Configuration box. Pinhead and his allies are more benevolent beings whose drive is to share pain with those who open the box, accidentally or otherwise.
Even when a Cenobite"dies,“its soul is merely returned to the larger Labyrinth, sometimes scattered across the hell-like location. This mechanic could ensure you never quite"kill"the Cenobites in battle, but once players do it once, they could be more annoyed than frightened at any Cenobites appearing again.
Being able to fight Cenobites would create a horror experience closer toAliensorResident Evil, which doesn’t really fit the theme ofHellraiserin my opinion.Having unstoppable forces of nature like the Cenobites are perfect for making claustrophobic scenes where Aidan needs to flee or hiderather than fight. Just like howAlien Isolationmade its Xenomorph unbeatable, I want the Cenobites to be beyond the player’s ability to remove.
The dread of the Chatterer Cenobite’s presence seems to already be somewhat present in the game based on its trailer. That being said, I hope that Cenobites are not bosses inClive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival, but rather obstacles that up the horror of the game, rather than being action set pieces that take away from the franchise’s greatest strengths.
