I’ve been a massive Hellraiser fan for decades. Even though the franchise has taken a noticeable decline after the second film, there’s still been plenty to enjoy about the series and lore over the years. Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth is fun in a “shut your brain off and enjoy the creativity” sort of way. Hellraiser: Bloodline added some interesting ideas into the making of the Lament Configuration by the LeMarchand family, which added both a backstory and future story in one film. That said, I won’t get into the rest because they’re frankly not worth the recognition. Although, the 2022 reboot is certainly worth your time, even if it treads some of the familiar beats of past films. So when I heard there was going to be a new Hellraiser game from Boss Team Games and Saber Interactive, I was understandably skeptical. But once I learned that Clive Barker, the man himself, was actually involved in Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival, well I just had to see what sights they had to show me.

To be fair, I’m squirming because you have a meat hook through my arm.

Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival is focused on what was set up in The Hellbound Heart novella and the first two films. Taking place twenty years after the first film, we follow Aidan, a young man with some kinks and experience with armed weapons. He’s in love with Sunny, a woman with even more extreme kinks, and while making “love” with her and her newly procured mystical cube-shaped artifact, ends up opening a rift to a hellish dimension during coitus. The Cenobites arrive (the original four: Pinhead, Deepthroat, Chatterer, and Butterball) and they offer Sunny the chance to join them as a reward for solving the Genesis Configuration. 

Sunny agrees, and is instantly shown what it means to accept this offer. Aidan’s knocked out during the encounter and is hell-bent on saving Sunny from what can only be described as “buyers remorse”. Now it’s up to Aidan to learn more about the puzzle box, the dimension that’s keeping Sunny captive, and what he needs to do to free her from her delicious torment.

Can’t I just get her therapy or something?

However, the Cenobites aren’t the only threat Aidan has to contend with. In order to save Sunny, he’ll have to defeat or deliver three people who have been marked by the Genesis Configuration: a willing participant/sacrifice named Charlotte; an ex-dominatrix known as the Sister of Mercy; and Marlowe, the leader of the Leviathan-worshipping Scarlet Church. The latter is a cult who are seeking to create Cenobites on Earth, selected from their own eager members hoping for “ascension”. The failed offerings/candidates are simply referred to as either the “unworthy”, or in more honest terms, “abominations”. This is as far as I’ll go for any story beats, as to not get into any spoilers.

As far as the gameplay goes, Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival is built around classic survival horror inspirations, like Resident Evil and Silent Hill. Ammo is scarce, you’ll have to hunt for resources to craft what you need, and shops are few and far between. The shop comes in the guise of a mysterious older woman, who seems to know far more than she lets on. In addition to buying and selling items, she’ll occasionally provide hints to ensure you’re staying on the task at hand. Although, perhaps the most beneficial aspect of her trade are her weapon upgrades, which are a godsend to taking on more of the challenging areas and bosses. 

Uh, looks like slim pickin’s on your sales table. Do you have anything in the back?

Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival isn’t a one-for-one model of other survival horror games though. In your arsenal you’ll also have the troublemaker cube itself: the Genesis Configuration. Wielding this cube allows you to receive occasional “blessings” from the Cenobites. The further you progress on your journey to save Sunny, the more impressed they become with your potential, and they’ll starting gifting you more powers to use through the cube.

You’ll start off with a sort of telekinesis, where you can pull objects towards you that are glowing blue, and then launch them at an enemy you’re focused on. Later, you can get the ability to do something similar with fire. I won’t go into later abilities, once again to avoid spoilers, but trust me, they’re increasingly glorious. The blend of the of the stealth/action gameplay along with the supernatural abilities through the cube almost gave me Bioshock vibes, which is always a welcome trait.

Wow, these door-to-door religious nuts are really amping up their sales pitch.

In addition to sneaking past and/or annihilating enemies, you’ll also be presented with another survival horror staple: puzzles. Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival is full of puzzles, most of them environmental. You’ll often have to seek out hidden codes from notes, pictures, or other objects of interest. I will say that while I would have liked a bit more challenge here and there to these obstacles, at least I didn’t have to waste time on obtuse solutions. While the means to get past certain barriers are obvious, there are enough other challenges in-between to keep the exploration feeling engaging.

There are also instances in which the Genesis Configuration is needed to solve puzzles. Since the Genesis Configuration is a puzzle-box with many moving pieces, there are certain times where you’ll need to twist and rotate it pieces in order to reconfigure it into a specific shape. Even though these don’t appear too often, I still loved having the Genesis Configuration have another function aside from the supernatural combat powers. It doesn’t stop there though…

I loved these puzzles and wish there were more.

It wouldn’t be a Hellraiser game if you never saw the other dimension. Yes, you’ll have multiple sections where you find yourself within the Labyrinth. It’s interesting because the Labyrinth doesn’t have you doing the same type of gameplay over and over. Instead there are several scenarios for you being there that require different approaches. Sometimes, it’s a purely scripted endeavor, while other times exploration is key. Gravity and perspective aren’t always guaranteed within the Labyrinth either, with the Genesis Configuration being needed to manipulate the very structures of the Labyrinth in order to create a path forward.

There are also instances in which you’ll find yourself accidentally stumbling into the Labyrinth, and these are when you really have to be on your toes. In addition to trying to navigate the maze, there are times when you’ll find yourself being chased by the Chatterer. He can teleport to place himself in front of your current path, forcing you to make a quick U-turn to retreat down other pathways. This asshole can also spawn traps of chains and hooks, so even if you think you have a clear route, that’s probably not going to stay open and safe for very long. I will say that even though I’m not usually a big fan of chase sequences, the few in Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival aren’t overly long and don’t feel unfair. I actually found myself enjoying them when they would randomly pop up.

If you see this smile, get ready to run.

Being a Hellraiser game, you’d expect to see some taboo content. Oh boy, let me tell you that Clive Barker picked the right team when he chose Boss Team Games and Saber Interactive to spearhead his vision. Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival doesn’t hold back at all on anything. Sex, drugs, violence, and extreme gore are all on display here. You won’t see actual sexual penetration, which is how I’m sure they avoided an AO (Adults Only) rating, but you’re privy to just about everything else.

It feels weird to say this, but Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival  is an absolutely gorgeous game. I mean yes, it’s full of vile, borderline nauseating imagery, but it’s stunning in its presentation. The character models are realistic, even down to their hair, pores in their skin, sweat, and smudged makeup (when applicable, the Cenobites are always fabulous and smudge-proof). 

A surgeon working with the Scarlet Church, Bruno, creates many magnificent “art” pieces by dissecting, splicing, and contorting “willing” participants into twisted interpretations of angels or other creatures in scripture. The horror of the process isn’t lost on me, but the sheer creativity of the art team should be recognized. It’s an odd thing to look at something so objectively grotesque and think, “Wow! That’s beautiful. What a cool take on that concept,” while gazing at a bundle of reshaped corpses. But here we are, and I stand by my only slightly troubling admission of admiration.

I made my mom something similar out of clay when I was five.

I’m incredibly impressed with the enemy designs as well. The cultists have their own distinct looks, lacerations, and outfits/armor. Yes, you’ll have similar outfits for grunts, higher level arms specialists, and the heavily armored and studded tank brutes, but most of them have different ritualistic lacerations on their exposed skin. For enemies that are basically fodder, they didn’t need this level of intricacy, but they were given it anyway, and I appreciated the attention to detail. 

Then there’s the creature/abomination designs. Holy hell, they’re awesome. Some of the more common “unworthy” appear like emaciated zombies, which you’ll see quite often in certain areas. Although, there are others that have huge, poisonous growths on them, or are hulking, twisted masses of flesh. The boss designs are especially inventive, and their subsequent battles fit the design of each one.

A big open area with lots of ammo scattered around the sides? Certainly there won’t be a boss battle here.

In addition to the beauty of the game is a rock solid accompaniment from the sound department. Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival features a flawless sound design, from the sound effects, to the voice acting, to the dark electric soundtrack that captures the very essence of the Hellraiser franchise. Not to mention that Doug Bradley is reprising his role as Pinhead for the first time in over twenty years, which is worth celebrating in and of itself.

I cannot stress enough just how fantastic Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival is. Clive Barker’s return to the franchise is felt through every aspect of the game. I applaud its unapologetic hedonism, gore, and violence. The gameplay is a blast and offers new mechanics to make it feel fresh, while still offering an old school system that feels comfortable and familiar, without being boring. This is without a doubt the most genuine Hellraiser product we’ve gotten in decades, and fans of the franchise can’t let this pass them by. From start to finish, it’s a nonstop bloody great time!

Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival is available now on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X|S.

Reviewed on PC with an i7-12700kf, RTX 5070, and 32gb of DDR5 RAM.

A copy of Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival was provided by the publisher.