Clive Barker marks his return to the world of video games with Hellraiser: Revival, a single-player survival horror expected on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series at an as yet unknown date. A faithful, dark and unhealthy adaptation of the cult saga, starring Doug Bradley as Pinhead!
Get ready to face your worst nightmares! Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival, the videogame adaptation of the famous Hellraiser horror franchise, developed by Boss Team Games and published by Saber Interactive, is scheduled for release on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series at an as yet undetermined date. This single-player, first-person survival horror marks the return of the mythical Pinhead, dubbed by Doug Bradley himself, in an oppressive plunge into the heart of the myth imagined by Clive Barker, who plays an active role in the game’s narrative design.
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In Hellraiser: Revival, players take on the role of Aidan, a man on a descent into the underworld to rescue his companion Sunny, who has been kidnapped after solving the cursed Cenobite box. The gameplay alternates between brutal fire and knife combat, and the use of the mystical powers of the Genesis Configuration – a twisted variant of the famous puzzle box. Exploration is also at the heart of the experience, between extreme BDSM club, creepy laboratory and demonic dimension, punctuated by gory enigmas and mechanics inspired by the saga’s sadomasochistic universe.
A game for the damned… and the fans
Hellraiser: Revival is aimed at survival horror fans with a taste for creepy narrative experiences, but also at fans of the franchise. Thanks to the supervision of Clive Barker, the title deliberately distances itself from the criticized sequels to the cinematic saga, returning to the mythological and psychosexual essence of the first 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.
Clive Barker and the videogame legacy
This isn’t Clive Barker’s first foray into the videogame world: he has already penned Undying, in 2001, and Jericho in 2007, two titles acclaimed for their atmosphere and horrific aesthetic. With Hellraiser: Revival, he seems more involved than ever in the creative process, bringing his baroque, philosophical universe to an interactive medium. The presence of the original Cenobites, including the iconic Pinhead version, confirms a desire to return to the franchise’s roots.
Trailer for Hellraiser – Revival:
Finally, the promise of a dense narrative, gameplay that blends pain and pleasure, and an assumed unhealthy atmosphere, could make Hellraiser: Revival one of the major horror games to watch in the coming months. As Matthew Karch, CEO of Saber Interactive, sums up in a quote from Ecran Large:“We can’t wait to open the gates of hell! On your channels…
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