Has any film franchise been done dirtier than Clive Barker’s Hellraiser? Though it started off strong with the one-two punch of 1987’s original and its 1988 follow-up, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, the franchise really went off the rails through the 1990s and 2000s. Following the releases of the third and fourth films, the ensuing Hellraiser instalments went straight to video and streaming, with incredibly diminishing returns. It wasn’t until the 2022 reboot that the world of Hellraiser seemed to course-correct.
However, a reboot meant a new Pinhead in place of the beloved version played in most films by the brilliant Doug Bradley (the reboot featured Pinhead played by Jamie Clayton). Sadly, it seemed we’d seen the last of Bradley in his iconic role. However, such is not the case, thanks to the release of the excellent new video game, Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival.
Here’s the logline: Experience a new chapter in the legendary horror series like never before. Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival takes first-person action horror survival to the next level.
Play the story of Aidan, who must use the power of a mysterious puzzle box – the Genesis Configuration – to help his girlfriend Sunny’s escape from the otherworldly hellscape of the Labyrinth.
Wield the powers of the box to survive your bargain with the infamous Pinhead and do battle with the horrific cult devoted to the Cenobites.
From the moment Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival kicked in, I was impressed. From the storyline to the grotesque, gruesome, and sexy cut scenes, the folks at SABER and Boss Team Games nailed exactly what made the first two films in the franchise so memorable and enduring. This game puts us front and center in the labyrinth where the Cenobites dwell. And look, it’s called the labyrinth here, but as far as I’m concerned, we’re combing through Clive Barker’s vision of Hell, and that is damn cool.
The labyrinth comes straight out of Hellbound: Hellraiser II, as Aidaen walks its confusing hallways. But that’s not the only unique location in the game. In fact, a key location in its early part is a sex club, full of S&M, dildoes, paddles and lots more. Leisure Suit Larry, this game isn’t.
That’s what impressed me most about Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival. It’s truly unlike anything I’ve ever played or experienced. Sure, I’ve played lots of horror video games and had the shit scared out of me, but Hellraiser: Revival is something unique, and that’s no doubt down to two things: Clive Barker’s uncanny and unique creation, and the developers’ devout willingness to dive right into bringing it to game form. Oh, and I did mention Doug Bradley is back to voice Pinhead?
The Hellraiser franchise on film has always combined pain, pleasure, and horror into a potpourri not for the squeamish, and Hellraiser: Revival follows that recipe to the letter. I mean, you save a game by sticking your hand into a wall and having blood sucked out of you. You hear slooshing and slurping sounds, and body parts are chopped and flayed. If you’re not a fan of this world, I’m confident you’ll think this is sick stuff.
But for us Hellraiser fans, the ones who have sat through the films, good and bad, jumping into this world in a video game for the first time feels like a gift from… well, the other guy.
There are some bugs throughout the game (I found myself at one point endlessly falling off a ledge at one point, which I suppose could have been another version of hell), and I still haven’t quite mastered the quick turn, but overall, I am right into Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival (I’ve played roughly four hours of its estimated nine-hour length).
The game, like the beloved films, has such sights to show us.