Clive Barker, who has been referred to as “the British Stephen King”, is a visionary in the horror genre and is known for creating gory, yet beautiful art. His most notable work being Candyman and Hellraiser, two films that were certainly unique in their own right. Thanks to Saber Interactive, we can experience the bloody, twisted, and dark work that is Hellraiser in a first-person, combat-focused video game. Be warned, it doesn’t miss out on any of the extremely graphic and sadistic content; if anything, it’s thrown in your face from the very beginning and maintained consistently throughout the whole game. So strap in, and witness all the sights this iconic horror title has to show you.
Hellraiser certainly stayed true to its roots, not shying away from the themes explored in the dark universe.
If I had to use one word to describe Hellraiser: Revival, it would be “gory”, which is probably the community consensus. Compared to the films, the likelihood is extremely accurate, which isn’t surprising considering Clive Barker himself was heavily involved in the game’s development. Not only did it show us that creators involved with adaptations of their work only result in brilliant art, but that out of all the popular horror films back in the day, if one had to be made into a game to deliver a memorable and unique experience, it would be none other than Hellraiser.
To put it bluntly, it’s one of the most gory and grotesque horror games I’ve played in a very long time. I haven’t physically cringed at a horror game’s sights since Outlast: Whistleblower, which was released well over ten years ago, but that’s exactly what made both of them such memorable titles. If you’re not familiar with the lore or the themes the films deeply explore, then going into the game blind will be one gory hell of an experience. Which I’d argue might be the best way to experience it; after all, going into any medium without knowing anything about it is much more exciting, though in Hellraiser’s case it’s more the fear and disgust the game offers.
Throughout the game, addiction, body transformation, and sexual themes are heavily explored; there are some scenes where you do not want someone walking in on you playing, otherwise it can get awkward extremely quickly. All of them are fairly prominent throughout the whole game, some being much more intense than others depending on what stage you’re at. It’s one of those games that isn’t afraid to go full-on from the get-go, which I admit is a nice change of pace in comparison to today’s standards, but it does feel slightly overboard at times. They all perfectly align with the film’s lore of how the lines between pain and pleasure can become blurred, along with how the grotesque body transformations show people’s obsessive pursuit of their own desires. All of the things you’ll see, whether in the real world or the labyrinth, subtly tell the story of Hellraiser, which only improves the already uneasy atmosphere.
Many aspects were extremely accurate compared to the film, but the one I enjoyed most and that had the biggest impact on the game was the labyrinth. If you weren’t running from the Chatterer, you were either avoiding the deadly traps or coming face-to-face with the Leviathan itself. Most of the game took place in the real world, fighting cult members and the unworthy, but when you weren’t fighting them, you were wandering through the eerie walls of the Cenobite’s home, which left a lasting impression.
Whilst the Cenobites aren’t present all that much, their sudden appearances leave us victims to the fear of the unknown and terror.
If you’re familiar with the Hellraiser films, then you’ll know that the Cenobites don’t actually appear much throughout them, with the game following suit. They serve more as secondary antagonists, with the Scarlet Church acting as the main antagonists of the game. Whilst this may have been a surprise to some, since the game cover clearly shows Pinhead holding the Lament Configuration with some characters seemingly chained to him, you probably expected them to be the biggest threat, which, in a sense, they can be, depending on how you view them. The famous quote from the first film, “Demons to some, angels to others,” perfectly sums up their roles in the game; it essentially tells us to leave it to our own interpretation of whether we view them as the antagonists or just simply morally neutral.
All four original Cenobites make appearances in different segments of the game, mostly teleporting out of thin air, whether that’s in the labyrinth or the real world. Chatterer would chase us through the labyrinth, where we had to avoid chains and solve puzzles all whilst trying to get away from the terrifying sound of teeth chattering. Pinhead and the female Cenobite had a few casual conversations with us, the latter almost acting as the main member in the game, which was a surprise to say the least. Whilst Butterball rarely appeared at all, as a matter of fact, I forgot he was even a member until I saw him once mid-game and realised, “Oh, he’s part of the crew too”.
Despite their minimal screen time, they always left an impression, not only because of their terrifying and unique design, but because they represent the core of what the game really explores. Reminding us that even though we had few encounters with them, they were always watching our every move, seeing into our deepest desires, almost acting like predators, watching and waiting until finding the perfect time to strike; which we saw had a gradual psychological effect on Aiden.
It was clear from the get-go that combat was the core focus of the game.
If you pictured what a Hellraiser game would look like, you’d most likely think it would include the Cenobites, the Lament Configuration, the labyrinth, and, of course, chains, lots of them. Something most people wouldn’t anticipate is heavy combat, especially guns, which are surprisingly one of the main weapons used to kill members of The Scarlet Church and whatever grotesque monsters lie in the shadows. At times, it felt like I was playing an FPS, albeit an extremely gory one. What I really enjoyed combat with was The Lament Configuration, which allowed you to use telekinesis to throw objects at enemies, along with being able to absorb and direct fire back at them. It was refreshing to see it having more of a practical use than just being a puzzle to solve to open a gateway to hell. Both of those, in addition to melee weapons, added tons of variety to the gameplay, making for extremely fun and gory combat.
Enemies and boss fights themselves contributed massively to the overall enjoyment of combat; their creepy and disturbing designs added a layer of fear and tension. Whilst most offer nothing new and consist of successfully dodging and then landing hits over and over again, the limited resources during fights definitely made it a real challenge at times, ensuring you had to land every shot; otherwise, you were guaranteed to die. Silent assassinations and executions were one of the few mechanics added to spice the combat up; the former became useless once you started to fight hordes of enemies who were aware of your presence, whilst the latter feels and is much more useful in all situations. When comparing both, there really is a massive difference in effectiveness. Overall, the combat was engaging and rewarding, but there were some areas that needed some polishing.
