Key information
Developed by Saber Interactive, Hellraiser: Revival is a single-player horror title featuring Doug Bradley as Pinhead. The game follows protagonist Aidan, who seeks to rescue his girlfriend Sunny from Cenobite demons after interacting with a golden puzzlebox. The narrative centers on the Scarlet Church, a cult obsessed with mutilation to appease the Leviathan god.
Gameplay involves navigating artisanal murder dungeons, crafting items, and managing deteriorating blades. Reviewer assessments note that the game often feels like a collage of horror tropes from titles like BioShock and Amnesia. The critic finds the protagonist, Aidan, to be boringly sincere, noting that the game struggles to balance its themes of sensory abandon with standard first-person combat mechanics.
A standout location is an everyday S&M club used by the cult for recruitment. The reviewer highlights the contrast between the club’s relatively chill atmosphere and the extreme violence found in the catacombs. However, the critic argues that the game’s reliance on the same controller inputs for both combat and sexual interactions makes the surrounding horror feel contrived and childish.
Ultimately, the reviewer suggests that the club sequence exposes the game's lack of seriousness, framing the cultists as individuals who believe they are pursuing dark desires while merely mimicking violent videogame tropes. The title is scheduled for an October release.
