Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival aims to merge the survival horror-action genre with the distinctive brand of body horror from the iconic film series. A recent hands-on preview suggests the game successfully fuses mechanics reminiscent of modern Resident Evil titles and the atmospheric dread of P.T. into a cohesive experience.
The game centers on Aidan, voiced by indie developer Xalavier Nelson Jr., who embarks on a journey through a hellish landscape to rescue his girlfriend, Sunny, whose soul has been claimed by the Cenobites. The narrative explores their intense and passionate relationship, juxtaposed with disturbing imagery depicting the Cenobites' influence.
Theater of Cults and Combat
The preview offered a glimpse into a section set within a theater repurposed as a headquarters for a violent sex cult. This area incorporates elements common to survival horror, including gunplay, environmental puzzles, and inventory management. While firearms are not traditionally central to the Hellraiser identity, their inclusion in the game provides a combat layer. The first-person perspective and scavenging for ammunition offer a familiar gameplay loop, though the developers acknowledge it is not yet as polished as established titles like Resident Evil.
Aidan wields the Genesis Configuration, a puzzle box object that grants telekinetic abilities akin to those seen in BioShock. This mechanic allows for more creative problem-solving, enabling players to manipulate environmental objects like ceiling fans or shelves and utilize elements such as fire from torches to combat cultists. These abilities complement the exploration and puzzle-solving aspects, such as finding keys or deciphering codes from notes.
Psychedelic Nightmares and Labyrinthine Puzzles
Beyond the cultist-infested theater, the game transitions into more psychological horror sequences, where Aidan experiences nightmare scenarios within his home. This segment draws clear inspiration from P.T., featuring a repeating cycle of navigating a dark hallway, encountering objects like a cellphone with disturbing text messages, a printer producing grim images of Sunny, and a closet revealing chains. These elements contribute to a supernatural horror atmosphere that aligns with the Hellraiser lore.
Successfully completing these sequences opens a portal to the Labyrinth, the extradimensional realm from which the Cenobites originate. Here, gameplay shifts to spatial manipulation puzzles, where players use the Genesis Configuration to alter the Labyrinth's structure, moving walls and ground sections like gears to forge a path forward. These puzzles, while not entirely novel, serve to diversify the gameplay and immerse players in the game's disturbing world.
Clive Barker himself has consulted on the project, and original Pinhead actor Doug Bradley reprises his role, lending authenticity to the adaptation. The campaign is projected to last between 8 to 10 hours and is slated for release on October 8 for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.