Saber Interactive's upcoming game, Hellraiser: Revival, is set to launch on October 6 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The developers have expressed a commitment to faithfully recreating the disturbing and provocative tone of Clive Barker's original Hellraiser fiction, drawing inspiration from both the iconic films and Barker's novella, The Hellbound Heart.
Narrative director Anthony De Fault stated that Clive Barker was a "permissive partner" during development, offering creative freedom once he was confident in Saber Interactive's understanding of the franchise. "He was really supportive of our ideas," De Fault said. "He basically just wanted to make sure we understood Hellraiser as a franchise, and then, once he knew that we had the, we were channeling the same spirit that he was channeling back in the '80s, he just let us go."
The game aims to capture the "soul" of the franchise, particularly referencing the first two films and Barker's original novella. "We wanted to make something that renewed that and had the same soul, but for a new medium and 40 years later," De Fault explained. This approach contrasts with a period of the franchise's history where Barker had no active involvement, which is often seen by fans as a less inspired era.
Saber Interactive is not shying away from the extreme subject matter inherent to Hellraiser, with plans to include mature content that might push the boundaries of age ratings. "We knew what Hellraiser ought to be. We knew how disappointed Hellraiser fans would be if we did compromise, so it was just never really on the table," De Fault commented. The team felt that not pushing these boundaries would be a disservice to the fans. "We always felt like, if we get denied a rating in one or two places, we've probably done our job right," he added. Game director Emil Esov described the tone as a "good discomfort."
Developers have acknowledged that the execution of certain scenes, particularly one involving "consensual mutilation," required careful refinement to ensure the intent was clearly conveyed to players. "We just had to correct the execution in some places," De Fault noted, emphasizing that no desired content was scaled back.
Hellraiser: Revival is set in the fictional small town of Claireport in 2006, a deliberate choice to bridge the gap between the franchise's '80s origins and modern sensibilities without relying on advanced technology. "We still wanted it to feel like an older franchise, but just without going all the way back to the '80s," De Fault said.
The narrative follows Aiden, who must rescue his girlfriend Sunny after she is taken by the Cenobites. Players will encounter Pinhead multiple times throughout the story, with Doug Bradley, the original actor from several Hellraiser films, reprising the role. "He plays a really substantial role," De Fault stated, hinting at a complex relationship with the character. A new puzzle box, the "Genesis Configuration," is central to the plot and is powered by suffering and anguish, both of enemies and the player character.
The Cenobites themselves will serve varied roles, acting as sources of new powers for the Genesis Configuration or as formidable antagonists. The Fallen, a female Cenobite, will offer guidance and unlock abilities for Aiden.
Players will also face the "Unworthy Ones" from the Cult of the Scarlet Church. While dangerous, these followers of Leviathan are described as mortals vulnerable to conventional attacks.
Gameplay is characterized as "puzzle-moderate," featuring approximately two to two-and-a-half hours of Labyrinth exploration without combat. These Labyrinth sequences focus on environmental challenges, traps, and the manipulation of the environment using the Genesis Configuration. "It's puzzle-moderate, but it's nothing like brain-crunching puzzles that require a lot of focus," Esov clarified. "Most of the puzzles are kind of 10-second to two-minute breathers between action or exploration sequences, that just force you to tickle your brain a little bit."