Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival Review - An Absolute Nightmare (In The Best Way Possible)

First Released October 8, 2026 Systems Leave a Review Overview Score Published Oct 7, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival is horror at its best; a terrifying foray into the Labyrinth that fans of the franchise cannot skip. Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival Review - An Absolute Nightmare From Start To Finish (In A Good Way) If you've been waiting for the Hellraiser franchise to return to form after the controversial 2022 Hulu reboot, Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival has everything you want and more. It's hard to believe it's taken this long for the cult-favorite Hellraiser IP to make it to video game form, but Saber Interactive has used its signature survival formula to adapt the horror franchise faithfully and give us a proper return to Clive Barker's original, terrifying universe. The game is grotesque, gratuitously violent, sadistic, insanely gory, and an absolute nightmare from start to finish—and I mean that in the best way possible. While non-Hellraiser fans might find it disturbing and their suffering will be legendary, this is an absolute must-play for hardcore horror nuts and Hellraiser cultists alike. Hellraiser: Revival Is A Terrifying Return To Form Hellraiser fans looking for a return to the early years of the franchise are in for a treat with Revival. It's absolutely Clive Barker's universe at its best, and accomplishes what it seeks to do, which is to put you in the Labyrinth and fill you with absolute dread. Revival is genuinely terrifying and anxiety-inducing in all the right ways, with a story that cuts surprisingly deep at times. The game puts players in the shoes of Aidan Lynch as he tries to bring his girlfriend Sunny back from the Labyrinth, jumping back and forth between the Labyrinth itself and a cult-owned BDSM club. While there's plenty of jump scares included, the game doesn't rely on these alone to terrify players, and is a quintessential horror experience from top to bottom. It also takes on modern-day issues, particularly topics of addiction and fentanyl use, in an unabashed deep-dive into the taboo underbelly of American society. At its core, it's a story about human suffering, loss, and love, and what addiction can do to a relationship when left unchecked or ignored. However, these topics don't drag the experience down, as there's plenty of over-the-top violence, sex, humor, etc. to keep players on their toes. While there are some cheesy moments of dialogue, an overabundance of BDSM and bondage, and the gameplay doesn't push the boundaries of the genre in any innovative ways, the experience on the whole is equal parts fun and horrifying, and it's everything you'd expect and more from a Hellraiser game. There are also some very interesting new bits of lore for returning fans that completely change what we know about the Cenobites, though I'll leave that for you to discover on your own. Combat Is Surprisingly Fun In Its Simplicity & Doesn't Pull Punches Hellraiser: Revival does an excellent job of cramming players into tight spaces and cranking up the anxiety to the max. Combat is reminiscent of a slew of top-tier linear horror experiences in gaming (e.g., Dead Space, Resident Evil 7, Silent Hill, etc.), and it actually gives the iconic Configuration a purpose beyond just solving puzzles. In fact, this becomes an essential tool across combat, exploration, and solving puzzles through the maze inside the Labyrinth itself. The Telekinesis feature is just pure fun, allowing players to grab saw blades and nails and dismember/behead enemies without wasting ammo or melee weapons. These come in especially useful in the tight spaces that you'll inevitably find yourself in throughout the game. Nearly every major encounter takes place in close quarters, forcing players to time their dodges and make their shots/attacks count. That said, there's nothing particularly novel about the combat systems or mechanics that seasoned horror fans wouldn't find elsewhere, but that doesn't make them any less fun or enjoyable. In fact, Saber has done a great job at pulling in mechanics from various beloved titles and incorporating them naturally into the Hellraiserverse. Revival Balances Survival & Horror, But Puzzles Are Pretty Basic Where it shines most is Revival's balance of horror and survival elements. As mentioned, while jump scares aren't absent from the game, that's not really what makes the experience terrifying. Anxiety and discomfort are the name of the game, especially in the Labyrinth when you inevitably get chased by the Chatterer and are forced to make quick decisions about when to powerslide, where to turn, and how to solve puzzles on the fly. That's certainly not the only trick Revival has up its sleeve, however, as resource management and survival mechanics are also essential. Even when playing on Normal mode, resources are scarce, and ammo conservation, crafting decisions, and inventory management are crucial for survival. Higher difficulties offer players a truly challenging survival experience, and they're not for the faint of heart. Stealth is also a core aspect of the game, though it's not complicated by any stretch of the imagination. Players can stick to the shadows, sneak up on enemies and assassinate them, avoid walking on glass, throw bottles to distract enemies, and in fact, one boss fight in particular requires the use of stealth in order to advance. It's another layer of the anxiety-inducing gameplay that fans of the genre will appreciate. Beyond that, however, the puzzle-solving aspects of the game are a bit elementary at times. Locked resource cabinets that require a four-digit code are pretty straightforward to find, and players will only need to look at the obvious clues around the area to gain access. Further, the Configuration puzzles inside and outside the Labyrinth are pretty straightforward even when it seems like they are going for a challenge. Your Suffering Will Be Legendary If You're Not A Hellraiser Fan Despite being an overall faithful-to-the-franchise adaptation, Hellraiser: Revival might be a hard sell for anyone who hasn't seen the films or isn't a fan of the franchise, though I doubt that's the intended audience anyway. This is a game clearly designed for fans of Barker's demonic world, with all its campiness and over-the-top gore being selling points for many returning veterans. Those features that will likely make newcomers sick are the very ones Hellraisers are here for, and while it can also function as an entry point into the franchise, it's hard to say if Revival will spawn a new generation of Hellraiser fans. If you know Hellraiser, you know what you're getting into with this, and the sadistic writing, hardcore focus on bondage and BDSM and other taboos, extreme gore and violence- none of that will be particularly off-putting if you've seen the original films. Overall, Hellraiser: Revival is an essential play for fans of Clive Barker's twisted horrorverse, and is worth checking out if you're a fan of extreme horror and haven't seen the Hellraiser films yet either. Just brace yourself for the ensuing nightmares.