Following the rather obvious tease a few days ago, Saber Interactive has solved the Lament Configuration and unleashed a brand new, singleplayer Hellraiser game on the world, titled Hellraiser: Revival.
Original Hellraiser creator Clive Barker has apparently been “heavily involved” with the game since its inception and appears to be acting as a consultant, helping to keep the game true to the source material.
Despite that, Hellraiser: Revival doesn’t fit in with the existing movies, and instead is “…a new story set within the Hellraiser universe – one that stays true to its lore while offering a fresh and terrifying experience for both longtime fans and newcomers alike.”
This is probably due to the slightly confusing matter of who owns Hellraiser. Currently, Cliver Barker owns the US rights to the first movie. Outside of the US, things are more confusing and its hard to get a clear picture on who owns what, especially in regard’s to the movie’s sequels. Presumably, Saber Interactive and Barker have got it all sorted out now, though. Still, creating a whole new story using stuff from the first movie only is probably a way to ensure there’s no legal issues.
You’ll play as a man called Aidan who must use the Genesis Configuration to rescue his girlfriend Sunny escape from the Labyrinth. Of course, Pinhead will also feature heavily, with Pinhead actor Doug Bradley once again reprising his role as the ultimate BDSM lover.
The brief flashes of gameplay we get to see show off a first-person, atmospheric experience with plenty of blood and gore, as befits the franchise. The Hellraiser series never did much for me ( it went downhill rapidly after the first movie) but the prospect of getting to play in the universe is tempting.
You can also view the full red band trailer on the official website which provides a bit more nudity – specifically, boobs! Hellraiser, of course, has some heavy sexual themes, so don’t go playing Revival in front of your nan. You might give her a heart attack. Or, worse, some ideas.
It also turns out my own prediction as to who is developing was utterly useless. Damn. It is, in fact, Boss Team Games who will be crafting the return of Pinhead. The team put out 2D pixel-art titles based on Ash vs The Evil Dead and Halloween last year. They also made the short-lived Evil Dead: The Game. Horror is clearly their thing, then.
The online reception seems good so far, especially since it has been confirmed as a singleplayer game. The initial tease from last week had a far worse reception as people seemed to fear it would be another live-service/multiplayer horror game fated to suffer a few months of support before being shuttered.
Hellraiser: Revival is going to launch on Xbox Series S/X, PC and PlayStation 5. No release date has been announced, but on a post on Xbox wire, executive producer Nenad Tomic teases that “Let’s just say – it’s closer than you think.” He also promises more news to share later this year.