Revival’s Gameplay Formula Steers Clear of a Typical Horror Adaptation Trap

Oh man, the announcement of “Hellraiser: Revival” was like, finally! This is the first time Hellraiser gets its own standalone game—not like its random appearances elsewhere. Remember when they dropped Hellraiser from Dead by Daylight back in April? Yeah, that left a Pinhead-sized hole in the gaming universe. But now, “Revival” is here to fill that gap. Thank goodness!

So here’s the deal. The game getting axed from Dead by Daylight? Now it all makes sense! Enter “Hellraiser: Revival,” cooked up by Saber Interactive and Boss Team Games. We follow this guy Aidan. He’s diving into the pits of hell—literally—to find his girlfriend after messing around with the Genesis Configuration puzzle box. Was he supposed to do that? Probably not. But here we are.

The visuals? I caught the short trailer and, man, it’s looking grisly and hardcore as ever. Plus, it’s gonna be a first-person survival horror jam. I don’t even play these kinds of games, and I’m kinda hyped. Like, who even decided this? Either way, here we go.

Dead by Daylight, it was the kingpin of asymmetrical horror games, right? Dominating for what feels like forever. But Hellraiser’s left in its shadow too long. So many other horror games—like from the 80s horror revivalists—tried to grab that fame, but it’s like trying to beat Fortnite in battle royales. Just doesn’t happen much, does it?

And all those other titles: Killer Klowns, Texas Chain Saw, Evil Dead—amazing stuff, right? But do we even talk about them now? Not really. Honestly, even if they’re still around, they’re overshadowed by Dead by Daylight. It’s tough out there for these games to keep their heads above water when the novelty muddles the water.

But here comes Hellraiser, breaking the mold! A fresh storyline could breathe life into this static one-IP strategy. Let’s see if it breaks new ground. Fingers crossed Doug Bradley’s back as Pinhead—he hasn’t worn those pins in almost two decades, can you believe it?

Anyhow, whether this does the trick or not—who knows! Maybe this first-person approach will give other horror game adaptations a kick. And it’s got that Clive Barker insanity backing it. The lore of these iconic horror series always seemed suffocated in asymmetrical games. Here’s hoping “Revival” grabs that intensity back.

Guess we’ll see. Got your console ready?