A Sordid Surface Layer
From its opening scene, Hellraiser: Revival makes it painfully clear that this survival horror adventure, inspired by Clive Barker’s bloodsoaked ode to BDSM, is not for the squeamish. However, peel back the sordid surface layer and the title struggles to deliver substantial gameplay depth. Heavy-handed storytelling, repeated chase sequences, and uninspired boss encounters prevent the horror elements from truly delivering a lasting impact.
Players take on the role of Aiden, an everyman struggling with addiction on a quest to bring his murdered girlfriend back to life by making a pact with series icon Pinhead. The premise remains faithful to the early films, though much of the roughly nine-hour story relies on drawn-out exposition dumps delivered by secondary characters rather than dynamic plot presentation.
Combat mechanics feel stock-standard for the survival horror genre, bearing clear mechanical inspiration from franchise contemporaries. An assortment of upgradeable pistols, shotguns, and breakable melee weapons facilitate enjoyable dismemberment mechanics, while scarce ammunition forces careful resource management throughout.
The source review notes frustrations with overzealous aim assist and an artificial restriction on navigation, such as an inability to vault over low obstacles, which occasionally interrupts environmental exploration and pacing.
Despite these limitations, the mixture of melee encounters and shotgun blasts offers satisfying moments of action, though enemy variety remains somewhat limited to repeating archetypes like cultists and ghouls.
Stealth mechanics are also available via environmental distractions, though inconsistent enemy detection during instant-fail stealth segments can force players into direct confrontations.
The Sweet Suffering
Combat is elevated by the Genesis Configuration, a reimagined puzzle box granting telekinetic abilities to hurl environmental objects at enemies. These supernatural powers tie directly into a suffering meter that must be refilled by performing grisly execution moves.
Meter limitations prevent these telekinetic abilities from feeling excessively overpowered. While late-game upgrades introduce devastating crowd control options, they unfortunately arrive too late in the campaign to be fully utilized.
Boss encounters are largely flat and forgettable, with only a few exceptions like the flying Sister of Mercy breaking up the monotony of close-quarters clashes.
Many major boss fights demand little strategic depth beyond circle-strafing and shooting, with certain boss variants reappearing multiple times across the campaign.
Puzzles are similarly standard, typically limited to searching for key items or solving digital keypads, though a few bizarre optional sequences inject unique thematic flavor into the exploration.
Gameplay loops often crib from genre classics without improving upon them, falling short of the frantic intensity found in benchmarks like Resident Evil.
Level design occasionally undermines intended tension. Combat arenas can be bypassed or exploited easily by retreating through open doors, diluting survival horror atmosphere.
Hellmazer
Occasional departures transport Aiden to the Labyrinth. This Escher-inspired maze of concrete corridors successfully captures the ominous, jagged aesthetic of the franchise's realm of torture and pain.
While environmental puzzle elements in the maze are engaging, frequent chase sequences involving the relentless Chatterer quickly become repetitive.
Technical issues occasionally disrupt the experience. The PlayStation 5 version features minor bugs, including enemies clipping through walls and inventory state glitches requiring repeated backtracking.
Progression blockers, such as doors failing to open properly near merchant areas, can force players into unintended resource-strapped grinds during combat-heavy stretches.
The campaign lacks significant replayability. With both endings accessible from a single binary decision near the climax, and no New Game+ mode included, players receive little incentive for subsequent playthroughs.
