Clive Barker’s “Hellraiser” franchise might not be as popular as “Friday the 13th,” “Halloween,” “Evil Dead,” and “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” but most people still know Pinhead and the Cenobites. The leather-clad, extra-dimensional demons debuted in Barker’s “The Hellbound Heart” novella before going on to cause legendary suffering in movies, comics, and Motorhead music videos, but they have yet to star in their own video game (unless you count the fictional one in the maligned “Hellraiser: Hellworld”). However, that’s all about to change with Saber Interactive and Boss Team Games’ “Hellraiser: Revival,” which will take players straight into the Labyrinth. (Check out the gnarly trailer right here.)
“Hellraiser: Revival” tells the story of Aiden, a man who enters the Cenobites’ lair to rescue his girlfriend from damnation. The plot echoes the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, as well as the underrated “Dante’s Inferno” video game, but make no mistake about it: This is a “Hellraiser” story. Doug Bradley is set to reprise the role of Pinhead, and Clive Barker has assured fans that “Hellraiser: Revival” has such sights to show us (via Polygon):
“[The creators have] immersed themselves in the ‘Hellraiser’ universe, capturing its essence — the seductive pull of suffering, the beauty within the grotesque — and forged a narrative that invites players to step beyond the threshold. I’m eager for both the curious and the damned to experience this new chapter in the ‘Hellraiser’ mythos, where every moment balances on the brink of nightmare and revelation.”
What’s more, the decision to set the story in the Labyrinth appears to be a nod to “Hellbound: Hellraiser II,” the most underrated and imaginative movie in the entire saga. That film also explores the darkest corners of the Cenobites’ home turf — and boasts plenty of ideas that will work in a horror game.
