Hellraiser creator Clive Barker was worried the franchise’s new video game would be “overly censored,” but he’s “proud as f**k” of “how far they’ve been able to push it.”
The mind behind one of horror’s most twisted franchises spoke about his feelings on Saber Interactive’s Hellraiser: Revival during a recent chat with Dread Central. Where other adaptations of iconic properties often come and go, Barker only had nice things to say about the experience.
“I was fearful at one point that the game would be overly censored but I’m genuinely astonished by how far they’ve been able to push it,” he said.
So as not to mince words, Barker clarified: “I’m proud as f**k at the end result.”
It’s about as much praise as Saber and Hellraiser fans could ever hope to see for the new game. Revival ditched the asymmetrical multiplayer formula used by other adaptations through the last decade and instead delivered a single-player survival experience set within the Hellraiser world. Pinhead and other Cenobites helped Saber earn its now famously strict “M for Mature” rating, which warns players of “blood and gore, intense violence, nudity, and strong sexual content,” among other things.
It’s every bit as intense as franchise fans hoped, but it’s not been without its hangups. Hellraiser: Revival is so brutal that French YouTuber J0nathan reported their channel had been permanently banned after they uploaded footage of themselves playing the game. Not everyone has been quite so unlucky, but the fact that this person had even gone through the trouble to cover up moments featuring nudity and was still handed a ban speaks to how intense that gameplay can get.
As far as Barker’s time in the Hellraiser universe is concerned, he said he’d “love to have another go at it and explore.” The franchise, which began in the ’80s and has seen numerous entries launch to varying degrees of success in the decades since, last saw an installment with Hulu’s 2022 movie, simply titled Hellraiser. While its future remains uncertain, its creator thinks Revival might be able to offer a way forward for similar IPs.
“I think what was achieved in the game is a wake-up call to anyone who’s been involved in the making of a franchise like Hellraiser,” Barker said. “It says to get your ideas warmed over so you can go back into existing worlds in a brand new way. I have many ideas that I’d like to see realized in the Hellraiser universe, and I’m planning to keep my fingers in that pie.”
IGN gave Hellraiser: Revival a 6/10 review. We said, “While the studded scalp of otherworld antagonist Pinhead absolutely looks the part, it’s a shame that little else in Hellraiser: Revival has been nailed to anywhere near the same extent.”
For more, you can read about how the team had an “unofficial goal” to be “banned, unrated, or restricted.”
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).