Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival might appear quite common to those well-versed in modern first-person horror video games. However, it offers a massive and extraordinary departure from typical outcomes for licensed horror icons in adaptation.
If Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival proves successful, it might encourage other well-known horror movie franchises like Friday the 13th to follow its lead. The momentum for this trend could already be building, especially with the recent announcement of a new Friday the 13th game. However, for Friday the 13th to tread similar paths, it would require an innovative approach to tackle the challenges of the single-player survival horror genre.
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival is the Fresh Meat Survival Horror Has Craved
Due to the fact that Hellraiser is considered one of the less well-known horror franchises from the late 80s, and since it hasn’t had its own game up until now, Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival has a great opportunity to create an engaging single-player survival horror experience.
It’s quite possible that many modern gamers were first introduced to Pinhead and the Cenobites through the “Hellraiser” chapter in the game “Dead by Daylight“. Interestingly, “Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival“, released after the license expired, might have further fueled players’ interest in this IP when Pinhead and related cosmetics from the “Hellraiser” chapter were removed from “Dead by Daylight” in April 2025.
It’s surprising to find a “Hellraiser” game marketed as a survival horror title, given its shape seems similar to contemporary first-person games like “Resident Evil” or “The Evil Within.” What makes this game intriguing is that it appears to draw heavily on the mechanics and aspects common in psychological/survival horror genres. For instance, dedicated combat in a “Hellraiser” game might seem unusual, but it’s an interesting twist given that one wouldn’t usually expect such interaction within this universe. Additionally, puzzle-based sequences involving the Genesis Configuration promise to be captivating.
Friday the 13th Could Go the Asymmetrical Horror Route Again, But Should It?
As a gamer, I can say that the Friday the 13th movie franchise is a hit because it manages to pack an entire bloodbath of one unstoppable undead killer versus groups of stereotypical teenagers into just a couple of hours, making for a tight and engaging story. Similarly, this straightforward narrative style worked flawlessly in the asymmetrical horror game Friday the 13th: The Game, where I found myself immersed in the role of both the relentless slasher and the terrified teenagers.
In an industry that’s struggled to establish asymmetrical horror games beyond Dead by Daylight, Friday the 13th’s upcoming game could be praised for attempting to emulate Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival and create a single-player survival horror experience, which is currently popular in gaming. However, the challenge lies in transforming a simple premise and a singular horror figure into an engaging game without becoming overly repetitive.
For instance, serving as a summer camp counselor while evading Jason Voorhees across an entire game might become monotonous if not set against a captivating, ominous backdrop like Camp Crystal Lake, and further enhanced with sufficient character or plot progression. This could involve players escaping together with non-player character (NPC) counselors as well.
In a different phrasing: The game Alien: Isolation offers approximately 18 hours of gameplay with limited adversaries, while the main threat is typically just one character. Conversely, a single-player version of Friday the 13th could switch roles and let players control Jason, focusing on chasing multiple young characters. Additionally, it might delve into psychological horror by having Pamela Voorhees’ voice instructing Jason throughout the game.
In other words, the counselors in this game must have some capability to defend themselves effectively if there’s going to be any fighting or combat involved in the gameplay. The upcoming Friday the 13th game might be a continuation or spiritual reincarnation of its multiplayer predecessor, but it could be a significant change for survival horror games if it focuses solely on a single player experience like Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival.
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2025-08-05 04:34