Players Massively Praise Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival—Unlike Gaming Critics

On October 8, Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival, the game adaptation of the cult franchise, launched on PC, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and Switch 2. Saber Interactive developed the game, and both critics and players have already shared their thoughts.

Interestingly, opinions are split. Critics aren’t very enthusiastic, while players have been warmer. Reviewers who liked the game praise its atmosphere, its faithfulness to the original, and the design of the enemies and locations. The combat, clumsy controls, boss fights, and technical problems got most of the criticism. The game currently has 69 on Metacritic and 75 on OpenCritic, where 65% of critics recommend it. Some of their reviews are below:

Insider Gaming – 90/100:

An unexpected gem in almost every way. I don't think many were crying out for a Hellraiser game, but everyone will be demanding a sequel to Revival, as Saber's horror show delivers a compelling, rich journey through pain and pleasure.

PSX Brazil – 85/100:

Hellraiser: Revival is a faithful adaptation of the universe created by Clive Barker, combining an oppressive atmosphere, grotesque visuals, and genuinely tense moments with a structure heavily inspired by games of the genre, most notably Resident Evil 4 Remake. Although the puzzles are simple and the difficulty decreases considerably as the player masters its mechanics and abilities, the campaign manages to hold its own thanks to the excellent setting, intense chases, and creative use of the Lament Configuration. It's not revolutionary, but it's an interesting and authentic survival horror game for fans of the genre and, especially, of Hellraiser.

Combo Infinito – 80/100:

Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival delivers an excellent adaptation by expanding the franchise's mythology and book lore, bringing back the classic voice of Pinhead alongside a bold Unreal Engine 5 art direction. Although it stumbles confusedly between deliberate survival horror and action FPS, the title establishes itself as a worthy adaptation of the series' cultural impact.

ComicBook – 80/100:

It’s shocking in 2026 that Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival is a single-player game rather than an asymmetrical multiplayer title, but it’s even more surprising that a game in the Hellraiser franchise is actually great. Seeing a team put time and care into creating a new story for a series that naturally belongs in the mythology and is actually fun to experience feels like a minor miracle, even with some occasional frustrations. Fans of the franchise can rejoice that this title is worthy of Barker’s creation, but newcomers may find that the taste of Cenobite pleasure being offered has them hooked.

GAMINGbible – 70/100:

Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival was a tough game to critique, as the pieces were all there, they just didn’t all mesh together in the right way. I’d still recommend it to Hellraiser and horror fans alike though. My only advice would be to knock it down to the story mode to alleviate some of its more frustrating elements.

DualShockers – 70/100:

Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival does the iconic horror franchise justice with its story and atmosphere, both of which are top-notch and enough to justify its existence. Its metaphorical plot and incredibly detailed locations make this horror adventure tough to put down, constantly encouraging you to push forward to see what else it has up its sleeve. However, its lousy combat system and excessive number of trial-and-error chase sequences may be a deal-breaker for those who believe "gameplay is king."

• PCGamesN – 9/10
• Console Creatures – 9/10
• GamingTrend – 8.5/10
• CGM – 8/10
• Gamespot – 8/10
• GamesRadar – 8/10
• DayOne – 7.5/10
• PSU – 7/10
• Gameliner – 7/10
• TechRaptor – 7/10
• IGN – 6/10
• Eurogamer – 6/10
• Push Square – 5/10

Players, as mentioned, have been much more positive. The game’s Steam rating is above 96%, and players praise the same things as critics: the dark atmosphere, the sound design, and how well it captures the spirit of the Hellraiser universe. It has started so strongly on Steam that it’s in the top 10 best-selling games, ahead of recent hits like Gears of War: E-Day and WARDOGS.

Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival is available on PC, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2.