Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival has arrived to a very mixed critical response, with early review scores ranging from strong recommendations to some of the lowest ratings seen among its launch coverage.
The horror game has received praise for its atmosphere, visual design, sound and respect for the Hellraiser universe, but several reviewers have criticized its gameplay design, technical problems and inconsistent execution. Early scores range from 9 out of 10 down to 4.5 out of 10, showing how sharply opinions differ.
Review Scores Show a Wide Split
The higher scoring reviews have focused on the game's commitment to the source material and its willingness to embrace disturbing horror.
One review awarded it 9 out of 10 and described it as an unexpected success, praising the overall journey and suggesting the game could justify a sequel. Another gave it 8.5 out of 10, highlighting its visuals, sound design, combat system and Doug Bradley's return.
An 8 out of 10 review also praised familiar elements such as the Labyrinth, Cenobites and Genesis Configuration, while noting that the game does not attempt to reinvent first person horror. A 7 out of 10 assessment took a similar position, saying the game works best when it fully embraces the identity of Hellraiser rather than borrowing too heavily from other survival horror games.
| Review score | Main impression |
|---|---|
| 9/10 | Strong overall experience with sequel potential |
| 8.5/10 | Praised visuals, audio, combat and horror presentation |
| 8/10 | Faithful to Hellraiser with solid traditional horror design |
| 7/10 | Entertaining but sometimes too familiar |
| 6/10 | Strong central villain design but weaker overall execution |
| 5/10 | Good ideas held back by frustrating design choices |
| 4.5/10 | Technical and gameplay problems caused major disappointment |
The lower scoring reviews paint a very different picture.
A 6 out of 10 review said Pinhead's appearance is convincing but argued that much of the rest of the experience does not reach the same standard. Another review scored the game 5 out of 10, criticizing frustrating design decisions and moments that interrupted progression despite recognizing some promising ideas.
The harshest early score is 4.5 out of 10. That review criticized recurring visual and audio problems and said the game only occasionally succeeds as an adaptation of the franchise.
Metacritic Scores Are More Moderate
Despite the wide gap between individual reviews, the current aggregate scores are less extreme.
The PS5 version currently has a Metacritic score of 69, while both the PC and Xbox versions are sitting at 74. The PS5 version has the largest number of reviews so far, making it the most established aggregate at launch.
Those numbers suggest that Hellraiser: Revival is not being treated as a critical disaster, but it is also far from receiving universal praise.
Much of the disagreement appears to come from how heavily reviewers value the adaptation itself compared with the quality of the underlying gameplay. Critics who respond positively to the atmosphere, gore and Hellraiser imagery tend to score the game much higher. Those more focused on mechanical polish, technical stability and progression design have been considerably less positive.
Xbox Version Includes Play Anywhere Support
The game is priced at £34.99 or $39.99 on the Xbox Store, which puts it below the standard pricing of many major new releases.
It also supports Xbox Play Anywhere, so purchasing the Xbox version includes access to the PC version without requiring a separate purchase.
That lower price may make the mixed reviews easier to accept for players already interested in the Hellraiser franchise, particularly those who value atmosphere and faithful horror presentation over technical polish.
The early critical response still makes one point clear: Hellraiser: Revival is a game where your experience may depend heavily on what you want from it. Some critics see a strong adaptation with memorable horror design, while others believe frustrating gameplay and technical issues undermine those strengths.
With scores spanning from 4.5 to 9 out of 10, this is one of those releases where checking several opinions before buying may be more useful than relying on a single review.
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