Tag Archives: Horror Games

“Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: The Revival” Thoughts After The Demo

Image September 23, 2026 Manic Exorcism Leave a comment

Discovering Hellraiser

Hellraiser scared me, and I wasn’t prepared for that. The film felt unsafe in a way that was far deeper than the typical array of slasher killers who haunt our dreams, stalk our streets, or rise from campsite lakes. I was sixteen at the time, and horror was my life; however, for many different reasons (of which I won’t bore you with), this movie really got to me. Its themes slid into my psyche to fester and grow, and its gruesome visuals never left my imagination. It’s fair to say it warped me, but only in the best way possible.

The Order of Gash, the film’s denizens of Hell, was different from all other monsters. They were waiting for you to invite them in. You hold the key, shaped like a puzzle box, and your desire alone swings the pendulum between your fate and the depths of Hell. The movie opens with a pointed question, “What’s your pleasure?” then sends viewers on an odyssey of suffering and obscene sights. You lead yourself to Hell, and that really, really bothered me.

The movie quickly became my favorite horror film and remains so today. It was made independently and marks Clive Barker’s directorial debut. All things considered, it’s aged fairly well, and its lore continues to retain its searing impact. It’s the one horror movie that ever gave me nightmares and helped to shape who I’d grow up to be.

The Revival

In an era when horror classics are rapidly being reimagined into video games, I found myself asking, “Where’s Hellraiser?” Especially after playing Outlast, I knew the potential for a genuine Hellraiser experience was there. So imagine my sick delight when they finally announced (this year!) we would get exactly that! Finally!

Ok sure, Hellraiser was technically slated to release on the NES (can you fucking believe that?) and in an extremely bizarre and confusing way it can be played today. Although I’ve never played it (and I’m not patient enough to learn how to), I’ve seen videos on YouTube that showcase the game. Pinhead has also appeared in Dead by Daylight and the fantastic Mortal Kombat clone, Terrordrome. So this isn’t exactly the first time Cenobites have been in gaming.

Saber Interactive is offering fans a unique experience with this game. It’s not a retelling of previous works, nor is it a remake—thank fuck! Instead, it’s a continuation of the story that introduces new elements we aren’t familiar with, such as new lead characters and even a new puzzle box, the Genesis Configuration.

The original four Cenobites, who terrified us in the past, are making a comeback, thankfully. Doug Bradley is back to reprise his iconic role as the Hellpriest, a character that’s defined his career. It’s also refreshing to know Clive Barker himself was involved in this project, which is one of the reasons Doug agreed to return.

First reactions

Based on the demo, the game fully embodies Clive Barker’s provocative vision, which may cause extreme discomfort for more sensitive gamers or those unfamiliar with his work. Fans of Barker’s body of work know he loves blending pseudo-philosophy with overt sexual themes and extreme violence. While it approaches the pornographic at times, it never crosses that line; however, it’s definitely not something you’d want your mom to see when she walks into the room. The demo plunges directly into this controversial nature (woo hoo!), leaving players with a thrilling sense of taboo.

Right off the bat, you (Aiden) and your girlfriend (Sunny) are in the heat of coitus with some lovely BDSM tossed in for spice. You get a feeling this level of kink is just a regular Tuesday night for these two lovebirds, though. In the heat of the moment, Sunny playfully uses Aiden as a pincushion for various piercings, and Aiden utilizes the Genesis Configuration—the new puzzle box from the game—to trace small cuts into her skin. This minor sadism sets a thrilling tone for your upcoming experience, so buckle up.

As her blood mingles with the configuration, it activates a gateway to the Labyrinth of Leviathan, and a realm of hellish delights beyond the ordinary awaits. Sunny eagerly steps forward, ready to delve deeper into this enticing world, prompting you to charge after her.

It’s worth mentioning that your character is completely naked, leaving you vulnerable as you enter the chilling depths of this obsidian hellscape. I admit I felt genuine dread while passing through the narrow halls of the Labyrinth. In the second film, we’re given only a small glimpse into the actual Hell of Hellraiser. Now, for the first time, we’re offered the chance to enter it for ourselves. You are sent into the dark unknown where pain is God. So bid the flesh farewell and abandon all hope.

I couldn’t imagine how trippy this would be in VR.

Along your journey, infernal things are always watching you in the nearby distance. For example, shapes move in spider-like patterns through huge gaps in the walls; I thought maybe it was the Engineer at first, then again perhaps they’re things we’ve never encountered yet. Eerie lights do little to brighten the path around you, and means of torture line the walls enclosing in on your already claustophobic space; you’re in Hell, and you’ve only just taken a few tentative steps into this bold, new existence. If you had any hope of turning around, well, it’s best not to hope here. Also, for comedic effect, I walked face-first into a tangle of dangling chains, which made me feel right at home in Hellraiser.

The whole time you’ll either hear or see your beloved Sunny ahead of you, always taunting you to journey deeper into the realm of tortured souls and save her from this fate. I caution you to watch your step, though, because Leviathan doesn’t like to lose a single soul.

The Labyrinth can be a huge puzzle in and of itself; your steps get rearranged, leaving you genuinely disoriented, walking in circles, and even panicked. It’s a claustrophobic nightmare where you walk alone to the naked gaze of Leviathan.

At this point in the demo, you aren’t given a weapon to defend yourself either, making you feel as helpless as a newborn against the many horrors of Hell and beyond.

Your steps gradually guide you toward Leviathan, almost as if it were by appointment. Gotta admit I felt small and entirely insignificant standing before…it? Him? Soon after, we get a glimpse of the game’s flair for the grotesque as we helplessly watch Sunny willingly submit to the Order of Gash. Their chains rush forward, and their hooks dig deeply into her slender body, pulling and shredding nerves and sanity.

They pull her flesh taut and lift her off her feet with her entrails spilling out. This honestly shocked even me. Didn’t expect to see her guts all dangly, so that was a new take on the familiar chaining scenes I’ve watched across the films. The high level of gore made me think of just how constrained horror movies can be. Things like budgets and props and actors are all to be contended with. Then, even once all of those factors fall into place, you still have to deal with an asshole ratings board that can rip your horror project apart.

A horror game has so much more liberty to be true to the intended vision no matter how grizzly that vision might be. You can rip the face off your lead character without harming an actor. Impale a whole cast of characters with their entrails dangling in the fetid wind, and you never have to pay for a prop. You can get as gruesome and be as twisted as you want to be, and the developers here showcase their satanic imagination on full display here. They don’t hold back, and the human body is nothing more than a canvas for the obscene to carve out a masterpiece of flesh and sorrow. Already from what little I’ve seen, I can say my expectations were not only met, but greatly exceeded.

This Isn’t For Your Eyes

Meanwhile, outside of Hell, an underground cult known as the Scarlet Church has taken a disturbing interest in you, and they immediately prove the Cenobites aren’t the only order to be terrified of here. The cult worships the Order of Gash, and it appears they’re striving to join their ranks or something like that, which is very alarming. The measure of pain a human being can inflict upon another is the stuff of nightmares, and people prove to be some of the scariest monsters found both in and out of fiction. So it is with the Scarlet Church.

To prove their undying devotion to Hell, they systematically carve up their victims and then display the corpses as macabre masterpieces of carnal art. It’s rumored this sort of practice actually happens around certain corners of the world where the elite gather in luxury and human life is cheap in their eyes. The atmosphere feels dangerous, much like the unsettling experience I had when I first watched the movie all those years ago. Of course I loved it.

The Scarlet Church remains shrouded in mystery, and I am already hooked, but I’m left with a lot of questions. Not sure how many answers I’ll get once I play, but it’s one more reason why I can’t wait to dive into this thing after it fully releases next month. It feels like the cult is pretty old, and a lot of the layout of their offices and fetishes remind me a hell of a lot of Dr. Channard’s from Hellbound: Hellraiser 2.

Was he a member of the Scarlet Church, and was this how he knew so much about the Cenobites? Or, upon further consideration, the Scarlet Church looks like it takes place inside an old, abandoned hospital, again harkening back to Hellbound. Could the cult have grown out of the research they discovered from the wicked doctor’s obsessive notes? Is this his hospital? The two may not be linked in the least, but I’d like to think there’s possibly a connection there.

The demo provided a glimpse into what the game has to offer, and I think it’s going to be amazing. The gameplay was smooth, the scares were effective, and I felt sincerely uneasy while playing. Well done! I’m also really glad this is a single-player, story-based game. Too many modern horror games end up focusing on co-op play, which can definitely work in some cases, but not in all. The first-person perspective fully immerses the player inside the nightmarish world of all Hellraiser can offer, allowing for a personal and terrifying journey.

It releases October 8th for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC (Steam). The demo is available on Steam.

Just in time for Halloween and what a Helluva way to ring in spooky season! I’ll see you in Hell, my nasties!

Manic out!

Games

“Halloween The Game” – Single Player Review!

Image September 12, 2026 Manic Exorcism Leave a comment

We’re living in extraordinary times where our favorite horror titles are making a strong comeback—something we could only have dreamed of not too long ago. For example, did you ever think it would be possible to rampage through Crystal Lake as Jason on a bloodthirsty quest to slash, dismember, and mutilate those stupid enough to come to your lake? Or consider picking up a chainsaw and becoming Leatherface as you chase after unsuspecting hippies around the old homestead? Modern video games make that possible. Fuck’s sake, they even released a game based on Killer Klowns From Outer Space!

It was only a matter of time before the godfather of slashers got his own game, and Halloween is proving to be a massive hit among fans. Like many other horror titles, Halloween has already been a video game before, with kids turning on their Atari 2600 to survive a grueling night when he came home.

With its pixelated gore and a surprisingly impressive rendition of the classic theme that the franchise is known for (I mean, considering it’s on Atari!), it’s not a bad attempt—unlike Ghostbusters on the NES. However, it is really limited, much like many other horror titles from that era. Thankfully, those days seem to be behind us now.

Now, imagine actually running around Haddonfield on October 31st, as you and your friends try to warn the townsfolk about the horrors of the Boogeyman.

Or picture yourself picking up the knife and stalking your prey, ending one life after another in beautifully gruesome ways most befitting the horrors of the season.

The Night He Came Home

Michael Myers has already been introduced in DBD, allowing players to step into the shoes of The Shape. However, what Gun and Illfonic offer fans now is a different experience altogether. In this game, you don’t just play as The Shape; you truly become him. They immerse players right into the heart of the movie, similar to their previous titles.

You will roam the dimly lit streets of sleepy Haddonfield, a town that many of us recognize from countless movie rewatches. In a way, it feels like a strange homecoming, as if we’re returning alongside Michael. However, this time, instead of just spectating, you spend your time breaking into people’s homes, where the real excitement begins. Before choosing your preferred method of killing, you have the option to take your time, utilizing your stalking ability, which secures Michael several advantageous kills. In my opinion, definitely worth it.

Once you choose your method of murder—whether you prefer a classic stabby-stab-kill or an environmental one—you’re free to unleash your creativity. A couple of memorable moments for me include using a kitchen stove (I smell bacon!) and a grandfather clock! I got overly excited when I realized the clock was even an option. The kills are both creative and cruel. Or if you prefer to explore Michael’s softer side, you can just hug someone to death.

In single-player mode, you play as Michael and track his steps from the moment he escapes Smith Grove’s mental institution. As The Shape, Michael has no face, meaning until you fetch the iconic mask, his face is blurred out, and this is how you start out. You’re walking around barefoot in nothing but a hospital gown, and thanks to an orderly stabbing you with a sedative, you don’t have your full capacity of powers yet. This allows the player a chance to learn all of Michael’s abilities gradually and also proves what an unstoppable force The Shape really is. The guy is drugged and still manages to kill anyone in his path!

With only a paper-thin gown as shielding and his bare hands, Michael kills the guards and orderlies in whatever order you so choose. You’re in command here, so as The Shape, this is your party. You’re rewarded for not letting a single victim escape and also for not being detected. You’re also given points for creative kills, so go hard on them.

The iconic (feel like I’m saying that a lot here) opening of the movie plays out as Dr. Loomis pulls up to the front gate and you’re tasked with taking the car and getting the fuck out of dodge. Right away we’re deep into John Carpenter’s classic lore, and this was all just the prologue.

You soon find yourself rampaging through the Rabbit in Red nightclub, with only a broken bottle as a weapon while they all have a meat cleaver, knives, and one bitch pulls out a gun. That’s ok though because in minutes Michael’s slaughtering everyone inside. Oh, that little shit who thinks he gets away, just you wait. Just you wait. Thinks he’s so badass on his bike. I wonder if that motorcycle of his will come in handy later on? Hmmm.

Afterward, you hunt down the car mechanic next door and don his jumpsuit. The Shape is nearly complete. This leads us to the outskirts of Haddonfield, where you pick up the mask from a convenience store. You then get to dispose of the silly clerk (in a very nasty way if you like) and continue carving your legacy into the face of your hometown.

As you progress, keep an eye out for Loomis tapes, which are reminiscent of the Pamela and Tommy tapes from Friday the 13th. These tapes expand on the lore and provide bonuses if you aim to achieve 100% completion. You can also revisit missions and butcher up the same assholes in whole new ways!

However, I encountered a stupid-ass glitch where characters spawned on rooftops, appearing terrified but unable to move. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get up there to teach them a lesson. But remember how Jason could throw knives at his victims? Well, Michael can pick up lawn darts, which are great to have on hand to remind those rooftop cheaters who’s really in charge!

Many elements in this game will evoke nostalgia. As Michael, you’ll return home and replay the events of that fateful night when you were just a child, and your sister was upstairs, being all killable. She’s practically asking for it!

This is where the game truly shines. You get to experience some key moments from the film, but it’s important to note that you won’t relive every scene. You won’t be stalking babysitters during the day, standing outside Laurie’s classroom, or encountering Tommy. It’s not a frame-by-frame remake sort of deal. Instead, you’ll rampage through the town after sunset, adding your own bloody touch to the legacy, and there’s no one safe from you.

Also, as a fun fact, a lot of residents are watching TV in the safety of their living room when you make your way in. I took a moment to see what was on the old boob tube, and it was Nosferatu! I was impressed. If only it had been The Thing, right?

I’m trying to be as spoiler-free as possible, but do you get to hunt down some babysitters and reenact the terrible events of that Halloween night? Oh, I don’t know. Nods

Keep in mind that this is all from the single-player mode, and I haven’t even begun to explore the online matches. However, I’ve already jumped back into missions multiple times to relive the macabre moments we all love. For me, that alone was worth the cost of the game. I’m also curious about what additions might come later.

Will there be sequel material later added similar to what we saw with Friday the 13th? Will we get new maps and additional characters? That being said,

Jaimie?

This idea would be intriguing, but I’m not sure how they could make it work considering she was just a little kid. People would shit out of their noses if Michael chased down and killed a child. However, I would love to see Jaimie Lloyd as a playable character.

Perhaps she could be an adult by now; I don’t think fans would mind, especially since many enjoyed Part 4, one of the most beloved horror sequels of all time. Just give us the damn clown girl! Try out an alternate timeline too where she’s the killer. Switch things up, and fans would love it.

The game just released, and I believe the potential is limitless. However, It’s well-known how Gunn and Illfonic were unable to complete everything they planned for the massively successful Friday the 13th game (due to that stupid lawsuit), which left many fans frustrated. We never got Uber Jason or the space station map. There were even rumors of Freddy being added to the game, allowing us a Freddy vs. Jason scenario which would’ve been superior to the fucking movie. Fans got screwed over!

Additionally, fans were disappointed to learn that Texas Chainsaw Massacre would not be receiving further attention. Because of this, many people are hesitant to invest their time and enthusiasm into their newest game, Halloween, and I can’t blame them. Piss on shit; I didn’t intend to buy this game for those very reasons. I took my chance though and, as you can tell, I’m a pretty happy camper.

The bottom line is the game’s already enjoyable and offers a lot for fans to appreciate. It’s had a good opening week and is proving to be strong despite the bugs and weird glitches we’ve been dealing with (damn rooftop cheaters). Patches have been rolling out to fix issues…and take away the sex players could have. If Sims can woohoo, why can’t there be woohooing in a horror game? So the game isn’t perfect, but still a lot of fun.

Besides, what better time to explore the shadows of Haddonfield than now, as we approach Halloween?

Now, when are we getting, oh I don’t know, the A Nightmare On Elm Street game?

Manic out!

Games

8-Bit Slashers: Atari Games Based On Horror Movies

Image January 24, 2022 Patti PaulterGeist Leave a comment

As a byproduct of the early 80s, one of my earliest home gaming memories was the Atari 2600. This beast of a console was the first system a wee Patti owned and was shared, albeit reluctantly, between my little brother and I. I can’t tell you how many times I would get the urge to play Kaboom or Haunted House, and find my 8-bit hogging 4-year-old sibling snotting all over the joystick playing Frogger.

The struggles of a one-console household is very real boils and ghouls.

Presently, the original Atari 2600 is pretty much a dinosaur (and looks like one too) compared to the sleek Playstation 5. However, Brontasauraus console boasted some graphics that looked like sorcery in our eyes at the time. Regardless of the now outdated sights and sounds of the Atari, the gaming system launched the beginning of household video games over 40 years ago, and hell, we need to respect that. Not to mention, hosted some pretty off-the-wall cartridges that embodied the glorious horror genre within them. Four decades later, and I still haven’t seen one damn Texas Chainsaw Massacre OR Halloween video game! Unless of course, you look towards the Atari 2600.

That being said, kudos to the breakthrough video game system that honored the horror genre in 8-bit fashion. So let’s look back at some of the coolest horror-themed video games the breakthrough gamer device had in its library, shall we?!

Halloween

First released by Wizard Video in 1983, The Shape was forever immortalized 2600 style with his very own Atari game. You actually don’t play as Michael Myers, but the “babysitter”, whom I can only guess is supposed to be Laurie Strode.

The object of the game is to save the children you’re supposed to be caring for from the Boogeyman. Who, by the way, is running through the house waving a knife all to an Atari-sized version of John Carpenter’s Halloween theme. FANTASTIC. You’re given three lives which are represented by jack-o-lanterns on top of the screen, of which will disappear one by one when you are caught and killed. The highlight of this game, and I’ve been known to purposely do this just for fun, is when you’re caught by Myers. Why? Because he decapitates you (as shown in the video below). Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this appears to be the very first video game decapitation in history. You only get a tiny bit of blood spurts from said kill, but nevertheless is extremely amusing.

NML32

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Another horror treasure from Wizard Video brings the Tobe Hooper classic to the Atari world in 1982. Unlike the Halloween game, gamer roles are reversed and you actually get to play as Leatherface; with a chainsaw attached to his dick.

You basically just run across a field of cow skulls and wheelchairs trying to get to your next victim. It’s heavily rumored throughout the gamer community that the high-pitched tones you hear when a victim appears is actually supposed to be a girl’s scream. The chainsaw in the game is run on fuel, and when you press the appropriate button to run it, your fuel starts to deplete. When you run out of fuel, you lose a life. So, just an educated guess here, the point is to kill off as many people as you can before running out of gas.

It’s a fun way to murder ten minutes of your life. But one thing that really irked me about this game other than the inability for game developers to give Leatherface’s body a different color than the chainsaw, is the fact your character gets “stuck” quite easily. The obstacles I mentioned above, as it turns out, you better steer clear of them. If even one pixel of Leatherface breathes too close to these in-game hazards, you’re stuck for a good couple of seconds. It’s a total pain in the ass.

Retr0man

Alien

Developed by Fox Interactive Games in 1982, Atari Alien has no shame in hiding that it is, in short, a basic rip-off of Pac-Man. However, instead of dodging ghosts through a maze, you’re running from Xenomorphs, which is just way cooler anyway.

The in-game maze is supposed to be designed to look like the inside of a spaceship, and said ship is infested with adult aliens laying these eggs all over the place. Just like Pac-Man, the pellets littering the screen are eggs and can be destroyed by simply running over them. There really isn’t too much else to explain, as it really is just Pac-Man with aliens. Though if you enjoy the classic arcade game, as a horror fan you’ll likely get a kick out of something different from that floating yellow head.

Highretrogamelord

Frankenstein’s Monster

Published by Data Age for Atari in 1983, Frankenstein’s Monster, for me TBH, is one of the more entertaining games to come out of the 2600 era of gaming.

The basic object of gameplay is to build a wall surrounding the monster before he comes to life. To do this, you have to climb up and down the screen grabbing bricks one by hellish one. Along the way, you’ll encounter a giant tarantula, bats, ghosts, and a lovely pool of acid. You know, normal creepy castle shit. If you build the wall before the timer runs out, you save the village below from a monster rampage. If you don’t make it in time, Frankie comes to life and destroys every damn thing in its path, which is kind of my favorite part anyway. If you get a chance to play, let yourself lose at least once.

Young GamersBiH

Ghostbusters

Birthed by Activision in 1985, Ghostbusters for Atari 2600 comes one year after the theatrical release, and is fuckin’ fun as hell.

You immediately begin by trapping ghosts in front of buildings, which in most cases, takes the form of Slimer. All the while, a synthetic Atari version of the Ghostbusters theme plays in the background. The graphics when ghostbusting aren’t half bad considering the console, and the driving sequences with the Ecto-1 are not as stretched out as other versions.The greatest part, however, is when you finally get to the end and fight Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. It’s goddamn hilarious because he just kind of jumps around in front of a building like a little kid.