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Games

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

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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.

NES add for ‘Hellraiser’ game
Terrordrome

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!

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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

Ghostbusters The Video Game Review!

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Horror fans have it pretty good these days, especially if you love both movies and video games! Sure, yeah, alright, I know this isn’t anything necessarily new, and I can already see the incoming comments being pre-typed out. “But Manic,” you may say, “has an asteroid fallen on your cranium thus resulting in permanent brain damage? Hasn’t there always been horror movies adapted to video games and did they not suck mule bollocks?”Why yes, and yes, dear reader. We’ve indeed suffered through a slew of mighty titles of some of our most beloved spooky franchises only to be fooled into playing a joke of a game and duped big time.

And we did our damnedest to act like we were having fun. We sat before the flickering glow of our mega-ton square TV, and we suffered through Friday the 13th, Ghostbusters, and/or A Nightmare on Elm Street. Bless our sloppy hearts, we even acted like Jaws was fun ffs! We either rented these titles on Friday, and this was our entire weekend, or some of us were unfortunate enough to get these as a gift. In either case, we couldn’t help but feel maybe and just possibly a teensy bit fucked over. Horror franchise games on early consoles are now legendary for how rat-dick terrible they were thanks to the cancerous spitting of angry video game YouTube personalities. For too long, horror games were the butt of jokes and memes.

It would seem those days are thankfully long gone, as time has allowed many of these beloved IPs a chance at redemption, and today we’re covering one of the biggest redemption stories out there.

It’s time to answer the greatest question ever posed to our generation: who ya gonna call?

Years prior, back when we were all loving up on our newly acquired PS3 or Xbox 360, a seriously ambitious game came around and gave fans a serious jolt of very, very good nostalgia. That game was, of course, Ghostbusters!

Scepticism was already working its way against this one thanks to how godawful the NES experience was. It’s one I still have never beaten only because I don’t have the patience to deal with it. The NES title was (sighs) an attempt. It was something, sure. Not a good something, but it was something.

It lacked all the stuff that made Ghostbusters a pop icon. With the NES port, gone was all the character charisma, charm, and outright fun that made the movie a stellar hit. It’s also said that glimpsing mere screenshots from that old game can cause unexpected childhood PTSD in many nostalgia enthusiasts, so view with caution, dear reader.

All of the complaints (rightly) lobbied at the original game are entirely obsolete with this one, though. For the first time in forever, it felt like the gamer finally got to be a Ghostbuster. You wore the pack, and you joined our beloved goofballs on a massive adventure into the paranormal and fun world of Ghostbusters!

We came. We saw. We kicked its ass!

One of the biggest advantages of this project is that the original writing team, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, returned to create a new story that continues the narrative from the original films. That’s right—the creative minds behind the films, which became a global phenomenon, were back with a brand new installment in the Ghostbusters legacy.

But we’re just getting started.

1) Firstly, the original cast returned to reprise the roles we all loved. Remarkably, they even convinced Bill Murray to put on the proton pack again and lend his voice along with the rest of the cast.

This may be an emotional moment for fans, especially since this is the last time Harold Ramis portrays Egon. I was particularly touched during missions where you and him investigate some spooky corners of New York together.

2)Thanks to the return of the original cast, this game is arguably the Ghostbusters 3 we all hoped to get one day. In my opinion, it serves as a fitting conclusion to the trilogy, as there are many references throughout the game that pay homage to both films. Players will have the opportunity to revisit the Sedgewick Hotel, battle a really pissy Stay Puft in the streets of New York City, and uncover the origins of the slime from Ghostbusters 2. Additionally, we can explore the Firehouse and even interact with the painting of Vigo the dickhead! Oh, and what would Ghostbusters be without everyone’s favorite slob of a specter? Yup, Slimer is back too

3) Tying up loose ends. The villains in the story are probably who you’d come to expect, with the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man returning early on as a boss fight. Additionally, Gozer the Gozerian is heavily talked about, which might make some people roll their eyes—after all, haven’t we seen enough of that paranormal edgelord? However, I don’t consider Gozer the main antagonist of the game.

That title belongs to Ivo Shandor, who is revealed to be the source of everything that has gone wrong in the Ghostbusters’ careers of busting ghosts. Although he is dead, his malevolence transcends the void and threatens to pull the astral dimension into New York, which would ruin the city’s pizza style forever—and we can’t allow that! Near the end of the game, we learn that Shandor has a secret island buried beneath the river, and of course, we need to go there to put an end to his nonsense. Oh, and I should mention that Walter Peck makes a return, still has no dick.

4) Nostalgia flows like milk and honey… or perhaps more like slime, as this game is filled with it. It’s clearly designed to evoke nostalgia, featuring moments where we interact with a dancing toaster or explore the New York Public Library while hunting down an evil spirit that’s captured the librarian ghost. The game aims to tug at our heartstrings, with its music, setting, and humor all reminiscent of the happier times we grew up with.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered_20191008175745

That said, don’t assume this is all fluff with no substance. The game is ambitious and presents a brand-new story as mentioned earlier. You’ll have your reliable proton pack and ghost trap ready, but the pack also features three additional capabilities that you can unlock as you progress. Egon has been tinkering with the pack, allowing you to test out these new (highly dangerous) enhancements. You lucky punk! It’s not every day you get to play with interdimensional science thingies.

5) You become a Ghostbuster! I really appreciate that we don’t just play as our favorite Ghostbuster, but instead take on the role of a new recruit learning the ropes as we join the team on a mission to save the world once again. Your missions will vary, involving the entire group at times, while at other moments, you’ll team up with just one other member to explore and uncover some ancient occult mysteries. This lets you feel like part of the team as they all, well, are themselves, and we love them for that.

6) This game was made for older consoles, and I get that modern gamers might feel frustrated because it doesn’t offer an open world to explore. I won’t pretend that having an open world wouldn’t have been incredible! However, what we do get is a tightly woven storyline and a game that doesn’t require weeks of commitment. I consider it the third story in the trilogy, and it functions like a movie. The difficulty can be adjusted to your preference, making it easy to breeze through and enjoy those heartfelt moments. I do have to admit, though, that the section in the cemetery (specifically at the gate) with the flying cherubs was a real PAIN IN THE ASS! That part gave me the most trouble, but aside from that, the game is a blast.

I always like to choose a game that fits the Halloween spirit to enhance the spooky vibes. This is the one I picked this year—so far! Since it’s a quick game, I actually have time to play a couple more. Conveniently, a brand new Castlevania game is coming out soon. I also see there’s an actual Hellraiser game releasing soon! Horror fans have it good.

I should also mention that Ghostbusters was later remastered for the PS4 and is available for both the PS4 and PS5, the current Xbox, and Switch. So, if you missed it when it first came out, you still have a chance to team up with the professionals and bust some ghosts in time for Halloween.

Manic out!