I enjoy how Hellraiser: Revival's 'real-life' bondage club makes the rest of Hellraiser: Revival feel kind of embarrassing
Not being much of a kinkster, I'm the wrong writer to assess how Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival portrays BDSM. I can't say with any authority, for example, whether developers Saber Interactive have succeeded in distinguishing consensually practised fetish from otherworldly torture . But I will say that the faithful-seeming sex club you visit early on does a fine job of underlining the…
The opening hours of Hellraiser: Revival feature a darkly themed murder dungeon that closely mirrors the artistic style of Clive Barker's Hellraiser films, which themselves were influenced by Barker's experiences with bondage and sex work. However, the dungeon often feels like a haphazard amalgamation of elements from other well-known horror games like BioShock, Condemned 2, and Amnesia: The Dark Descent.
Arriving in the dungeon are the Scarlet Church, a group devoted to torturing their members in order to please the Cenobites. Despite the Church's adherence to intricate rituals and history, its members often appear skeptical. Aidan, the player character, struggles to maintain a sense of humor amidst the gruesome surroundings and must rescue his lost girlfriend Sunny from the Cenobites while also obtaining a puzzle box from the cult.
Transitioning from the horrific dungeon to a seemingly innocuous S&M club, the game uses this setting to highlight the contrast between the innocent club members and the violent Cenobites. The club features a diverse array of activities, from bondage play to more subdued interactions, creating a mixed atmosphere of humor and horror.
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