Hellraiser: Revival is here, and we’ve been lucky enough to have been playing it for a while. Considering the game doesn’t always hold your hand, and some bits can be difficult, we thought it best to give you some tips and tricks we wish we’d been told prior to starting the Clive Barker adaptation. Some will be obvious, others less so, but all are required and well worth knowing, and just like when avoiding the Chatterer in the Labyrinth, you’re going to need every little bit of help to get through.
Explore
A regular tip from us, but in this game it’s a must. Beyond the benefits of exploring in regards to taking in the world around you, and fully immersing yourself in the depravity on offer, you’ll want to explore in order to find resources to craft, collectibles to read, or in most cases, pieces of puzzles to progress. If you’re stuck at any given moment, take a second and have a look around – you won’t be stuck for long.
Use the Lament Configuration Box
An iconic item in the same way that Freddy’s glove is, the Lament Configuration Box is one of your biggest and best tools in the game, and for good reason. A centerpiece of the universe, Aiden finds himself in ownership of the box more by luck than anything else, and early doors has very little idea what it is, how to use it, or the real power within. As you progress, you’ll get more used to it and what it brings to the fight, and exploration, and when you play through for the second run, you’ll feel like you’ve lost an arm, trust us.
One click and you're done. Thank you!
Don’t Look Away
It’s no secret Hellraiser is an adult property chock full of adult content. Death, torture, murder, sex, drugs, and much more is involved, and that extends to Hellraiser: Revival. Even the most well-ventured gamers will find themselves recoiling at times, and it’s important that you don’t look away. Be it because of a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, or a puzzle solution, or just to appreciate the lengths that the developers have gone to, don’t look away.
Sneak, Don’t Sprint
It may surprise you, but there’s a fair bit of stealth involved in the game. There’s plenty of balls-to-the-wall action, that’s for sure, but sometimes the best way forward is to sneak, not sprint. The fairly generous stealth mechanic will allow you to canter through parts of the level, making darkness your best friend.
Make Use of the Environment
There’s a huge mixture of environments in Hellraiser: Revival. From sewers and sex clubs, to sewers and forests. The best tip I can give you is to make use of them. Surrounded by all manner of enemies? Run away, hide behind a pillar, break their line of sight sliding under a pipe. You can heal, regroup and get ready to turn the tide. It also gives you more obvious opportunities in combat, especially when you begin to unlock abilities for the Lament Configuration Box. Hurling circular saw discs at enemies never gets boring.
There’s also environmental death opportunities, like electric generators that’ll electrocute your enemies (and you!), or fire barrels strewn throughout combat areas, and much more besides. Just always keep an eye out for anything that may give you an advantage.
Upgrade Your Weapons
There are a lot of different weapons in Hellraiser: Revival, and while they are already useful in their basic form, you absolutely have to upgrade them to get the most out of them. Whether it be extended magazines or increased fire rate, upgrading your weapons can be the difference between winning or losing a combat encounter. Don’t sleep on it.
Vary Your Combat Approach For The Enemy In Front of You
Not every enemy in Hellraiser: Revival is the same. Some are quick-moving, others slow. Some are armoured and immune to sharp weapons, others tank even the bluntest of weapons. You need to vary your approach, use all of the weapons you have available, and if none of that works, make use of the abilities the Lament Configuration Box gives. It’s not a one-size-fits-all combat system, and you need to be flexible when it’s required.
Increase Your Health and Suffering at Any Given Opportunity
It’s a staple in games that you can increase your maximum health, and Hellraiser: Revival is no different. Not only that though, but you can increase your suffering. The reasons why you should increase your health are obvious, but your Suffering? Less so.
The blue Suffering bar is essentially your mana, and controls how much you can use the Lament Configuration Box in any given moment, including the telekinesis ability. When in the Labyrinth, you’ll come across podiums that allow you to increase both health and Suffering, so make good use of them and do just that.
Reload ALL The Time
It’s a staple of any FPS, and especially that of a survival horror game. You don’t want to be caught short when you’re in the middle of a fire fight, or worse than that, a boss fight. Make sure you reload your weapons to its maximum ammo capacity, leaving none in your inventory unnecessarily. It could be the difference between living and dying, and in the latter moments of the game, where The Unworthy appear and swamp you, could stop you getting overwhelmed. It’s a never-ending cycle of getting ammo, reloading, shooting it, and repeat.
Use Melee Weapons and Save Your Ammo
Going slightly against the tip above, you’re going to want to make use of your melee weapons whenever you have them. The bigger, more damaging melee weapons do break over a certain amount of hits, but they’re still more prevalent than ammo is. You’ll want to fit as many in your inventory as you can, and when facing a single enemy, don’t waste bullets, no matter how many you have. It’s a false economy, and one that the harder bosses will be thankful you ignored. Trying to take down Marlowe, or the Sister of Mercy with melee weapons won’t fly, so make sure you have all your ammo for those moments, not the minute-to-minute ones.
Look For Inventory Capacity Upgrades
Is it a survival horror game without some sort of inventory management? Hellraiser: Revival doesn’t revolutionise this mechanic in any way, shape or form, but it is in there, and it’s super important that as you explore and look for items, you keep an eye out for the Inventory Capacity Upgrades. They’re sprinkled throughout the levels, with each one offering +8 to your inventory. This may not sound like a lot, but they soon add up, and when your inventory is full of weapons, healing items, treasures and more, you need every block you can get.
For your next read, check out our review of Hellraiser: Revival, or the most disgusting and disturbing moments you’ll see in the game.
Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
