Released on October 8, the new survival horror game Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival (hereafter Hellraiser) is still holding strong at the top of Steam's global top sellers list on its fifth day. The fascinating part here is the stark contrast between critical reception on Metacritic and what the players actually think.

Developed by Saber Interactive, Hellraiser is a first-person survival horror action game built on the lore of the original film universe. Original creator Clive Barker contributed directly to the story, and original Pinhead actor Doug Bradley returned for voice work, instantly capturing fans' attention. The plot follows protagonist Aiden Lynch as they navigate between the real world and a bizarre labyrinth ruled by Cenobites, all in a quest to rescue their girlfriend, Sunny.

You will need to manage limited resources, solve puzzles, and deal with enemies. Guns and melee weapons are available, but weapon durability and ammo management are vital, not to mention the clever use of the puzzle box that forms the core of the universe. Known as the Genesis Construct, this box summons Cenobites in the original work, but in the game, it acts as a conduit for supernatural abilities like telekinesis and pyrokinesis, which come in handy for combat and puzzle solving.

Hellraiser currently holds a Very Positive user rating on Steam (based on 3,582 reviews, with 94% of them positive). Players have praised how faithfully the game translates the unsettling themes of pain and pleasure—such as the original's signature gore, body horror, and BDSM—without any compromise or censorship. Furthermore, many have applauded the smooth optimisation despite Unreal Engine 5 under the hood, along with the reasonable price tag in the 40,000 KRW range. Fans are calling it a flawless love letter to the original material.

On the flip side, critical scores on Metacritic sit in the 60s, leaning heavily towards harsh reviews. Outlets pointed out sloppy combat systems, simple enemy AI, tedious forced chase sequences paired with clunky stealth sections, and severe bugs and optimisation issues as major drawbacks, despite the stellar visual presentation. One could argue that players are forgiving the system's flaws thanks to good value and fandom goodwill, whereas critics judged the mechanics and technical bugs with a stern eye. Interestingly, opinions on the optimisation front clashed quite sharply as well.

Elsewhere, ARC Raiders climbed to second place following its Frozen Mountain Pass content update on October 8. Planet Zoo 2 grabbed the number 6 spot just a day before its launch, while Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 squeezed into the top 10 at number 10 after announcing a priority release for its DMZ mode.

Over in the peak concurrent players top 20, Aion 2 pulled in 392,300 players, matching numbers close to its launch day thanks to weekend user influx. ARC Raiders rode the wave of its update to hit 185,443 players, landing at number 11.