Review of Heretic and Hexen – An In-Depth Look

Wow, okay. So this is wild, right? After, like, three decades, Heretic finally pops up on consoles again. And its buddy Hexen, which hadn’t been around since… what? The Playstation, Saturn, and Nintendo 64 days? Yeah. They’re both back. Now, they’ve smashed them together as Heretic + Hexen for the Switch, thanks to Nightdive Studios. If you haven’t heard of them—what rock are you living under? They’ve been reviving these old gems like it’s nobody’s business. So what do we have here? Original games, some Hexen expansion called Deathkings of the Dark Citadel, new expansions for both—basically a treasure chest for fans.

Heretic, man, that’s straightforward. Think Doom but, like, with wizards and medieval jazz. Not saying it’s a copycat or anything. It’s just… you know, Doom in a robe. Runs on the same engine but bigger and better in some ways. Still, when I look at its weapons—déjà vu, anyone? Anyway, if Heretic’s like Doom’s little brother, then Hexen’s off doing its own thing, dancing to a different beat. You pick from three classes, each with their own random stuff to offer. The level design? Non-linear, like a mix of Zelda, Metroid, and Doom having a dinner party.

Oh, and let’s chat expansions. You get one for Heretic and two for Hexen. The first Hexen expansion’s been around since ’96, while the other two are fresh off the boat. The new Heretic one, Faith Renewed, really pushes things further. Those Hexen ones? Solid rides. I dig the new ones better than the vintage Deathkings one. Still, the original vibes are unmatched. Don’t get me wrong, though—they’re good, just different-good, if that makes sense.

Now, onto moaning about saves. Five games, yeah? But they all share the same dang save system. One measly quicksave slot. So many times… argh! I’d save in Heretic, forget, and then bam! Quicksave over my Hexen progress. Sorting saves feels like rummaging through a messy drawer. A total headache.

Visuals? Pretty straightforward from Nightdive. HD by default. Switch’s 1080p cap, obviously. Tinker with the resolution settings, aspect ratios—16:9 or 4:3, your pick. A couple HUD options too, change your crosshair and switch between new or OG soundtracks. But when I went full screen HUD (N64 vibes, anyone?), the skyboxes? They don’t line up. Tilt your head just right, and it’s like Tetris come to life. Funny enough, the old N64 handled this just fine. I mean, I could go check the old PC version, but who’s got time for that?

Talk about the N64 version. That port was iconic. No cutscenes, true, but it outperformed PlayStation and Saturn. Playing them side by side—wow, N64 nailed it. But I wish they’d let me filter those HD textures. Unfiltered sprites are cool, but unfiltered textures? Maybe it’s just me, screaming into the void for a CRT filter or something.

Heretic + Hexen? Absolute dynamite collection. One game’s brilliant, the other’s legendary. All this new and old stuff just amplifies the magic. Sure, the save system’s a mess, and modern TV options are… meh. A CRT filter could really transform it at higher defs. But considering the alternative—digging up an N64 or dealing with lackluster PlayStation or Saturn versions—this re-release is a win. Fingers crossed we see the rest of the Heretic/Hexen saga pop up someday. Wouldn’t that just be the cherry on top?