Retro fans rejoice! Raven Software’s legendary (or at the very least, fondly remembered) fantasy FPS twosome Heretic and Hexen have risen from the grave and received the remaster treatment on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC, courtesy of retro specialists Nightdive.
Heretic, for those too young to remember, originally released in 1994 while its sequel, Hexen: Beyond Heretic, released one year later, with Raven Software – these days best known for its work on Call of Duty – creating both using a modified version of the Doom Engine. But while the titles had much in common with id Software’s seminal shooter, they managed to bring something new to the still-fledgling genre with their medieval fantasy setting; beefy guns and demonic hordes making way for swords, spell-casting, character classes, and the likes of monstrous spiders, golems, gargoyles, and the undead.
Both games have garnered plenty of fans over the years, and have gone on to inspire the likes of developer Indefatigable’s superb 2018 retro-shooter throwback Amid Evil, but the originals are now set to enjoy a new lease of life thanks to Nightdive Studios.
Nightdive – the team responsible for many an acclaimed remaster, including the recent upgrades for System Shock 2 and Star Wars: Dark Forces – announced its new Heretic + Hexen release ahead of this year’s QuakeCon. Both games have now been finessed for modern machines and rereleased, alongside a whole bunch of extras, in one reasonably priced bundle.
More specifically, Heretic + Hexen gathers together Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders (combining both the original 1994 game and its expansion), Hexen: Beyond Heretic, and Hexen’s Deathkings of the Dark Citadel expansion. That’s alongside two new episodes, Heretic: Faith Renewed and Hexen: Vestiges of Grandeur.
Multiplayer fans have a variety of options too. There’s split-screen local multiplayer for up to four players on all platforms (that’s increased to eight players on Xbox Series X/S and PC), as well as cross-platform online support for co-op and deathmatch – the latter accommodating up to 16 players. There’s also community mod support, the option to toggle between the original midi/FM soundtracks and a new version by composer Andrew Hulshult, new accessibility features, plus a “vault” containing a collection of behind-the-scenes development materials.
Switch supports up to 720p/60fps in handheld mode or 1080p/60ps when docked (there’s no native Switch 2 support, sadly), while 1080p/60fps is available on PS4 and Xbox One. PS4 Pro and Xbox One X shunt that up to native 4K/60fps, and you can expect native 4k/120fps on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. PC resolution and framerates are, obviously, dependent on hardware.
Heretic + Hexen is available now on Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (via Steam, GOG, and the Windows Store), and costs £13.49/$14.99. It’s also available as part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Anyone considering purchasing it should check out the accompanying FAQ, as players who own certain earlier editions are eligible for a free upgrade.