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Nightdive Studios have revealed their latest retro AAA game release: Heretic + Hexen. The compilation is available now on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Play Anywhere, Game Pass, Switch, Steam, and GOG.
What Are Heretic And Hexen: Beyond Heretic?
These are PC shooters that Raven Software once made with id Software and released from 1994 through 1997. Unlike Doom and Quake, Heretic and Hexen: Beyond Heretic had a dark fantasy setting. You play wizards fighting a fantasy undead horde to thwart a demonic trio called the Serpent Riders.
Even today, fantasy shooters are not as common as military themed shooters or dark fantasy action games. There’s a real novelty to this idea that persists today. On top of that, Heretic and Hexen: Beyond Heretic added RPG elements to its shooters, such as character classes, inventory, weather systems, and environmental puzzles. As Nightdive CEO Stephen Kick argues, there’s still some ideas in these games that newer games could pick up today.
Some Odd Coincidences About This Release
As Raven Software’s Brial Raffel revealed, it was John Romero’s idea to add character classes in Hexen: Beyond Heretic. These classes gave you different attributes, so you would get a different experience with each class.
Romero worked closely with Raven from the start. He literally delivered the Epson NeXT computers id bought for them, and taught them how to use Doom’s creation tools to make their games.
Raven Software and id Software were both independent game companies way back when they made these games. Today, Raven is owned by Activision and helps make the Call of Duty games. id is owned by Zenimax Media and continues to make Doom games. Somehow, both studios who made their fortunes making Windows games ended up in Microsoft.
What’s New For The Older Players?
Nightdive made the kinds of changes older gamers who avoided these games wanted back in the day. There is a waypoint system in Hexen so that players don’t get lost in the game if they didn’t want to. Both also have newly polished graphics and game design, but players can always toggle to the original games anytime they want.
Both games get new episodes: Heretic’s Faith Renewed and Hexen: Beyond Heretic’s Vestigues of Grandeur. They also have local split screen, cross platform multiplayer, a new Tome of Power soundtrack from Andrew Hulshult, and a lot of production behind the scenes materials.
Now we only have to ask about Heretic II. You can watch the official Heretic + Hexen announcement trailer below.
