Review of Heretic and Hexen Games

Oh man, where do I even start with this one? So, Heretic and Hexen are back, and yeah, they’re crashing onto consoles again after, like, forever. Hexen hadn’t seen the light of a console since the days of PlayStation, you know, the one that made weird grunting noises when you started it. Anyway — wait, no — we’re talking re-launches here. These games, bundled as Heretic + Hexen, are hitting the Switch thanks to Nightdive Studios. If you haven’t heard of them, well, they’ve been poking around these old games like curious kids in a candy shop of nostalgia.

Let’s talk Heretic. It’s basically Doom, but it decided to wear a medieval costume for Halloween. Nothing wrong with that, just saying. Level designs? Oh, much better than Doom. It’s like it studied hard and went to a fancy school or something. But, funny thing, the weapons and enemies might give you déjà vu because they suspiciously feel like Doom’s long-lost cousins.

Now, Hexen, that’s a whole other beast. It rewrote the script on how these shooty games could work. You pick a class, choose a weapon, do some puzzle-solving… all while asking yourself if you’re playing Zelda, Metroid, or Doom’s artsy sibling. Non-linear levels? Love it. Confused? Yeah, me too sometimes.

Three expansions come along for the ride. So, Hexen got its first expansion in ’96 (ancient history), and both games have shiny new ones now. Heretic got “Faith Renewed,” definitely flexing the engine’s muscles. Hexen’s “Vestiges and Grandeur”? Pretty neat, fits right in, even if the original still holds that magical aura. Nostalgia, right?

But then, sigh, the save system. It’s like, there you are, diving headfirst into this epic adventure, and bam! All games share the same save slot. Like, are they in some super-secret save slot union or what? Seriously frustrating when I overwrite Hexen saves with Heretic ones. Don’t get me started on the quicksave chaos. It’s something out of a comedy skit, really.

Visually, Nightdive kept things simple. High def for the Switch, mind you. I mean, we’re not talking cutting-edge graphics, but it’s cozy. Options are varied but basic—old school versus widescreen, pick your HUD, tweak your crosshair. Oh, and the skybox issue with the full screen HUD? Totally found myself squinting and tilting my head like an owl trying to figure it out.

N64 nostalgia moment, anyone? Hexen on the N64 was actually pretty decent back in the day, minus some cutscenes, but hey, accuracy was spot on. Playing both versions now, I was daydreaming about a texture filter. Might be just me, but high def has me battling visual noise. Sorry, purists, but a CRT filter? Yes, please.

In the end, this collection rocks. Heretic’s solid, and Hexen? Still a jaw-dropper. But, no ignoring that clunky save issue. Some visual polish could go a long way too. Anyway, it’s still way more satisfying than dusting off an old N64 or dealing with subpar PlayStation ports. Who knows, maybe one day, the rest of the Heretic/Hexen saga will crash the console party too. Here’s hoping!