Sure thing, here’s a take that’s more, well, human-ish, maybe a bit all over the place. Here we go:
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Ah, 1994! A time when grunge was in, and wearing flannel shirts seemed like the ultimate expression of rebellion. So right smack in the middle of all that, Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders and its 1995 partner-in-crime, Hexen: Beyond Heretic, popped into the gaming world. And they weren’t just games; they were these groundbreaking things in first-person shooters. Fast forward to today—and man, that makes me feel old—we’ve got Heretic + Hexen back again. Some sort of time-travel gaming magic, courtesy of id Software and Nightdive Studios hauling these legends into the present for a new gang of button mashers.
Okay, quick sidetrack—played a gaming video that I accidentally left running—it was all pixelated glory and booming soundtracks. (Or was that my neighbor’s car stereo? Hard to tell sometimes.)
Back to topic: So this Brian Raffel guy, a big name from Raven Software, is like, “Whoa, we made these games on a Doom engine that was basically science fiction madness back then.” Crazy, right? I mean, imagine building a castle out of LEGOs, but the LEGOs are programming code or something. Anyway, he says they pushed boundaries, whatever that really means. Crafting stuff like character classes and magical inventories. Can’t help but think he was just making it up as he went along. Oh, and he had pals like John Romero and John Carmack. Sounds like a wild office party.
Then you got Mike Rubits who jumps in to talk about when all those games about space guns were cool—really cool, actually—and they decided, let’s throw in some maces and wands for kicks. Maybe they were bored? Facing too many aliens, decided orcs sounded fun? Who knows. But wait, Romero had a brainwave with character classes in Hexen. Like, “Hey, kids love RPGs, right? Let’s roll that into our shooter.” Not heard of before, but why not, sounds like it could win awards—or just confuse players.
Here comes my favorite: the chaotic split-screen and online multiplayer mode. You ever tried playing with someone who chats nonstop? They added a “Tome of Power” soundtrack toggle, which sounds all kinds of epic. Plus, accessibility tweaks and fresh content—yep, they’re not just sitting on old code! And there’s more behind-the-scenes stuff, which is probably cool if you’re into that.
Oh, and new episodes. One for Heretic, called “Faith Renewed” and “Vestiges of Grandeur” for Hexen—whatever that means. Rubits and Xaser Acheron (awesome name, by the way) say they didn’t want any constraints from old “spaghetti code” (my words, not theirs) so fresh storylines all around.
Samuel Villarreal was already making maps for fun—I mean, who makes maps for fun? Apparently, he does and nailed it. Whole episodes! Talk about productive hobbies, right?
Anyway, if you’re a rookie or a veteran of this magical chaotic realm, Raven Software and co. want you to dive back in. Take it from Raffel—he’s grateful for folks who mod and reminisce even after all these decades. Thanks, nostalgia! Honestly, it’s kinda heartwarming that gaming communities breathe life into these layered realms long after the original designers moved on.
Jump into Heretic + Hexen on PlayStation 5 or 4 today. Just don’t get too lost in the maze… unless that’s your thing.
