Review of Heretic and Hexen

Oh man, so here’s the thing about Heretic and Hexen being on consoles again. It’s been what, like 30 years? My memory’s fuzzy, but I’m pretty sure the last time Hexen was console-ready was back in those old school days with the PlayStation and the Sega Saturn. Yeah, Saturn. Wild, right? Anyway — Nightdive Studios has done their magic, bringing these gems to the Switch. I guess they’re kinda known for resurrecting games from that era. It’s like their thing now.

So, Heretic. It’s kinda like Doom but with more sorcery and less “pew pew” guns. Not that I’m complaining. It works with the same old engine, but hey, the levels look pretty neat for what it is. And sure, you might get that déjà vu feeling where the weapons and enemies are shouting “Doom clone” at you, but slide past that.

Then there’s Hexen. Oh boy, it’s like taking a hard left from Heretic. You pick from different classes, each with its own tools of mayhem. And suddenly, it doesn’t feel like a straight shooter anymore. It’s got that Zelda vibe — if Zelda were all about dark castles and relentless chaos.

Now, expansions. We’ve got three of them to chew through. One old Hexen add-on from ’96, and fresh content for both games. The Heretic add-on is called Faith Renewed. Cool name, right? It’s flashy, feels ambitious. As for Hexen’s new chapters, honestly, they feel even stronger than that old expansion, Deathkings of the Dark Citadel. Although, neither hits quite the original notes — but still, not complaining. They’re a blast.

Quick side rant: why share the same save slot for all games? It’s bonkers. I lost track several times. You think you’re saving in one game, and poof, you’ve messed up another. Divvy those up, please!

Visually, it’s mostly HD, which is neat, although capped at 1080p ’cause, you know, it’s just the Switch. They’ve got aspect ratios to play with — oh, and the HUD options. The nostalgia slapped me when I saw the Nintendo 64 HUD, but then skies went all funky. Tiles where they shouldn’t, and I’m squinting, wondering if it’s me losing it. Didn’t happen on the original, though. Weird.

Thinking back to the Nintendo 64 version reminds me — that was considered the gold standard before, despite missing cinematic bits. But what I wouldn’t give for texture filtering options! Or a CRT filter. I know, I know — call it an odd request.

Anyway, this Heretic + Hexen mix is like rediscovering a band you loved in high school. Great memories, minor hiccups. Yeah, the save system’s a bit of a misstep and visual stuff can be… a bit noisy. But it’s still better than dragging out an ancient console or settling for the glitchy versions. Fingers crossed for more in this series.