Sure, let’s dive in. I mean, who would’ve thought? After like, three decades, Heretic finally lands on consoles, dragging its sequel Hexen along for the ride. Remember the last time Hexen was on a home console? Yeah, me either, but it was somewhere between the Playstation, Saturn, and hey, Nintendo 64. Fast forward to now and Nightdive Studios drops Heretic + Hexen on the Switch. Their knack for revamping these oldies is something else – honestly, they might as well have a PhD in it by now. Oh, and by the way, this package isn’t just a simple rehash. We’ve got the original games, some Hexen expansions (Deathkings of the Dark Citadel anyone?), some fresh expansions, and a hodgepodge of extras. Phew.
So Heretic — think of it like a blast-from-the-past Doom but with swords, magic, and all that jazz. Not saying it’s in a doom-and-gloom league, but Heretic’s way of making the engine dance is almost like a wizard waving a wand, despite running into the same walls tech-wise. And yeah, sure, if you squint a bit, you can see Heretic’s weapons and baddies doing a cosplay of Doom’s.
Now, Hexen, on the other hand, flips the script and tosses it out the window. Picture this: You choose from three — count ’em — three classes, each armed to the teeth with unique weapons and skills. Add in some non-linear level designs with puzzles up the wazoo, and bam, it’s like you’re playing a mash-up of Zelda and Metroid with a splash of Doom. Mind-boggling, right?
But wait, there’s more! Three expansions are tagging along. Heretic gets a fresh one called Faith Renewed, which, frankly, pushes the limits even more. Hexen’s got a couple too—Vestiges and Grandeur, and yep, I’d say they outshine the old Deathkings of the Dark Citadel. But, let’s be real, none of them outdo Hexen’s original magic. They’re pretty darn good though.
Now comes the fun part — saving your progress. Ever tried juggling five games and one save system? It’s a laugh riot. I can’t count how many times my brain fried trying to remember if my save was for Hexen or Heretic. Before you know it, you’re hunting down the right save from a mess of files. Talk about a brain teaser.
Visual-wise, Nightdive kept it simple with a high-def run — okay on the Switch, so we’re talking 1080p max. You’ve got some toggle options for resolution, aspect ratio, and HUD shenanigans. I was messing with the full screen HUD (N64 nostalgia trip, anyone?) and noticed this weird quirk — skyboxes weren’t quite right and would loop back. Maybe it happened on the N64 too? Haven’t tested it, so who knows. But honestly, whether PC or console, this glitch is a peculiar mystery.
Speaking of N64, its Hexen version was like, peak home console back then. Sure, it missed some pre-rendered cutscenes, but blew the Playstation and Saturn out of the gaming water. Playing it now, the accuracy is mind-blowing. Although, a part of me wishes for a texture filter or even a classic CRT vibe. Maybe the unfiltered visuals are a bit… wild? Possibly a hot take.
All said and done, Heretic + Hexen is like treasure from a forgotten time. One’s darn good, and the other’s just legendary. While the rough save system and display options could improve, it’s still a massive leap from dusting off a Nintendo 64 or juggling those clumsy Playstation or Saturn editions. Hopefully, we’ll see more nostalgia hits from this series down the line. Fingers crossed, right?
