Man, where do I even start with this? So here I was, digging back into my gaming past— those three-decade-old gems, Heretic and its buddy Hexen, finally hitting consoles again. Side note: did anyone expect this? Nope. I swear the last time I touched Hexen was on a dusty old Nintendo 64. Remember those? Wild times.
Nightdive Studios, those guys—you know them, right? They’ve pulled off some serious magic reviving these classics. Seriously, these titles are like a buffet with extra toppings: you get both original games, Hexen’s ‘Deathkings of the Dark Citadel’ add-on, plus new expansions for both games. It’s like a gaming treasure chest.
So, Heretic. It’s like Doom’s medieval cousin – think swords instead of shotguns. And while you might nod along thinking, “Yeah, same tech and all,” Heretic somehow squeezes more juice out of that old engine. You’ll see those familiar Doom vibes for sure—like catching up with a long-lost relative at a family reunion. There’s something comforting, yet wild, about that.
But Hexen, oh man, Hexen took things someplace else. Suddenly, it’s like, “Choose your own adventure,” with different classes, weapons, powers, whatever! Total game-changer, pun intended. It’s got layers—exploration, puzzles—basically a mash-up of Zelda, Metroid, and, well, Doom.
So, okay, expansions. Two for Hexen, one for Heretic. The Heretic expansion, ‘Faith Renewed,’ seriously pushes its limits. Hexen’s new ones, ‘Vestiges and Grandeur,’ stand their ground too. But, you know, a part of me still misses the old vibes. Is it just nostalgia talking? Maybe. But the new stuff is solid.
Oh, want to hear about the save system? Here’s a heads-up: it’s like navigating a maze blindfolded. Somehow, all five games have a shared save system with just one quicksave slot. Total chaos. I’d forget what saved where and end up in an old Hexen level when I wanted Heretic. Grr, right?
Visually, Nightdive kept things real. Resolution caps at 1080p because, hey, it’s the Switch, not some next-gen beast. You can fiddle with settings—go retro, change aspect ratios, mess with the HUD. But those skyboxes, man, they’re rebellious. I tried matching the glory days of the N64 HUD but got a patchy sky instead. Anyone else? Maybe it’s just this version because I don’t recall seeing it on my old setup.
Speaking of the N64, that was the port to beat. Floppy disks, remember? Crazy. Compared to PlayStation and Saturn? Night and day. But now, these remasters got me wishing for texture filters. The blocky HD look can be a bit much. Let’s keep it real—add a CRT filter, please.
Overall, Heretic + Hexen is a blast. Whether it’s revisiting good memories or just experiencing them anew, there’s magic here. Yet, juggling that save system is like winter without gloves. Also, modern TVs aren’t exactly doing these games favors. Maybe a future tweak can give us some extra flair—filters, smoother saves, the works. Here’s hoping for more of the Heretic/Hexen saga down the road. Fingers crossed, right?
