Heretic + Hexen Review Summary

Free Upgrade for Owners: Many players expressed significant appreciation for receiving the remaster for free if they already owned the original games. This gesture was seen as generous and respectful to the existing fanbase, adding considerable value to the release.

Outstanding Remixed Soundtrack: The remastered and remixed soundtrack, particularly by Andrew Hulshult, received widespread acclaim. Players found the new music to be a significant enhancement, adding to the game's atmosphere while staying true to the original feel.

Modernized Features and Controls: The remaster introduces significant modern enhancements, including robust controller support, 4K resolution, and achievements. These additions greatly improve accessibility and the overall play experience on modern hardware and consoles.

Improved Map and Objectives: The addition of objective markers and an improved map system was a significant quality-of-life improvement. Players found this feature extremely helpful for navigation, especially in Hexen's complex level designs, making the game less frustrating.

Valuable New Content: The inclusion of new campaign levels and extra episodes for both games was a highly appreciated addition. This new content provides fresh experiences and extends the playtime for fans of the original titles.

Unfaithful changes to original gameplay: Several core aspects of Hexen and Heretic, including map layouts, movement physics, class mechanics (like class change hubs and cleric shield), and enemy placements, have been altered from the originals. These changes are seen as detrimental to the original experience, impacting speedrunning, balance, and overall authenticity.

Critical save/load issues: Players encountered critical issues with saving and loading game progress, including inability to save, load, or progress past end-game stats. Additionally, automatic saving can overwrite progress, and there's no save functionality in multiplayer co-op, leading to frustration and loss of progress.

Original games delisted/replaced: The new release has replaced or delisted original game versions, forcing players to purchase bundles. This is seen as a negative business practice, removing player choice and potentially overcharging for content they may not want.

Distorting visuals cause motion sickness: Players report significant motion sickness due to geometry and texture warping when looking around, especially up and down. This visual effect is perceived as a bug rather than a feature and lacks an option to disable it, negatively impacting accessibility and player comfort.

Forced auto-aim is problematic: The forced auto-aim feature is negatively impacting the gameplay experience. Players desire an option to disable it, as it interferes with their aiming control and visual preference.

Includes Main Games & Expansions: The collection includes the main games, Heretic and Hexen, along with their original expansion packs and two brand new episodes for each game, offering significant new content.

Fantasy Doom-like Gameplay: Players describe the game as a 'Doom-like' shooter but with a fantasy/magic theme, featuring different character classes and combat styles. Gameplay involves fighting enemies, solving puzzles, and navigating complex environments.

New Parry/Block Mechanic: A new parrying/blocking mechanic has been added to Hexen, specifically noting the Cleric's ability to parry with a mace and shield, enhancing combat options.

Complex Map Design: Players found the maps in Hexen to be particularly complex and challenging to navigate, often requiring extensive exploration.

Mod Support Included: The game now officially supports mods, opening up possibilities for community-created content and further customization.

Excellent Steam Deck performance: Players report that the game runs exceptionally well on the Steam Deck, indicating good optimization for portable play. This is a positive for accessibility and player convenience.

Historical Hexen comparisons: Players are making comparisons to the original Hexen's technical specifications, such as load times and resolution. This feedback is more observational about historical context rather than actionable for the current game.

Discord hardware acceleration conflict: A specific technical issue has been identified where Discord's Hardware Acceleration conflicts with Kex-Engine and Build Engine Sourceports. This suggests a potential compatibility bug that could impact a subset of players.

Highly Recommended Purchase: Players highly recommend this game, especially to fans of classic 'boomer shooters' like Doom and Quake. Many consider it a must-buy and a superb, worthwhile experience.

Buy Both Games: For those who do not own either game, it is recommended to purchase both. Both titles are considered worthwhile experiences.

Geometry Warping Issue: A significant issue with geometry warping has been reported. Players advise against purchasing the game until this technical problem is resolved.

Good for Returning Players: The game is specifically recommended for players who are returning to the series or genre. It offers a familiar yet engaging experience for them.

Souls-like Gameplay: The game is described as having 'souls-like' elements. This suggests it features challenging combat, high difficulty, and potentially a focus on player skill and progression similar to the Souls series.

Desire for more remasters: Many players are excited about the possibility of future remasters, specifically mentioning Heretic 2, Hexen 2, and Wolfenstein 3D. There's a strong desire for more classic titles from Raven Software and id Software to receive similar modern updates and compilations.

Original DOS versions included: The original DOS versions of the games are still included and accessible, which is appreciated by players who might prefer the classic experience or want to compare it with the remaster.

Achievements add replay value: The addition of achievements provides a new incentive for players to revisit and replay these classic games, offering a fresh challenge and reason to engage with the content.

Improved nostalgic cutscenes: The redone cutscenes maintain a nostalgic 90s aesthetic while improving on the original's 'jankiness,' striking a good balance between modernization and preserving the game's classic feel.

Option to disable auto-aim: A specific request was made for an option to disable auto-aim, indicating a desire for more control over gameplay mechanics in the remaster.