Info about Heretic + Hexen:

Official game description:
Feature List
============
About the Game
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Step into the definitive re-release of two dark spell-casting shooters that shaped the genre.
Forged by Raven Software on a modified DOOM engine, Heretic and Hexen were released in 1994 and 1995, pushing first person shooters into bold new territory. These innovative cult classics introduced groundbreaking features like inventory systems, vertical aiming, and distinct character classes, reshaping first person action games for generations to come. This enhanced restoration makes Heretic + Hexen available to new audiences and long-time fans with expanded accessibility across more platforms and languages than ever before. Whether you're returning to these shadowy realms or discovering them for the first time, an epic legacy awaits.
Owners Receive
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*   Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders¹
*   Hexen: Beyond Heretic¹
*   Hexen: Deathkings of the Dark Citadel¹
*   Two all-new episodes created in collaboration between individuals at id Software + Nightdive Studios:
    *   Heretic: Faith Renewed
    *   Hexen: Vestiges of Grandeur
There are a total of 117 campaign maps and 120 deathmatch maps in Heretic + Hexen.
New Enhancements
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*   Online cross-platform deathmatch and co-op for up to 16 players²
*   Local split-screen deathmatch and co-op for up to 8 players
*   Toggleable, enhanced Tome of Power soundtrack by Andrew Hulshult
*   Community-published mod support with an in-game mod browser² ³
*   Improved performance with multithreaded rendering supporting up to 4K resolution and 120 FPS⁵
*   A Vault section containing concept art and unused sprites from the development of the original games
*   Accessibility options, such as updated UI, improved legibility, contrast and screen FX adjustments, and text-to-speech features.
*   Modern controller support
    *   Weapon carousel for faster weapon switching
*   Game balance toggle (original/enhanced)
*   Quick Save/Load support
*   Widescreen support
*   Many engine fixes for bugs present in original versions
*   Translated into 12 new languages: French, Italian, German, Spanish, LATAM Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Polish, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese
¹Original DOS versions of Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders, Hexen: Beyond Heretic and Hexen: Deathkings of the Dark Citadel are included in the Steam version.
² account required.
³Mods need to be installed separately; installation requires additional system storage.
⁵Compatible display required.
About the Included Games
------------------------
**Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders**
Three brothers, known as the Serpent Riders, used their powerful magic to possess and corrupt the seven kings of the realm, plunging it into war and chaos. But a race of elves known as the Sidhe resisted and were branded heretics. On the brink of losing the war, the Sidhe elders sacrificed themselves and the elven capital city to destroy the seven kings and their armies. As one of the few surviving elves, you embark on a quest for vengeance against those who slaughtered your friends, family, and entire race.
**Heretic: Faith Renewed \[NEW\]**
Years after the planes were cleansed of D'Sparil's wretched influence, a wandering warrior in search of home arrives at a foreign land to discover the blighted stains of that old time religion seeping through the cracks of society once more. In the fortified city, zealous acolytes stand high atop a decadent cathedral and listen to the lamentations echoing from the streets as non-believers are dragged away for 'correction.' The shadow of D'Sparil lingers after death, his absence attributed to apotheosis. Once revered, now worshipped, deserving of neither. An all-too-familiar scene, and one you simply cannot stomach. Taking up the mantle of Heretic once more, you stride into the city, staff in hand, to silence the echoes of your arch-nemesis.
**Hexen: Beyond Heretic**
While the Sidhe elf Corvus battled the evil forces of D'Sparil, the remaining two Serpent Riders were busy sowing the seeds of destruction in other dimensions. As a Warrior, Mage, or Cleric, you must fight the undead and brave elemental dungeons and decaying wilderness to defend your realm of Cronos from Korax, the second Serpent Rider.
**Hexen: Deathkings of the Dark Citadel**
After defeating the evil Korax, the second Serpent Rider, and discovering the Chaos Sphere, you have been transported to the Realm of the Dead. Now your only way home is blocked by hordes of undead and the Dark Citadel. Where Hexen ends, the true nightmare begins.
**Hexen: Vestiges of Grandeur \[NEW\]**
Korax lingers between life and death, his shredded corpse left behind with no semblance of life while he clings to a fresh, if fragile, rebirth. His grip on Cronos is once more released, yet the cycle continues, proving another force is at work: an invisible hand puppeteering both Korax and you, weaving a star-crossed destiny that will never die. And if that hand tugs the threads of fate again, what surprises are yet in store for you?

Release date: 7 Aug, 2025

Categories: First-Person Shooter, Cooperative Multiplayer, Competitive Multiplayer, Single-player Story, Character Progression, Inventory Management, Puzzle Solving, Mod Support


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Free Upgrade for Owners (weight 0.53): 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 (weight 0.47): 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 (weight 0.42): 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 (weight 0.4): 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 (weight 0.39): 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.
- Positive Class Rebalances (weight 0.38): Specific class rebalances, such as the Cleric receiving a shield with parry and instant-kill abilities, were noted as positive gameplay changes. These adjustments enhanced the viability and enjoyment of certain character classes.
- Strong Positive Player Sentiment (weight 0.08): Many players expressed strong positive emotions, including pleasant surprise, nostalgia, and excitement. The remaster successfully evoked childhood memories and provided an enjoyable experience, making it a cherished release for fans.

Common complaints:
- Unfaithful changes to original gameplay (weight 0.23): 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 (weight 0.09): 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 (weight 0.08): 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 (weight 0.07): 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 (weight 0.04): 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.
- Broken strafing controls (weight 0.03): Strafing controls are buggy, with the strafe key not working correctly or resulting in unintended movement (e.g., always strafing right when both keys are pressed). This impacts player movement and control.
- Inconsistent graphical updates (weight 0.03): Graphical retextures are inconsistent; some make rooms uglier than the originals, while other areas that needed improvement were left untouched. This leads to an uneven visual experience.
- Weapon balance and ammo scarcity (weight 0.03): In the original games, weapons felt underpowered, and enemies were perceived as 'ammo sponges.' Additionally, ammo scarcity on higher difficulties is noted, impacting combat flow.
- GZDoom offers better experience (weight 0.03): Players note that GZDoom, a popular source port, performs better and is still the preferred way to play for finding secrets, suggesting the official re-release doesn't offer a superior experience.
- Original controls were poor (weight 0.03): The original game's controls were problematic, especially with controllers, due to issues like simultaneous camera and character movement. While not explicitly stated if fixed, this was a past pain point.
- Hidden critical default options (weight 0.02): Critical issues stem from default options that are hidden, making them difficult for most players to discover and change.
- Annoying wall collision (weight 0.02): Players experience annoying collision issues, causing them to bounce off walls. This disrupts fluid movement and gameplay.
- Quiet weapon sounds (weight 0.02): The sounds of weapons are perceived as too quiet, impacting the audio feedback and immersion during combat.
- Missing weapon wheel (weight 0.01): The absence of a weapon wheel is noted, suggesting a missed opportunity for a quality-of-life improvement that modern players might expect.
- Unattractive UI design (weight 0.01): The UI design is criticized for being visually unappealing, specifically mentioning an 'ugly, eye-vomiting slider bar.'
- Poor AI translation (weight 0.01): There are issues with AI-translated text, indicating poor localization quality.
- Excessive modern text (weight 0.01): The game is described as 'a little modern with all the text,' which might imply an overabundance of text or a departure from the original's minimalist approach.
- Previous DOSBox ports were bad (weight 0.01): Previous DOSBox ports of the games were considered 'shitty,' indicating a history of poor port quality.
- Generic Russian font (weight 0.01): The Russian version of the game uses a standard Arial font, which might be considered generic or out of place for the game's aesthetic.
- Minor odd port quirks (weight 0.01): The port exhibits some 'odd quirks,' suggesting minor, unexplained issues or unusual behaviors.
- Dislike for sourceports (weight 0.01): One reviewer expresses a strong negative opinion towards sourceports in general, which is a subjective stance not directly related to the game's quality.

Gameplay feedback:
- Includes Main Games & Expansions (weight 0.16): 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 (weight 0.15): 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 (weight 0.04): 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 (weight 0.03): Players found the maps in Hexen to be particularly complex and challenging to navigate, often requiring extensive exploration.
- Mod Support Included (weight 0.02): The game now officially supports mods, opening up possibilities for community-created content and further customization.
- Crossbow Buffed (weight 0.02): The crossbow weapon has been buffed to shoot five projectiles per shot, significantly increasing its damage output.
- Disable Balance Changes (weight 0.02): The option to disable balance changes is available, allowing players to experience the game closer to its original state if desired.
- Increased Enemy Count (weight 0.02): Players noted that the new maps feature an increased number of enemies, suggesting a higher combat intensity.
- Disable Item Descriptions (weight 0.02): Players can now disable item descriptions, allowing for a cleaner or more challenging interface.

Performance notes:
- Excellent Steam Deck performance (weight 0.03): 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 (weight 0.02): 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 (weight 0.02): 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.

Recommendations:
- Highly Recommended Purchase (weight 0.18): 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 (weight 0.03): For those who do not own either game, it is recommended to purchase both. Both titles are considered worthwhile experiences.
- Geometry Warping Issue (weight 0.02): 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 (weight 0.02): 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 (weight 0.02): 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.
- Similar Value to Doom Bundle (weight 0.02): This bundle offers similar value to the 'Doom + Doom II' collected release. Players who own that collection will find comparable content and experience here.
- Nostalgia and Challenge (weight 0.02): The game offers a blend of nostalgic appeal and challenging gameplay. Players are encouraged to engage with the game for its classic feel and demanding difficulty.

Other player notes:
- Desire for more remasters (weight 0.21): 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 (weight 0.04): 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 (weight 0.02): 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 (weight 0.02): 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 (weight 0.02): A specific request was made for an option to disable auto-aim, indicating a desire for more control over gameplay mechanics in the remaster.
- Improvements available via mods (weight 0.02): Some players noted that many of the improvements implemented in the remaster are already available through existing community mods or source ports, suggesting the remaster's enhancements might not be entirely novel to experienced players.
- Includes concept art (weight 0.01): The inclusion of concept art in the remaster is a positive addition, providing extra content for fans of the game's history and development.
- Steam entries consolidated (weight 0.01): The independent Steam entries for Hexen II and its expansion, as well as Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders, were removed and consolidated into the new bundle. This change in Steam library organization was noted by a player.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.29): Players are highly satisfied with the remaster's overall quality, including significant improvements like controller support, new episodes, and quality-of-life features such as objective markers and bug fixes. The free upgrade for existing owners and the game's smooth performance on modern hardware, especially Steam Deck, further contribute to this positive sentiment, exceeding expectations.
- Excitement (weight 0.15): Excitement stems from the new gameplay additions, particularly new campaign levels and chapters, and the overall high quality of the update. Players are also excited about the potential for future remasters from Nightdive Studios and the re-release of these classic games on all platforms with new features like local co-op and a remixed soundtrack.
- Gratitude (weight 0.07): Gratitude is primarily directed towards the developers, id Software and Nightdive Studios, for their work on the remaster, especially the free upgrade policy. Players appreciate the improved playability, including controller support, and the ease of use of the new port, highlighting Nightdive's commitment to updating classic games.
- Joy (weight 0.06): Joy is experienced through reliving fond memories and the ability to bond with family members over the game. The addition of new campaigns, achievements, and the inclusion of the original DOS version, along with the free upgrade and local co-op, contribute to a sense of happiness and enjoyment.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.06): Nostalgia is a strong emotion driven by revisiting childhood memories and recalling old times spent playing these classic games. The re-release allows players to experience the game's original atmosphere and 90s aesthetic, evoking a sense of the past.
- Frustration (weight 0.04): Frustration arises from technical issues like texture/geometry warping and critical bugs, as well as design choices such as the annoying hub world and changes from the original game. Some players also express frustration with Hexen's difficulty and poor remasters from other developers.
- Hope (weight 0.04): Hope is centered on the potential for future content, including new games, remasters, and collections from Raven Software and other developers. Players express a strong desire for future reboots or remakes of classic titles.
- Appreciation (weight 0.04): Appreciation is shown for the free content, the separate library entry, and Nightdive's generosity and quality work on the remaster. Players value the overall quality of the remaster, the game's style and setting, and the value proposition of the game package.
- Disappointment (weight 0.03): Disappointment stems from the lack of accessibility options, reduced difficulty, and certain design choices, including changes to the soundtrack. Players are also disappointed by the removal of original versions, loss of authenticity, and issues like unplayable states or quiet sounds.
- Surprise (weight 0.03): Surprise is primarily caused by the unexpected release of the remaster, especially when it was shadow-dropped for free. The quality of the remaster and the inclusion of new content also contribute to this positive surprise.
- Anticipation (weight 0.02): Anticipation is driven by the prospect of future remasters and the excitement of playing the newly released games. Players are looking forward to replaying the games, especially with the addition of achievements.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Admiration is directed towards Nightdive Studios for their phenomenal and amazing remasters, highlighting their high-quality work and the lack of industry hostility often associated with such updates.
- Relief (weight 0.02): Relief is felt due to the inclusion of new quality-of-life features, such as a helpful new map system and less obscure puzzles, which improve playability. Players are also relieved not to have to deal with sourceports or complex modding.
- Pleasant surprise (weight 0.02): Players are pleasantly surprised by the significant improvement over the old port and the overall quality of the upgrade, particularly the new episode. Finding the game unexpectedly in their library also contributes to this feeling.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.01): Enjoyment comes from the simple act of playing the game again, especially when engaging in multiplayer co-op with friends in titles like Hexen.
- Approval (weight 0.01): Approval is given for the high quality of the remaster and the game's polished state. Players also approve of the game's accessibility without the need for external mods.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Enthusiasm is expressed through strong recommendations for the game, indicating a high level of satisfaction and desire for others to experience it.
- Happiness (weight 0.01): Happiness is derived from the preservation of the game and the free upgrade provided to existing owners. The translation of the game also contributes to this positive emotion.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Amusement arises from humorous descriptions of the game and the experience of getting lost within its levels, indicating a lighthearted and enjoyable interaction with the game's quirks.
- Love (weight 0): Love is a direct and strong positive emotion towards the game itself, indicating a deep affection for the title.}