FPS sickos are having a surprise party today as Bethesda, id Software, and Nightdive have collectively shadow dropped Heretic + Hexen, a "definitive re-release" of two bonafide Doom-like cult classics, available right now on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch 1 and 2 for $14.99.
Per the official description, "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."
Developed in a modified version of the Doom engine by current Call of Duty support studio Raven Software and published by id in 1994, Heretic was a formative FPS in its own right as one of the first to have inventory management and vertical aiming. Its indirect sequel, Hexen, came out a year later and introduced character classes and various hub levels players can freely visit in-between main levels.
The story is about Serpent Riders who use corrupted kings to control armies of evil guys who don't take too well to the player character's race of elves resisting their control. What ensues is, well, many, many hordes of freaky demon things that you shoot indiscriminately. So, basically, a familiar scene to anyone who's played any iteration of Doom.
Anyway, the re-release includes two all new episodes developed in collaboration between id and Nightdive, an "enhanced" soundtrack, support for up to 120 FPS and 4K resolution, online cross-platform and local deathmatch and co-op, community mods and an in-game mod browser, and new accessibility features like an updated UI, "improved legibility," contrast and FX sliders, and text-to-speech.
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