Hexen: Beyond Heretic
| Developer: Raven Software | Graphics: |
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| Publisher: GT Interactive | Sound: |
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| Year: 1995 | Difficulty: |
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| Genre: First person shooter | Lastability: |
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| Number of players: 1* | Rating: |
8/10 | |
(*) Multiplayer mode for 2 to 8 players over local network.
Considered the sequel to Heretic, which some say is technically outdated since Quake came out in the meantime with a new, fully 3D engine. Personally, I prefer the refined charm of an older-generation 3D engine, with pixelated textures and sprites (2D images) to represent monsters and bonuses; rather than a uniformly gray or brown environment, and minimalistic blocky 3D objects… Well, I admit, Quake frightens me too much!
The story… You’re asked to take down evil demon sorcerer number 2. Refer to the Heretic page if you’re struggling to follow.
Despite appearances, Hexen is a model of an innovative sequel. First, you get three playable characters instead of just one, each equipped with their own arsenals and distinct play styles: the warrior specializes in close combat, the mage is more fragile but “supposedly excels” at range, whilst the cleric serves as a hybrid class.
The levels are far more sophisticated and no longer follow a linear progression. Now, they’re arranged around a central “hub” containing multiple access routes to secondary levels. Side areas open up one by one after activating hidden switches or solving puzzles (collecting an item then using it in the right place). In addition, more interactions with the environment are possible (the famous stained glass windows to shatter in the first level, other destructible objects like pots or trees, or even wall sections to push or rotate to reveal hidden corridors).
Compared to Heretic, a greater emphasis is placed on exploration, supported by a variety of gameplay sequences: navigating areas rigged with wall-mounted projectile launchers, spikes popping out of the ground, collapsing ceilings; or jumping onto precarious platforms above seemingly bottomless pits. Naturally, monsters abound in these locations. The game makes liberal use of what we call scripts: events programmed to trigger following actions performed by the player (typically, rushing for a conspicuously placed power-up only to see hordes of enemies emerge from all directions, or the floor giving way beneath your feet). These devious traps, alternating with breathing periods, coupled with a high-calibre soundtrack, instil tension unmatched in Heretic.
The issue is that, unlike Heretic, I spend the first quarter-hour slaying monsters and foiling traps, before wandering for hours on end through depopulated labyrinths, searching for the forgotten switch, and in cases where I finally find it, going back and forth again, wondering what effect said switch might have produced…
Incidentally, I find that the three characters, and particularly their weapons, are poorly balanced. I almost always pick the cleric, rarely the warrior. The mage, absolutely never. The fact that each of them has only four weapons, and only two shared types of ammunition (shared), forces you us to be frugal.
Hexen’s great strength is its dark atmosphere, but when it came to having fun, I preferred Heretic.
The sequel and third episode of this trilogy (I’ll let you guess the plot), Hexen 2 (1997), finally benefits from Quake’s 3D engine, giving it a more modern, if a bit too “smooth” look for my taste. The puzzles are even more elaborate (frustrating), and the ammo shortage even more restrictive… Well, I admit, the jaguar-men frighten me too much!
As with Heretic and Doom, I’d recommend using GZDoom, and if you fancy it, installing some mods!
I usually mention spiritual successors, but without conviction in this case, given the screenshots and the negative reviews: Graven (2021).
Perhaps you’d rather check out Amid Evil (2019).
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