Fantasy Doomer Shooters Are Back - 60 Minutes With Heretic + Hexen
Gothic castles, eerie catacombs, and endless corridors — Heretic + Hexen make an immediate impression, even on a newcomer like me. But are they just Doom with a different skin or are they more?
As someone who's never played either Heretic or Hexen before, I was eager to dive right into this bundle when it was announced. And luckily enough, it was a shadow drop on Game Pass. So I downloaded the relatively small game and booted up Heretic. Within the first hour, I was pulled into dark, sprawling levels that feel alive with secrets. Fans already know these games’ reputation for moody settings and labyrinthine design, but stepping in fresh, I immediately felt that weight of atmosphere pressing down.
Combat is frantic and unforgiving, but like its inspiration, it is incredibly addictive. Heretic’s Elvenwand and Ethereal Crossbow pack a hell of a punch (the crossbow feels like the Doom Super Shotgun), while Hexen forces you closer, making every melee strike feel like a risk. Enemies pour in fast, demanding constant movement, and even now the action carries a rhythm that’s both chaotic and deliberate. It’s easy to see how these games carved their identity apart from Doom with stranger weapons, a darker tone, and an edge of danger that doesn’t let up.
But exploration in Heretic + Hexen is where the real test begins. These maps aren’t content to push you forward; they twist, loop back on themselves, and hide progress behind switches and doors that can be maddening to find. Within that first hour I was both hooked and occasionally stuck, doubling back only to finally unlock a new path and feel that rush of discovery. It’s disorienting, sure, but it makes the world feel like a puzzle as much as a battleground.
What stood out to me the most in my first run was the pacing. Heretic is not a game that explains itself or lays out a clear path; instead, it expects you to stumble, learn, and adapt. That can be frustrating in the moment, but it also makes every breakthrough more meaningful. I spent around 10 minutes on the second level figuring out where to go after exhausting all possible areas I could access without a key. And what I've found is whether it’s finally figuring out an enemy’s attack pattern or uncovering a hidden route, the game makes you work for it, and that effort pays off in a way modern titles often smooth over.
Even when the action slowed down, the atmosphere never let up. The enhanced sound design, the way the environments loom over you, and the sheer unpredictability of what might be around the corner all worked together to keep me tense while on the move. It’s the kind of world where even walking down an empty corridor feels loaded with possibility, with a constant wonder of am I missing a secret room, and that constant pull kept me glued longer than I expected.
With how addictive the gameplay plays and how each mission can be knocked out in around 10 minutes if you play right, Heretic + Hexen are a great way to pass time. And I'll be diving back in for another run shortly.
They may be relics of the ’90s, but their atmosphere still seeps into you, reminding you why fans have carried the torch for so long.
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