And it’s out now
- by Alana Hagues
If you thought the day’s surprises were over, think again, as Bethesda, id Software, and retro specialists Nightdive Studios have announced Heretic + Hexen, the “definitive re-release” of two classic spell shooters. Oh, and it’s also out right now (thanks, Gematsu!).
For just $14.99 (it’s not up on the EU eShop at the time of writing this), you’ll be able to pick up two of Raven Software’s iconic first-person shooters which introduced inventory systems, vertical aiming, and character classes to the genre.
Heretic originally launched in 1994 on PC and was made in the DOOM engine; Hexen is a direct sequel that followed in 1995 and got a Nintendo 64 release in North America in 1997.
This release bundles together all of the games’ content — Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders, Hexen: Beyond Heretic, and Hexen: Deathkings of the Dark Citadel — plus two new episodes created by Nightdive and id Software: Heretic: Faith Renewed and Hexen: Vestiges of Grandeur.
But, given that it’s Nightdive at the helm, you probably want to see all the shiny new enhancements, right? Here they are (from the eShop page):
New Enhancements
• Online cross-platform and local split-screen deathmatch and co-op modes
• Toggleable enhanced soundtrack from Andrew Hulshult
• In-game mod support (Nintendo Switch™ only supports featured mods, curated by the team at id.)
• An array of accessibility options, quality-of-life improvements, and engine fixes
Nightdive Studios just continue to keep impressing — we’ve only just got our mitts on the excellent System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster, so it looks like we’ll be dipping into Nightdive’s seemingly endless pool of retro rereleases once again.
Have you played either Heretic or Hexen before? Will you be grabbing this on Switch? Let us know in the comments.
[source gematsu.com]
Alana has been with Nintendo Life since 2022, and while RPGs are her first love, Nintendo is a close second. She enjoys nothing more than overthinking battle strategies, characters, and stories. She also wishes she was a Sega air pirate.
