Review: Heretic + Hexen (Switch)
By I’m starting to ask myself how Nightdive keeps pumping out so many stellar ports. Throughout last year alone the studio dropped no fewer than five headline releases—The Thing: Remastered, DOOM + DOOM II, and Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster among them—and 2025 appears headed in the same direction. The year’s highlights already include I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream, System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster, and now—fresh from QuakeCon—Heretic + Hexen.
Bethesda publishes this retooled compilation, wrapping up twin ‘90s blasters from Raven Software (today better known as one of Activision’s core Call of Duty factories). Besides the main pair, the bundle bundles their mission packs: Shadow of the Serpent Riders for Heretic and Deathkings of the Dark Citadel for Hexen. Nightdive has even supplied fresh episodes—Heretic: Faith Revived and Hexen: Vestiges of Grandeur—much like it did with DOOM + DOOM II last year.
That’s a hefty slice of nostalgia on the platter. I could gripe about Heretic II and Hexen II sitting this reunion out, yet keeping the focus on the two id Tech 1 titles is understandable; the sequels might return later if id or Nightdive chooses to tackle them.
Let’s inspect the marquee attractions in turn. Heretic hit shelves in 1994 and, thanks to its distinctive dark-fantasy vibe and backpack-style inventory, stood taller than many so-called “Doom clones.” John Romero produced, and the result quickly earned cult status.
In this 2025 remaster the core recipe is untouched, yet seasoned with Nightdive’s usual quality-of-life perks—gyro aiming included—and some craftier tweaks. The retail monsters used to sponge absurd damage, turning fights into a slog; here they’ve been toned down, picking up the tempo without diminishing challenge. Lighting and texture work also receive subtle touch-ups for a cleaner, sharper look.
Jumping to Hexen—which debuted in 1995 (with a Nin-to-64 follow-up in ’97)—the sequel splits you among three archetypes: Fighter, Cleric, or Mage, each wielding unique perks. Levels are now one sprawling interlocking maze, so an action in one zone ripples through the entire world.
Nightdive’s tweaks here are just as welcome. Terminals scattered across the maps let you retool your class on the fly—handy when a change-up feels overdue. Yet the true hero addition is humble: map waypoint markers. Because the realms weave together so freely, newcomers often slam into walls and hammer ‘Y’ hoping a distant door will twitch somewhere. Markers don’t spoil the hunt, but they banish the original’s endless trial-and-error. Old hands can flip the feature off in the menus at will.
As noted, fresh campaigns arrive courtesy of Nightdive, and they’re terrific—so well-built you could swear they’re long-lost bonus floors. I’d have been satisfied with the refreshed classics alone, yet these add-ons rocket the bundle into the premium tier.
Visually, the studio folds in every usual enhancement: wide-screen or 4:3 toggles, several resolution scaling steps, and a half-dozen crosshair variants. The game’s frame-rate is locked to 60fps and feels butter-smooth—still, I can’t help dreaming of a future Switch 2 update at 120fps. One miracle at a time, I suppose.
Audio receives gourmet treatment too: the untouched OST sits alongside FM-synth, MIDI-synth, and an Andrew Hulshult remix (the same guy who remastered DOOM’s music last year). The new mix is magnificent; it’s been my default since the first level.
On the netplay front, both games support multiplayer that runs largely without hiccups. Finding a lobby is quick, though occasional rubber-banding and jittered models peek in if the ping wobbles. It isn’t the immaculate way to experience Heretic/Hexen, yet a group of friends can rake in loads of nostalgic fun regardless.
A final tip of the helm goes to the Raven Vault, an archive of creation documents that lends added context. While not as exhaustive as System Shock 2’s treasure trove, you’ll still pore over enemy concept art, texture flats, promo illustrations, and various developer odds and ends—an unmissable nook for die-hard scholars.
Final Verdict
Heretic + Hexen is once again a bull’s-eye for Nightdive Studios. Modern controls, fresh levels, and smart refinements polish both shooters into gleaming relics worthy of a revisit. These are still very much mid-‘90s FPSs, so mileage will vary, but genre veterans and “boomer-shooter” fanatics will find absolutely nothing to regret. Now, about that native 120fps Switch 2 edition—make it happen, Nightdive.