By Iconic FPS games repackaged on modern hardware
- by Sammy Barker
The retro renaissance continues with Heretic + Hexen on PS5 and PS4 today.
Heretic first released in 1994 and was published by id Software. This updated re-release will mark the first time the game’s been playable on PlayStation hardware.
Its sequel, Hexen: Beyond Heretic, first launched in 1995 – and was ported to the PS1 a couple of years later, in 1997.
Both games were developed by Raven Software, who you’ll probably know best for its work on Call of Duty these days.
For those of you who know nothing about the originals, here’s how the press release describes them:
“Forged by Raven Software on a modified DOOM engine, Heretic and Hexen were released in 1994 and 1995, pushing first person shooters into bold new territory. These innovative cult classics introduced groundbreaking features like inventory systems, vertical aiming, and distinct character classes, reshaping first person action games for generations to come.”
What’s particularly cool about this new collection is that it’s been developed by id Software and retro specialists Nightdive Studios, so you can expect 120fps gameplay in 4K on PS5, as well as 16-player deathmatches, mod support, and more.
But even better than that, two entirely new episodes named ‘Faith Renewed’ (Heretic) and ‘Vestigues of Grandeur’ (Hexen) have been added to the bundle.
As Senior Programmer Mike Rubits explained on the PS Blog:
“The two new episodes in Heretic + Hexen cover both games – ‘Faith Renewed’ is a new Heretic episode while ‘Vestigues of Grandeur’ was created in Hexen. They followed in the spirit of the new episodes in our previous re-releases: a whole new experience that uses the original technology, but is not bound by having to run on 30-year-old computers with a very small amount of memory.”
The bundle is available now for an extremely generous $14.99, which is genuinely outstanding value for money considering how much content is on offer here. In addition, Limited Run Games will be offering physical editions.
Will you be picking up this bundle at all? Let us know in the comments section below.
[source blog.playstation.com]
As the Editor of Push Square, Sammy has over 15 years of experience analysing the world of PlayStation, from PS3 through PS5 and everything in between. He’s an expert on PS Studios and industry matters, as well as sports games and simulators. He also enjoys RPGs when he has the time to dedicate to them, and is a bit of a gacha whale.