Hexen: Beyond Heretic

As successful as heretic was, it was criticised for being a carbon copy of doom which raven and Id software took to heart with the sequel as it skewers away from that gameplay into something more akin to a puzzle platformer.

Here we have and fps that has puzzle elements as well as a much higher emphasis on platforming after the previous game proved there was gameplay potential in combining these elements, we also have a more flowing campaign similar to doom ii in that each chapter flows over to the next rather than us needing to select which one we want to play. I noticed that the graphics are slightly worse here than the previous game, likely due to there being far more assists that the game needed to render including more dynamic traps that would be a staple in quake and doom 64 later in the decade. It’s not a huge issue as you can clearly tell what you're looking at unlike most early 3d games which are clearly little more than blocks of polygons vaguely resembling objects and environments. We have three protagonists to choose from with their individual strengths and weaknesses which naturally encourages replay value. Everything I've said so far is enough that this game is worth checking out, however I'm now going to bring up the biggest issue I have with this game which is how cryptic it is. This level of puzzle solving is fine in tomb raider where the combat is at a minimum and there isn't multiple stages that are interconnected with one another to find what items you need (last revelation being an exception even though it wasn't as complex as this game is) this isn’t the case here meaning you’ll be spending hours trying to figure out what to do without a walkthrough (which didn't exist back then) whilst fighting waves of enemies that do endlessly respawn albeit rarely so as to not be too punishing towards the more confused players. There's also the issue when it comes to the manna as due to the high waves of enemies, your magic will drain very quick which will leave you using your weakest weapons most of the time even though the game is very generous with the items it gives you which admittedly are unique for the time. Some of these items are carryovers from the previous game and even have the same mechanics here as they did there, some are bizarre such as the pork spell which turns enemies into pigs for a limited time. It's a game that had tons of creativity that needed more focus with its layout as even the best elements here will wear out their welcome with how confusing the game can get.

So yeah, we have a game I want to enjoy and admittedly overall do that's hampered by confusing progression and obtuse puzzles. It's worth at least one playthrough to see where the likes of quake and tomb raider get their inspiration from, but probably not worth revisiting too often.

this game used to make me feel sick alot as a kid cus of the frickin metroidvania maze-like design lol

A really fun game in my book. The hunt for switches is bullshit hard and the class system doesn't affect the gameplay nearly as it should but I really love the aesthetics in there. Full on MIDI glory as a soundtrack and the graphics are still appealing in my opinion. I gotta admit that it is for seasoned FPS players only and the n64 version is .... well ... as good as a n64 shooter can be. Still, I beat this game will probably replay it in the next 10 years.

The class and magic systems should have given Hexen both character and a way in which to distinguish itself from the likes of Doom, but it's all just executed so poorly. This is an ugly, dated and frustrating game and the controls are some of the most mind-bogglingly horrible on the console.

The thinking man's FPS... or perhaps simply the confused man's FPS. Hexen is a seminal sprite-based FPS game that expanded on the formula set forth by id Software with Wolfenstein & Doom. Like Raven's previous shooter Heretic, it has a dark fantasy theme and is built on the Doom engine. However, it adds many more new features, most notably player classes, the ability to travel back & forth between levels, and scripting.

You can choose one of three character types to play, each with their own separate arsenal of weapons. The weapons are very satisfying, moreso than Heretic, and quite distinct from eachother. The fighter class is a good example of fun first-person melee, relying on fists, an axe, and throwing hammers to smash his way through obstacles. The catch is that each class only gets 4 weapons. You can imagine the issue with this. There's less variety than Doom, and combat gets repetitive by the end game. This ties into the enemies. The bestiary is good, but not as exciting as it could be. There's a decent variety of enemy types, but none of them are dangerous enough to shake up combat like Doom 2's monsters. Thankfully they at least aren't bullet-spongey like Heretic.

The thing is, this game is actually not completely combat-oriented. A large part of the appeal is exploring the levels, taking in the atmosphere, and solving the puzzles. The game is divided into multiple hubs - maps that branch off into other maps that you travel back & forth between to solve an overarching puzzle that lets you move on to the next hub. You may pull a switch on one map and it raises stairs on another map, allowing you to explore further. This is an interesting design that scratches a unique itch. However, it requires requires that you pay a good amount of attention to your surroundings, lest you lose the plot and become utterly lost. You can't play this like Doom, running around at the speed of sound expecting to find the way to progress in front of you. Pretty much everything is hidden in some way. It's mostly reasonably telegraphed, although there are a couple parts that feel unfairly cryptic. Unlike Doom, some of the levels actually evoke the atmosphere of a real place (a swamp village, a decrepit castle, a natural canyon, etc.) through clever architecture, sprite decoration, and sound effects. The level design is still quite abstract though. This is not a D&D medieval fantasy, it's a bizarre and otherworldly realm full of strange shapes and paths (and deadly traps). It's mostly well-designed, although a few maps (mainly in the final hub) feel a bit amateurish and boring.

The bosses are fairly well-done. None of them follow the standard "shoot at it until it dies" design that most retro FPS bosses do. They all have special gimmicks that require you to put in some more effort in maneuvering. However, the balance is a bit wack, as the final boss is actually easier to kill than any other (this is a frequent issue in retro FPS).

Overall Hexen is a very unique and enjoyable but somewhat flawed game.