Hexen: Beyond Heretic

Game review

Hexen: Beyond Heretic takes the rich, fantastical universe of its predecessor, Heretic, and expands it with even more depth and complexity. Leveraging the advanced capabilities of an extended Doom engine, Hexen stands out as not just a sequel but as a significant evolution in the series. The game retains all the groundbreaking features introduced in Heretic, such as the ability to look up and down, fly, and use an inventory system to store and use items strategically.

Players can choose from three distinct characters: a mage, a cleric, and a warrior. Each character has their own fighting style, different weapons and even different physical characteristics. The fighter mainly thrives in melee combat and is faster and physically more durable than the other two characters. A Priest or Cleric specializes in using his own powers and spells, which have a limited range of effectiveness. He can also heal. The mage is a skilled ranged fighter and is able to send his magic missiles at a high frequency. But he also belongs to the most fragile characters and can't stand much.

As the first game of this nature, Hexen uses several sub-levels that you have to go through and get a key or switch a lever in to solve the main puzzle in the central part of the level. So you travel through a series of levels and after mastering them you go back to go through the main gate to the next round.

Hexen: Beyond Heretic's blend of action, fantasy, and RPG elements, combined with its innovative use of the Doom engine, makes it a really memorable, unique and engaging experience.