Nintendo Switch Critic Reviews

Heretic + Hexen is yet another slam dunk for Nightdive Studios. This new release revamps both titles with modern controls, bonus content, and thoughtful changes to the core design that make each game a delight to play. Granted, these are still FPS titles from the mid-'90s, so your mileage will definitely vary, but for returning fans and those with a particular fondness for old-school 'boomer shooters', you really can't go wrong. Now let's get a native Switch 2 port with 120fps please, Nightdive.

Heretic + Hexen is a bit harder to recommend compared to DOOM + DOOM II given the source material quality, but Nightdive Studios has done a superb job bringing both games back for modern platforms with a plethora of quality of life and visual enhancements that can all be toggled off as well for the original experience. While the Switch version is a bit lacking thanks to limited mod support, it plays fantastically on both Switch and Switch 2 with gyro controls. If you enjoyed Nightdive’s DOOM and Quake releases, Heretic + Hexen is an essential even if you never played them before. I know Heretic isn’t going to appeal to everyone, but it feels like a dream (and nightmare) to have this game from my childhood return in such an amazing way.

Nightdive proves over and over again that for a certain type of vintage video game – the more mature and high-profile “blockbusters” of yesteryear – it is a formidable choice for not only making the game playable on modern hardware, but straddling the balance between giving the nostalgic the game they remembered while making it as playable and enjoyable as new games today. Heretic and Hexen are both brilliant dark fantasy adventures, and they’ve been polished to a special kind of sheen that celebrates the impact they had on many thousands of fans back in the day.

If you have fond memories of either, Heretic + Hexen is another must buy collection from Nightdive Studios.

Coming out of nowhere, Heretic + Hexen is an excellent game for fans of classic FPS, packed with extras, great gameplay, and many multiplayer modes to enjoy, along with achievements and development bonuses. It missed some opportunities, such as bringing Hexen II to the table and improving the weapon-switching system, but it still remains a great game.

Nightdive knows what they’re doing with these releases, and it’s great to see Heretic and Hexen updated for a modern audience—whether that’s people discovering them for the first time, or people like me coming back after too many years. There are plenty of changes here for the better, though a few weird ones too, like some maps being different. Still, that shouldn’t stop you from having a great time if you’re a fan of the era.

Heretic + Hexen is a fantastic collection of one very good game and one absolutely incredible game. The added content both new and old only serves to strengthen these two titles. That being said the clumsy save system and somewhat limited options for how these games are presented on a modern TV do lightly mar the experience. Even a CRT filter would do wonders for translating the visuals at a higher definition. But given that the previous best way to play this on a home console was to dig out a Nintendo 64 or put up with compromised versions on Playstation or Saturn, this is still certainly an improvement overall. Hopefully down the road we can get the rest of the Heretic/Hexen series as well.

Heretic + Hexen by Nightdive Studios is an easy recommendation for collectors or newcomers to these super old and once popular titles. Ideal for someone who loves old school Doom “clones,” or simply players who want to relive the beginning of the Serpent Riders saga once more, as well as the new campaigns that were created for this re-release.

Heretic + Hexen gives you the chance to (re)discover some legendary FPS games in better conditions, with a little extra to boot, and all at an optimal price: less than 15 euros.