Heretic + Hexen gets surprise Nintendo Switch release
In celebration of QuakeCon, Heretic + Hexen has just been announced and released on Nintendo Switch.
These classic games originally appeared in 1994 and 1995 respectively. Now id Software and Nightdive have brought them back with tons of new enhancements and even new content. Additions include online cross-platform and local split-screen deathmatch and co-op modes, mod support, and more. The episodes Heretic: Faith Renewed and Hexen: Vestiges of Grandeur are also brand new to the package.
Here’s a full rundown of everything included:
Step into the definitive re-release of two dark spell-casting shooters that shaped the genre.
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. This enhanced restoration makes Heretic + Hexen available to new audiences and long-time fans with expanded accessibility across more platforms and languages than ever before. Whether you’re returning to these shadowy realms or discovering them for the first time, an epic legacy awaits.
Owners Receive
- Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders
- Hexen: Beyond Heretic
- Hexen: Deathkings of the Dark Citadel
Two all-new episodes created in collaboration between individuals at id Software + Nightdive Studios:
- Heretic: Faith Renewed
- Hexen: Vestiges of Grandeur
There are a total of 117 campaign maps and 120 deathmatch maps in Heretic + Hexen.
New Enhancements
- Online cross-platform and local split-screen deathmatch and co-op modes
- Toggleable, enhanced Tome of Power soundtrack by Andrew Hulshult
- In-game mod support
- An array of accessibility options, quality-of-life improvements, and engine fixes.
About the Included Games
Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders
Three brothers, known as the Serpent Riders, used their powerful magic to possess and corrupt the seven kings of the realm, plunging it into war and chaos. But a race of elves known as the Sidhe resisted and were branded heretics. On the brink of losing the war, the Sidhe elders sacrificed themselves and the elven capital city to destroy the seven kings and their armies. As one of the few surviving elves, you embark on a quest for vengeance against those who slaughtered your friends, family, and entire race.
Heretic: Faith Renewed [NEW]
Years after the planes were cleansed of D’Sparil’s wretched influence, a wandering warrior in search of home arrives at a foreign land to discover the blighted stains of that old time religion seeping through the cracks of society once more. In the fortified city, zealous acolytes stand high atop a decadent cathedral and listen to the lamentations echoing from the streets as non-believers are dragged away for ‘correction.’ The shadow of D’Sparil lingers after death, his absence attributed to apotheosis. Once revered, now worshipped, deserving of neither. An all-too-familiar scene, and one you simply cannot stomach. Taking up the mantle of Heretic once more, you stride into the city, staff in hand, to silence the echoes of your arch-nemesis.
Hexen: Beyond Heretic
While the Sidhe elf Corvus battled the evil forces of D’Sparil, the remaining two Serpent Riders were busy sowing the seeds of destruction in other dimensions. As a Warrior, Mage, or Cleric, you must fight the undead and brave elemental dungeons and decaying wilderness to defend your realm of Cronos from Korax, the second Serpent Rider.
Hexen: Deathkings of the Dark Citadel
After defeating the evil Korax, the second Serpent Rider, and discovering the Chaos Sphere, you have been transported to the Realm of the Dead. Now your only way home is blocked by hordes of undead and the Dark Citadel. Where Hexen ends, the true nightmare begins.
Hexen: Vestiges of Grandeur [NEW]
Korax lingers between life and death, his shredded corpse left behind with no semblance of life while he clings to a fresh, if fragile, rebirth. His grip on Cronos is once more released, yet the cycle continues, proving another force is at work: an invisible hand puppeteering both Korax and you, weaving a star-crossed destiny that will never die. And if that hand tugs the threads of fate again, what surprises are yet in store for you?
We have the official trailer below.
Launch Trailer
Heretic + Hexen is live on the Nintendo eShop for $14.99 with a physical release to follow from Limited Run Games. Find lots more Nintendo Switch news here.
