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Heretic + Hexen

Heretic + Hexen

id Software, Nightdive Studios · released Aug 6, 2025

ActionAdventureRPGPCPlayStation 5, PlayStation 4Xbox Series X, Xbox OneNintendo Switch

Step into the definitive re-release of two dark spell-casting shooters that shaped the genre. 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.

88
VGC Score
Stablehigh confidence

anchored at patch: “Heretic + Hexen | Update 1” (11mo ago)

88%
At launch
95%
Steam all-time
86%
Press
95%
Recent sentiment

Screenshots & trailers

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (Metacritic)8639
All-time Steam reviews95%89949
Metacritic user ratings0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)95%90694
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 89.1, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 1,909 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).

Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Sep 26, 2025) · 300 reviews sampled · 694 total reviews in window · weighted 182.5 up / 8.8 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (9)

Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.

  • 90
    trust 68Aug 11, 2025

    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.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 65Aug 19, 2025

    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.

    read full review ↗
  • 85
    trust 64Aug 11, 2025

    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.

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    trust 62Aug 13, 2025

    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.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 61Aug 26, 2025

    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.

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    trust 57Aug 19, 2025

    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.

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    trust 57Aug 20, 2025

    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.

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    trust 55Aug 22, 2025

    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.

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    trust 55Aug 20, 2025

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

    read full review ↗

Patch history

  1. Update 2
    Nov 4, 2025
  2. Heretic + Hexen | Update 1
    Sep 26, 2025significant · resets scoring window