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Heretic vs. Hexen

Which is better or are they both good for what they are?

  • Hexen

    Votes: 37 40.7%
  • Heretic

    Votes: 18 19.8%
  • Both good for what they are

    Votes: 36 39.6%

  • Total voters
    91

Harpsichord

Arcane
Joined
Dec 29, 2011
Messages
1,822
Hexen is the superior game in all regards.

However, since it hasn't been mentioned, I'll add that the art design in Hexen is some of the best in any game I can think of. Maybe I'm just echoing the thoughts of my impressionable young mind, but I feel like nothing has ever matched its conveyance of heavy metal grimdark fantasy.

I mean you have similar assets used in Heretic, but something about the way they all fit together doesn't add up the way it does in Hexen. I guess it might have to do with the more minimal and abstract level design of Heretic.
 

newtmonkey

Arcane
Joined
Aug 22, 2013
Messages
1,725
Location
Goblin Lair
Heretic has one of the best soundtracks of all time (play it on a Sound Canvas and be blown away) and be a lot of fun to play, but it is in the end just an extremely thorough Doom TC. You go in expecting to be casting fireballs and cutting enemies down with your blade, but instead every time you think you finally are getting a kickass melee weapon, it starts shooting our sparkles or balls or something. I'm also not a fan of the garish colors chosen—sometimes seemingly at random—for many of the stages.

Again, it's a fun game and I do like that a lot of the levels are wide-open somewhat exploratory spaces (much like the city levels in Doom 2).

Hexen though is amazing. It pushes the Doom engine to the limit (only surpassed by Strife I guess, though it looks MUCH better than that game imo), has a much more consistent look/atmosphere, and features some of the best first person melee ever. I love jab-jab-hook punching of the fighter, and all the weapons really do feel like they are connecting with your enemies. My only complaint is the soundtrack, which is atmospheric and works, but I can barely remember any of it even though I have played Hexen pretty recently.
 

octavius

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Aug 4, 2007
Messages
19,184
Location
Bjørgvin
So which class do people prefer in Hexen II?
I opted for the Assassin myself, since I like sneaking and sniping, especially in a game with no respawning. Attacking an Archer from behind doesn't seem to make any difference, though. Was hoping for an instakill, but no.
 

Gentle Player

Arcane
Joined
Jul 1, 2011
Messages
2,334
Location
Britain
Crusader has the best special abilities - randomly healing to full after a tough fight is always welcome. The strongest class in terms of survivability, though somewhat lacking in firepower outside of his fourth weapon, which is probably the best despite being a mana hog.
 

DraQ

Arcane
Joined
Oct 24, 2007
Messages
32,828
Location
Chrząszczyżewoszyce, powiat Łękołody
All classes have their highlights.

Crusader has the best survivability, interesting weapons and for some reason really shines against, for example mummies.
Paladin is a beast in melee and probably the only class that can stand up to werejaguar right in their face.
Necro packs tons of firepower but at the cost of proportional amounts of magicka, and is just weak when he runs out.
Assassin is speedy, sneaky guerilla combatant, can snipe with final weapon.
 

octavius

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Aug 4, 2007
Messages
19,184
Location
Bjørgvin
Which one is better: Heretic 2 or Hexen 2?

Isn't Heretic 2 some 3rd person abomination?

I'm enjoying Hexen 2 so far. I like the weapons, level design and enemies. But I fear there will be too much backtracking trying to find out what to to progress.
And I loved that flying sheep. :D
 

pippin

Guest
Heretic 2 played more like an early Tomb Raider game, but with more combat and not so complex puzzles. I liked it a lot, one of my favorite games of my teenage years.
 

Lyric Suite

Converting to Islam
Joined
Mar 23, 2006
Messages
56,164
Hexen 2 is the better game, come on. Somewhat decline compared to the original but a solid game all around. Great atmosphere, visually stunning for the time (looked better than Quake 2 despite the latter running on a new engine), and lot's of cool shit.

Paladin is a beast in melee and probably the only class that can stand up to werejaguar right in their face.

Ha, the Werejaguar, the Skaarj before there was a Skaarj.
 

octavius

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Aug 4, 2007
Messages
19,184
Location
Bjørgvin
Grrr...had to consult a walkthrough to progress. I had the right idea about using the ballista to shoot the dragon banner on the tower, but obviously I didn't so it right.
 

DraQ

Arcane
Joined
Oct 24, 2007
Messages
32,828
Location
Chrząszczyżewoszyce, powiat Łękołody
Hexen 2 is the better game, come on. Somewhat decline compared to the original but a solid game all around. Great atmosphere, visually stunning for the time (looked better than Quake 2 despite the latter running on a new engine), and lot's of cool shit.

Paladin is a beast in melee and probably the only class that can stand up to werejaguar right in their face.

Ha, the Werejaguar, the Skaarj before there was a Skaarj.
Noticeably dumber and not as aware, but pretty much this.
:salute:

When I think that it's Quake 2 that was praised for its AI... :hahano:
Grrr...had to consult a walkthrough to progress. I had the right idea about using the ballista to shoot the dragon banner on the tower, but obviously I didn't so it right.
Read them texts - books, carvings, tablets.
The game is partially an adventure game.
 
Last edited:
Self-Ejected

AngryEddy

Self-Ejected
Joined
May 5, 2012
Messages
3,596
Location
Fuzzy Pleasure Palace
Hexen definitely has better lore and grimdark undertones, but heretic is much more colorful and fantastic.

+ These guys
latest
 

Boleskine

Arcane
Joined
Sep 12, 2013
Messages
4,045
Is there a greater decline than that of Raven Software?

tZ4Hkxf.png

That turning point between 2006 and 2009...
:negative:
 

DraQ

Arcane
Joined
Oct 24, 2007
Messages
32,828
Location
Chrząszczyżewoszyce, powiat Łękołody
Is there a greater decline than that of Raven Software?

tZ4Hkxf.png

That turning point between 1998 and 2000...
:negative:
Fixed.

SoF was already a pretty meh dudebro game, with only the gore going for it.

Hexen definitely has better lore and grimdark undertones, but heretic is much more colorful and fantastic.

+ These guys
latest
But it's fantasy was less cohesive and therefore less evocative.
Take Hexen's swamps or ice caves and array of fantasy weapons, VS Heretic's countless abstract maps and gun resprites.
 

Gentle Player

Arcane
Joined
Jul 1, 2011
Messages
2,334
Location
Britain
The one thing from Heretic that Hexen is sorely missing are Iron Liches. Oh, and Tome of Power of course.
 

DraQ

Arcane
Joined
Oct 24, 2007
Messages
32,828
Location
Chrząszczyżewoszyce, powiat Łękołody
I beat SoF back then.
Other than good hit model and damage effects, and overall visual effects, albeit on subpar engine it was disappointing - not terribly, but meh overall.
Some weapons were good and fun to use, but others had all sorts of dumb shit like underslung grenade launcher that drawn from ordinary bullet pool when firing.
The only real strength the game had was that it allowed you to kill people in multiple visually interesting ways (or disarm them - not just literally).
Other than that it's best described as forgettable.
You could probably take most of SoF components and rearrange them into an outstanding game, but SoF wasn't that game.
Heretic 2
Heretic 2 was a TPP sequel to an FPS. That never ends well - a sequel should at least share the genre, and unless it became actually obsolete the platform.
Plus, the actual Heretic 2 already existed back then - it was called "Hexen: Beyond Heretic" and was a true sequel, sharing the overarching setting, theme, genre and gameplay. :obviously:
Elite Force
Elite Force - dunno, might have been good, I played and enjoyed the demo but not to the point where I would decide to buy the full version.
a gay faggot
Finally, I advise you to grow balls to match your avatar - not everyone who disagrees with you is a "gay faggot" and not every post that disagrees is a shitpost, even on the Codex - you need to be dumb while disagreeing for that to work, which actually applies to your post.
Though I'll rate it "
rating_butthurt.png
" instead - as it seems to be its prevalent theme +M .
 
Joined
Jul 4, 2014
Messages
1,563
One annoying design mistake in Heretic is that chaingun and pistol don't share ammo. You're plinking away with that pea shooter even in late game. Easy way to differentiate from Doom at least a bit, but wrong decision nonetheless.
 

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