Tech Desk 
Aug 08, 2025
Heretic and Hexen are two of the original first-person shooters (FPS) from the 1990s that combined frantic shooting action with dark fantasy worlds. These games, by Raven Software and utilising a modified Doom engine, distinguished themselves in the FPS genre with the addition of things like magic and character classes and the exploration of dungeons.
Heretic + Hexen has been re-released for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, giving a new generation of gamers a chance to experience these franchises that were iconic in the industry.
This enhanced re-release was created in partnership with id Software and Nightdive Studios and comes with the addition of features such as split-screen multiplayer, local split-screen co-op, and cross-platform online multiplayer.
The games come with the brand new soundtrack “Tome of Power” composed by Andrew Hulshult, along with enhancements for accessibility and quality of life.
While other collections may have included Heretic or Hexen in the past, this collection comes with additional new content, new episodes, “Faith Renewed” for Heretic, and “Vestigues of Grandeur” for Hexen, a trilogy designed to give fans of the franchise an all-new adventure.
Brian Raffel, co-founder of Raven Software, says, “It’s surreal to see these games come back. Back then, we pushed the boundaries by adding things like inventory systems and vertical aiming, which were rare in FPS games at the time.”
Mike Rubits from id Software adds that Hexen’s introduction of character classes was a game-changer, blending role-playing elements with shooter mechanics to create a unique experience.
Heretic + Hexen launch trailer
