Thankfully, this isn't just a blatant copy, as it introduces a mechanic of its own. Somehow, though, it feels somewhat inferior to Doom, and that's probably because enemies can take more hits, so don't expect any one-hit kills or group-blasting fun here, which, as a result, makes the pace marginally slower. The "gunplay" feels good and fast, and the enemies have a pretty decent variety, ranging from the cannon fodder flying gargoyles, and punching golems, to multi-skilled bosses. Those who loved will simply love this too. Of course, all this talk about the visuals is nonsense, because it's the battlefield where this is at its best. The cherry on top? A fine, almost hard rock-like, symphonic assortment of medieval tunes. Furthermore, Heretic is one of the first (if not the first) in the genre that has environmental ambient sounds, whether that's water drops, or distant screams from some unknown horror. Moving on to the sound section, not only every single effect is - pleasantly - loud, but also of insane quality. The bestiary is quite varied, the death animations are awesome, and, finally, the levels range from simple crypts and catacombs, to water-themed "temples" filled with mosaic murals, and all look beautiful, although the use of lighting is not as imaginative as in Doom. This uses the same exact engine as its source of inspiration, therefore, those who can't stand those pseudo-3D, 256-coloured, and low-resolution-fuelled visuals… better stay put, because, while definitely old, Heretic looks great. The plot? What about it?! It's Doom with a fantasy setting, what is it that you don't get? The "only" difference? Instead of pistols, shotguns, rifles, and rocket launchers, we have spell-spitting/throwing/shooting staffs, bows, and gauntlets, and instead of a space marine that fights demons, we have an elf that fights gargoyles, golems, undead knights, and… well, more demons. If you are a fan of the FPS genre, particularly classics such as Doom and Wolfenstein 3D, and haven't played Heretic, you owe it to yourself to play this masterpiece.Let it be mentioned one more time: Heretic is Doom. While the experiments in FPS design explored in its sequels were less successful (particularly the sprawling interconnected levels, moon-logic puzzles, and faux-RPG elements of Hexen II), Heretic changed gaming, and for the better. Heretic brought FPS gaming forward by a huge leap while also bringing in high fantasy elements to a genre which had before been dominated by the modern and the futuristic. But if you're up for a challenge, Heretic will dish it out. This may take some getting used to, and the punishment for dying is a loss of weapons, which can make a tough spot feel almost impossible.
There IS a major twitch factor to Heretic in that a number of the more open stages begin with large-scale magic shoot-outs, where you must thin out a score of enemies before you can start to explore the stage in earnest. While some stages still have that cobbled-together feel of early FPS games, many have the sort of sensible and recognizable approach to level-design that became the norm for games like Thief: the Dark Project. Heretic features a variety of levels that mix dungeon-crawling through narrow corridors with wild fire-fights in wide open spaces. Using a modified version of the Doom Engine, Heretic offered a number of significant improvements and advancements in FPS gaming, including interactive environment elements, an inventory from which a player might use any number of weapons or powerups they had collected, and, importantly, the ability to look up and down!
Though somewhat forgotten these days, Heretic was an important milestone for the FPS genre.
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