Heretic

Heretic is a first-person shooter developed by Raven Software and published by id Software in 1994 for the PC and Mac.

The game is the first installment of a saga that would go on to receive three sequels: Hexen: Beyond Heretic, Hexen II, and Heretic II.

The plot of the adventure is set in an apocalyptic world where three brothers, known as the snake riders, held the 7 kings in force and corrupted their armies. The Elves, on the other hand, are resistant to magic, opposed the rule of dictators, and were labeled heretics. So an elf named Corvus - the main character of the game - embarks on a quest of revenge against the snake riders and their army.

Heretic was built on the Doom engine — id Software's technology licensed to Raven Software, who used it to create their dark fantasy shooter. That's why Heretic shares many gameplay similarities. First, the map is riddled with enemies, leaving hardly a moment to breathe, resulting in frantic, accelerated gameplay. Also, this shooter gives the player overpowered weapons to sweep away all the enemies that come his way.

Despite the similarities to its contemporaries, Heretic differs from them in many ways. Among its additions is an inventory, where the player can save various items, such as healing or upgrades, and use them whenever they want. Besides, apart from the weapons that are identical to the Doom but with a different design, this entry adds new ones to the roster, such as one that, when fired, takes you immediately to the beginning of the level.

The difficulty is great, despite the ease of the character in killing the enemies that come; a distraction can lead to several of them accumulating and pressing him to retreat, which, in the case of locking him into a wall, is sure death. Also, this is one of the few titles of this style in which the ammunition is not enough for all the monsters, so one always has to look sideways at the number of bullets that they have.

The game's graphics are executed perfectly. The scenarios are drawn with very well-elaborated pixel art that doesn't lose the infernal, post-apocalyptic atmosphere of the title. The entry also includes other exciting details, such as the constant contrast between the protagonist's weapons and ammunition and the opaque colors that almost always surround the character. The game is usually played in closed environments, but when the adventure continues in an outdoor location, a sky is shown prominently in black and white.

Meanwhile, the audio stands out because of its sound effects. Feeding the violent gameplay that encourages players to get rid of their enemies, the game returns very pleasing sound effects audibly when you shoot them. Regarding weapons, a laugh track was added when grabbing a new gun, and when fired, the player is met with futuristic, non-invasive sounds to make him feel comfortable holding the trigger and clearing the map of any life form.

The title received mixed reviews; it never escaped the shadow of Doom, and soon after, it was overshadowed by Quake. However, it stood out for its excellent reimagining and the fantastic, entertaining sci-fi turn it took.

The criticism it received more than 20 years ago is now overshadowed by its retro-game value, which brings it closer to its competitors and makes it worth playing. It's a great way to experience a game that's as fun as it is difficult, and one that will make you sad to end.