Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders

 PC
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 38 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 38
  3. Negative: 1 out of 38
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  1. GolovA
    Dec 6, 2015
    8
    Right now, in retrospect, i would probably give it a 7/10. But back then, when i played it for the first time - Heretic grabbed me. Yes, it was a clone of Doom, but so was Doom an evolution of Wolfenstein. Heretic not only supplied a fun action packed shooter, but also introduced some innovative features.
    Was definately at the top of my list when it came out :)
  2. Mrman7
    Nov 12, 2014
    7
    Heretic was essentially Doom with a medieval fantasy facelift. There were definitely some new features such as the ability to look up and down and certainly better than most of the lackluster "Doom Clones" of the era, but the game was evolutionary rather than revolutionary. If you are a fan of vintage shooters and prefer fantasy over sci-fi, I would give Heretic a try but it is by noHeretic was essentially Doom with a medieval fantasy facelift. There were definitely some new features such as the ability to look up and down and certainly better than most of the lackluster "Doom Clones" of the era, but the game was evolutionary rather than revolutionary. If you are a fan of vintage shooters and prefer fantasy over sci-fi, I would give Heretic a try but it is by no means on par with Doom.… Expand
  3. skibbi
    Feb 3, 2012
    9
    If I were to create a perfect game, I would create a Doom Clone. If I were to create a Doom Clone, I would make Heretic!
    You get to fly, use artifacts and all this great stuff that was never before seen!
  4. loveforfire
    Aug 23, 2021
    6
    It works as a doom clone with some nice new upgrades, until that is you realize that these are just things like health, invisibility, and invincibility that you can reserve for later, (when you actually need them which is nice.) It broke the seamless gameplay for me in its implementation.

    I loved the first three episodes but by the end of the third I grew tired of it and wished to move    It works as a doom clone with some nice new upgrades, until that is you realize that these are just things like health, invisibility, and invincibility that you can reserve for later, (when you actually need them which is nice.) It broke the seamless gameplay for me in its implementation.

    I loved the first three episodes but by the end of the third I grew tired of it and wished to move on. You go on to the fourth episode and its so much harder to play the next level from a forced pistol start that its unpractical. There is a free version of the game (with just the first three episodes) and I'd recommend sticking with that over the full version.

    The soundtrack is a mixed bag, with some not so great songs, and some I just love.    … Expand
  5. sebastianali
    Sep 2, 2020
    7
    Heretic is partly a rather poor Doom clone, but it has its own unique things. Doom was characterized by action and frenzy, along with weapons. While Heretic takes a little slower, with less-than-good weapons and more frequent puzzles, it also introduces an inventory system and the ability to look up and down. It may be that not everyone likes this change from action game to puzzle game butHeretic is partly a rather poor Doom clone, but it has its own unique things. Doom was characterized by action and frenzy, along with weapons. While Heretic takes a little slower, with less-than-good weapons and more frequent puzzles, it also introduces an inventory system and the ability to look up and down. It may be that not everyone likes this change from action game to puzzle game but I welcome it with open arms, although the action is without a doubt much better in Doom; as they did not know how to adapt it well. At the level of graphic detail and soundtrack it beats Doom by a lot, with very memorable and not so generic songs. But this game came out in 1996 in Europe so if we compare it with Quake 1 it looks somewhat dated even for the time, in addition to the fact that Hexen would come out shortly afterwards, which is the evolution that Heretic should have followed in my opinion. Heretic is a great game, fun, addictive with many secrets, musically and graphically it is beautiful and much more than Doom, but with the defect of having an outdated graphics engine due to the release of Quake 1, and playably it is like Doom but without handling it from the all good action. Recommended game if you are a Doom fan, so you can see how its engine evolved, with things like looking up and down, the inventory, etc. and have a good time.… Expand
  6. Babutto
    Jun 25, 2022
    8
    An interesting classic that I missed in the childhood but was advised multiple times by the cousin and other friends.

    Pros.: - For all Doom fans. Doom-like game. - The story is simple but neatly done. - Cool sound effects and music. - Monsters are memorable, though, their variety is a bit poor. Especially in the fifth part of the story (episode). Cons.: - If you don't like Doom,    An interesting classic that I missed in the childhood but was advised multiple times by the cousin and other friends.

    Pros.:
    - For all Doom fans. Doom-like game.
    - The story is simple but neatly done.
    - Cool sound effects and music.
    - Monsters are memorable, though, their variety is a bit poor. Especially in the fifth part of the story (episode).

    Cons.:
    - If you don't like Doom, you wouldn't like this one - level design is cool, though, asks to sneak around thoroughly.
    - Sometimes I felt that weapons are kind of... Same? Especially as Doom.
    - Last episode was sort of disappointment - levels are OK, but the progress of the story kind of failed.    … Expand
  7. BStheBOBI
    May 24, 2021
    7
    Heretic was the beginning of a long line of Doom clones. The gameplay is very similar to Doom. The key hunting is present. Maps are not too confusing. It replaces the devilish art style of Doom with medieval fantasy. Overall it feels like a weaker version of Doom and the weapons are not as fun to use but it is a good game still.
  8. JussaGamber
    Nov 21, 2022
    9
    This takes the Doom engine to new heights! A lot of variety in gameplay, but great consistency in the levels. I had a great time playing the first 3 episodes on Smite-Master(Hard), but I could beat it with my eyes closed. Then I set it to Black Plague(expert) making it really tough while still fair.