What if: Hexen got a Doom-style remake?
⌨️
Come in, weary players. Curl up on my candlelit face as I entertain you with the story of three forgotten heroes. You probably haven’t heard of them, especially since they probably don’t have names. But those of us who know FPS games in damp, murky, existing two-and-a-half dimensions know the dungeons of warriors, priests and mages and Hexen of the past torn and shredded in filthy labyrinths.
It was an easier period before the shooter focused on meaningful stories and choices.but although we may not remember Why Our three heroes began their furious quest in the dark days of 1995, we Do Remember to use our spiked gloves, the wizard’s lightning-filled hands, and the Wraithverge to smash the skulls of the multi-headed beasts – a staff that rips apart our foes with furious souls like a vicious BFG.
When it agreed to buy Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion last month, Microsoft acquired Hexen IP and Raven Software, creator and developer of Hexen (and its predecessor, Heretic). That’s not all. Raven Software is now under the same distribution platform as id Software — part of Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda last September — the original publisher of Hexen and creator of the id Tech engine it’s based on.
The original id Tech engine (or the Doom engine as it was known at the time) was perfect for the original Hexen of ’95, so what if the latest version of that engine was used to resurrect a lost classic? What if Hexen got a Doom-style remake?
PC Game Pass PC Game Pass Microsoft $9.99 $1.00 Buy Now Network N Earn commissions on qualifying purchases from Microsoft and other programs.
First of all, the marketing appeal of the dark fantasy Doomsday is self-evident, and it instantly makes a fool like me gasp at the prospect. I’ll leave the marketing conundrums to Microsoft, but in anticipation of the game’s launch, I’ll probably create an NFT for the tagline “Sword and Kill,” written in razor-sharp steel and bone with blood dripping from the letters. Maybe Microsoft will buy it and I’ll fill my newly hollowed-out soul with undeserved millions. perhaps.
However, the apparent similarity to Doom shouldn’t overshadow the fact that Hexen is a very different kind of shooter. It’s more on your face; a first-person brawler was a good idea long before the mechanics actually existed. The fighter character’s gear is entirely based on melee (though some of his weapons can be thrown), the priest has a mix of close and ranged weapons, and even the more ranged mage needs to go right in there to cast his shotgun – like Frost Shard.
We’ll just settle for a rattling Mick Gordon or Andrew Hulshult soundtrack
Seeing a pinkie demon so close in Doom that you can count its pixels is usually bad news, but in Hexen you wanted Bring those Ettins, Centaurs and Chaos Serpents closer so you can smash their silly smiley faces.
In fact, its commitment to close combat does make Hexen quite repetitive. There is only one attack animation per enemy and no blocking, so victory comes from running in and swinging your weapon wildly and then dodging range. It’s safe to say that first-person hand-to-hand combat has come a long way since then, with some of its biggest innovators like id Software and Arkane now all under Microsoft’s green umbrella. A more complex melee system including blocking, kicking (preferably Dark Messiah) and counter-attack will be a must.
Speaking of evolved melee combat, how’s the Glory kill mechanic in recent Doom games? Zoom in on levels, cripple enemies with ranged attacks, then target them for creepy executions that give you health, armor, and ammo drops that feel like the perfect match for Hexen. You can be sure that if these mechanisms existed back in the 90s, Raven would have implemented them.
Hexen is a very different kind of shooter, it’s more like in your face
Modern Hexen will also benefit from some RPG Lite decorations. The remake could stick to the game’s class system – although I’d love to see a necromancer class in the sequel as well – but each hero has a branching skill tree with enough variety for you to effectively create subclasses or a mixture.
Maybe you can maximize your mage’s damage by combining complementary elemental attacks, or turn your fighters into berserkers or shield-wielding boulders. Of course, it’s supposed to be closer to a smooth, hyper-violent FPS than an RPG, and we’ll just settle for a Mick Gordon or Andrew Hulshult soundtrack with industrial shaft-grinding and punching synths paired with palm silent guitars and Gregorian chants .
The original Hexen was a precursor to hub-based exploration in first-person shooters (you’re welcome, Doom Eternal), with each level having several different sub-levels connected by portals. Expanding on this allows for some non-linear exploration in a friendly home, where you can chat with NPCs, pick up side quests, and upgrade gear, which will work wonders to flesh out the mystical, largely storyless world of lore gram ronos. I wondered what secrets lurked in its sweltering swamps, grim forts, and abandoned churches.
In its own way, Hexen is more of a precursor to the modern Doom than any previous entry in the series.It deserves a revival through this framework, and for the first time in decades it actually were able Yes.
PC Game Pass PC Game Pass Microsoft $9.99 $1.00 Buy Now Network N Earn commissions on qualifying purchases from Microsoft and other programs.
Check more articles in our categories Gaming & News et encore Anime.
Thanks for visiting we hope our article What if: Hexen got a Doom-style remake?
, help us and share the article on Facebook, instagram and e-mail with the hashtag ☑️ #Hexen #Doomstyle #remake ☑️!
