Having missed Heretic when it first came around, I finally, after all these years, decided to get around to it. After finishing it, there was a lot I liked, and a lot I'm unsure about. Initially, it felt very much like just Doom with a fantasy coating - which is exactly what Carmack told Raven to do; but while some weapons and some enemies seemed very much like swaps, the uniqueness became more apparent as I went on. The enemies start out as being Doom copies, and then come more into their own as the game progresses. Some of the enemies have alternate versions, with enhanced abilities, that are visually indistinguishable from one another, and can only be told apart once they make use of that extra firepower. I don't know if this was due to resource limitations or if it was an intentional element of the game, but I found it a bit annoying. The weapons seemed dull and derivative at first, but their utilization eventually became more apparent. Good design in the effectiveness of tools to specific enemies. The powerup that changes the effect of each weapon adds interesting and fun functionality. The inventory system and the use of powerups is a bit rigid and unwieldy, but an interesting addition to an action FPS of its time. Feels like it'd be more at home in a slower paced game. The map design is where the game both shines and has its greatest faults. They're very creative, and quite advanced for the era, but that itself may be a hindrance. The progression of many levels rely on what appear at first to just be secret areas, so I often found myself stuck until I was smashing my face against an odd wall. Other times, entering an area that appears to be a dead end is itself the action that opens up another, without you knowing - thus you must explore previous areas to find out what changed, and what changed could be a bit hidden from view. All in all, if you want to play an action FPS from the Golden Era, Heretic is a good choice.
