Heretic (video game)
| Heretic | |
|---|---|
Cover art of the mail order release by Brom | |
| Developer | Raven Software |
| Publisher | id Software |
| Director | Brian Raffel |
| Producer | John Romero |
| Designers |
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| Programmers |
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| Artists |
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| Writer | Brian Raffel |
| Composer | Kevin Schilder |
| Engine | Doom engine |
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| Release | |
| Genre | First-person shooter |
| Modes | Single-player, multiplayer |
Heretic is a 1994 first-person shooter video game developed by Raven Software and published by id Software. It was distributed by GT Interactive for DOS, Mac OS, and RISC OS computers.
Using a modified version of the Doom engine, Heretic was one of the first first-person games to feature inventory manipulation and the ability to look up and down. It also introduced multiple gib objects that spawned when a character suffered a death by extreme force or heat. Previously, the character would simply crumple into a heap. The game used randomised ambient sounds and noises, such as evil laughter, chains rattling, distantly ringing bells, and water dripping in addition to the background music to further enhance the atmosphere. The music in the game was composed by Kevin Schilder. An indirect sequel, Hexen: Beyond Heretic, was released the following year. Heretic II was released in 1998, which served as a direct sequel continuing the story.
In 2025, Heretic was rereleased by Bethesda Softworks alongside Hexen with a new expansion titled Faith Renewed.