Heretic

Heretic arrived at the tail end of 1994 and showed that the technology behind Doom also works in fantasy dress. The player takes on an elven hero whose people have been wiped out and who sets off for revenge against the first of three brothers who have seized control of his world. Instead of shotguns and plasma rifles, the arsenal holds a staff, a crossbow spewing bolts, the dragon claw, and other magic weapons, each of which can be powered up by a collected artifact and temporarily turned into a much more devastating variant. The settings are gothic cathedrals, ramparts, swamps, and underground temples soaked in damp and mysticism.

Compared to its template, Heretic brought several substantial changes. Most visible is the ability to look up and down, which helps in the more vertically layered levels. Equally crucial is the inventory, where you store potions, scrolls, an hourglass that slows time, or feathers that let you fly, letting the player choose exactly when to use them; that adds a tactical layer purely action-driven predecessors didn't have. Moving environmental elements and wind that carries the hero also arrived. The sound design leans on booming footsteps, hoarse enemy roars, and darkly orchestral music that stands well apart from Doom's industrial rhythm.

At the time the game was well received and confirmed that licensed technology can carry its own distinctive work. It also opened the way to a sequel that pushed the fantasy action concept even further. Today Heretic is a great addition for anyone who's finished the classic id Software shooters and wants a similar rhythm in a different setting. It plays fast, the levels are clear, and the artifact system keeps things interesting even after several hours. A newcomer just needs to expect that the weapons feel a bit softer than the iconic shotgun they're used to. Also worth mentioning is a small detail players quickly grew fond of: enemies hit by stronger weapons literally vanish in spectacular disintegrations, and the whole world feels more tangible than in its template. The fantasy setting also still stands out among action games of this type today, which helps the game age better than one might expect.