Editing Hexen: Beyond Heretic (section)

{{Short description|1995 video game}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Hexen: Beyond Heretic
| image = hexenbox.jpg
| developer = [[Raven Software]]{{efn|[[Probe Entertainment]] ported the game to [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] and [[Sega Saturn]]; [[Software Creations]] ported the game to [[Nintendo 64]]; R-Comp Interactive ported the game to [[RISC OS]].}}
| publisher = [[id Software]] (PC), R-Comp Interactive ([[RISC OS]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.acorn-gaming.org.uk/index.php3?p=Reviews/HH/index|title=Heretic and Hexen|website=Acorn Gaming|date=1999-06-03|access-date=2024-07-13|first=Gareth|last=Moore}}</ref>
| director = Brian Raffel
| producer = 
| designer = Eric C. Biessman<br>Michael Raymond-Judy
| programmer = Ben Gokey<br>Paul MacArthur<br>Chris Rhinehart
| artist = Shane Gurno<br>Brian Pelletier<br>Brian Raffel
| composer = Kevin Schilder
| engine = [[Doom engine|''Doom'' engine]]
| platforms = [[MS-DOS]], [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[Classic Mac OS]], [[RISC OS]], [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]], [[Sega Saturn]], [[Nintendo 64]]
| released = {{collapsible list|title={{nobold|October 30, 1995}}|
'''MS-DOS'''<br />{{vgrelease|NA|October 30, 1995|EU|October 30, 1995|NA|March 22, 1996 (Deathkings of the Dark Citadel)|EU| September 3, 1996 (Deathkings of the Dark Citadel)}}'''Mac OS'''{{vgrelease|NA|June 27, 1996<ref>{{Cite web |date=1997-02-27 |title=Online Gaming Review |url=http://www.ogr.com/news/news0696.html |website=[[Online Gaming Review]] |access-date=2023-04-15 |archive-date=February 27, 1997 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970227065847/http://www.ogr.com/news/news0696.html |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>}}'''Windows'''<br />{{vgrelease|NA|March 31, 1997<ref>{{Cite web |date=1997-06-06 |title=Online Gaming Review |url=http://www.ogr.com/news/news0397.html |website=[[Online Gaming Review]] |access-date=2023-04-16 |archive-date=June 6, 1997 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970606072617/http://www.ogr.com/news/news0397.html |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>}}'''PlayStation'''<br />{{vgrelease|EU|March 21, 1997|NA|May 16, 1997<ref>{{Cite web |date=2002-04-14 |title=GameSpot: Video Games News: Hexen Casts Its Spell |url=http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2466624,00.html |access-date=2023-04-07 |archive-date=April 14, 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020414064206/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2466624,00.html |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>}}'''Sega Saturn'''<br />{{vgrelease|EU|March 21, 1997|NA|March 31, 1997}}'''Nintendo 64'''<br />{{vgrelease|NA|June 25, 1997<ref>{{Cite web |author=I. G. N. Staff |date=1997-06-26 |title=Hexen Materializes |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1997/06/26/hexen-materializes |access-date=2023-04-07 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref>|EU|Q4 1997}}}}
| genre = [[First-person shooter]]
| modes = [[Single-player]], [[multiplayer]]
}}

'''''Hexen: Beyond Heretic''''' is a [[first-person shooter]] [[video game]] developed by [[Raven Software]] and published by [[id Software]] for [[MS-DOS]]. It is the sequel to 1994's ''[[Heretic (video game)|Heretic]]'', and the second game in Raven Software's "Serpent Riders" trilogy, which culminated with ''[[Hexen II]]''. The title comes from the [[German language|German]] noun [[Wiktionary:Hexen|''Hexen'']], which means "[[witch]]es", and/or the verb [[Wiktionary:hexen|''hexen'']], which means "to cast a [[Incantation|spell]]". Game producer John Romero stated that a third, unreleased game in this series was to be called ''Hecatomb''.<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=Romero |author=John Romero |number=688561322020175873 |date = 16 January 2016 |title= @60f7aa9db0c7400 : absolutely. Hexen was the sequel to Heretic. The 3rd game was supposed to be Hecatomb. #gamehistory}}</ref>

''Hexen: Beyond Heretic'' met with highly positive reviews upon release, though the various 1997 console ports were negatively received because of problems with [[frame rate]] and controls and the aging of the game itself. Critical plaudits for the game centered on the [[Nonlinear gameplay|non-linear]] [[Level (video games)|level]] design and the selection of three playable characters, each offering a distinct gameplay experience.