HeXen II

Another great dark fantasy classic from the boomer shooter era. Each class changes up the play through quite a bit so you can easily get a lot of fun out of it. Some of the maps can get quite confusing so you may want to look up a solid walk through ahead of time!

Recommending because the game is good, but this release has a lot of flaws:
- No music
- No expansion (cannot be bought anywhere else)
- Won't start on Linux, requires the sourceport Hammer of Thyrion
If you have the missing files, you can use them with the sourceport for best experience.
The puzzles remind me a bit of La-Mulana, as you will get stuck, backtrack a lot and try different things. This is not a mindless shooter. Hope this gets a proper remaster in the future.

After checking out the recent remasters of Heretic + Hexen by Nightdive, I decided to move on with the series without waiting for Hexen II remaster, which we may not see because Activision owns the rights to part of the game. Particularly, to its only add-on – Portal of Praevus – and that company is known for dumping most of its legacy (though as both Activision and Bethesda (hence id Software) are now owned by Microsoft, maybe the latter one can push buying/transfering the rights through the new owners and we may see forgotten games like Wolfenstein 2009 back on digital shelves but that’s an entirely different topic). The game was originally meant to be called Hecatomb: Beyond Hexen signifying that it is, yet again set, in another universe but once the edgelord John Romero left id Software, just as with Quake, the sequel was simply titled Hexen II. The main question though, is the game as irritating and tedious as its predecessor or have Raven Software learnt from their mistakes and revised the core gameplay?

Source ports. First things first, Hexen II runs on the modified version of Quake I engine, so making it work it on modern systems can be difficult. There are a few mods and source ports out there but I personally used UQE Hexen II for the main campaign and Hammer of Thyrion for the addon (because it simply refused to work on the former one). Both are not perfect: the first has some missing textures and lighting is unrendered in some places; the second has poorly rendered blocky lighting, projectiles are not transparent, and standard HUD breaks if you play in anything higher than 640x480.

Hexen II. Now about Hexen II itself… As a standalone game it’s just ok, however, in comparison to Hexen I it is a HUGE step forward. Firstly, because of the new 3D engine the maps are relatively small and it’s hard to get lost in them. Secondly, because of the same 3D engine and PC limits of the time, monsters no longer respawn (except for very few places like traps) giving you time and space to explore the levels in detail. Thirdly, the game is no longer about hunting for obscure switches but about finding artifacts and solving puzzles; while there are still some unobvious solutions and confusing moments, it is still not as close as the first game. Finally, in each hub there are notes and tablets that provide useful tips, so the game does feel like a quest to solve and not a copulation to have with every wall in search of a switch.

Nonetheless, as I’ve said, Hexen II is still far from being perfect. Some of the puzzles are still unobvious (especially if you don’t pay attention to unusual textures and write down all the tips) and there are some hardly noticeable breakable walls which are mandatory pathways, so I would highly recommend having a text walkthrough at hand. While there are now four different classes, each character still has only four weapons; the new RPG system is very barebone with passive increase of stats and unlocking abilities as you kill enemies. I personally played as a necromancer, and, honestly, it is the most pathetic necromancer I’ve ever seen in a video game. He cannot resurrect dead enemies or simply invoke a corpse minion, his starting weapon is close range (and that’s also true for every class), so once you are out of mana you have to tank all the damage with your face (and the game is very scarce on mana in the first two hubs). The only somewhat necromancer-ish feature is randomly sucking life essence from killed enemies. If the developers couldn’t implement proper necromancer features, why they simply couldn’t name the class “black mage” or something like that?

Finally, a bit more about the only official expansion pack - Portal of Praevus. The Steam version of Hexen II doesn’t have it due to the reasons explained above but there are some sites which I cannot name…Unlike the main game, it is much more linear and you will hardly ever have to backtrack to previous locations for artifacts or newly opened passages. It’s not better or worse than the main campaign – it’s just different. The addon still has some unobvious pathways and solutions, so I still recommend having a playthrough tab pinned. There are some new enemies (and some old retextured ones) but the major addition is a new fifth class – demoness. Unlike other classes, all her weapons are ranged which makes the gameplay much smoother even when you run out of mana.

Conclusion. So, should you play Hexen II? Well, if you somehow liked Hexen I or hated it but is willing to give the concept another chance – you may enjoy Hexen II. Should you play it now or wait for a potential remaster? Well, if you are an old games fan and used to tinkering with source ports and making the titles run properly through trial and error – you can check out the game now. Otherwise, if you are not in a hurry, I would recommend waiting for a potential remaster – maybe id and Nightdive will bend Activision over and we will actually get it on the next QuakeCon.

P.S. If you don’t know, there is actually another game adjacent to the series – Heretic II, which is a direct sequel to Heretic I with the same protagonist. Raven decided to make another radical design change and it is now a 3rd person action-adventure with hack-and-slash and platforming mechanics. Heretic II is also unavailable on Steam, so if id and Nightdive get the rights for the entire Hexen II, I do really hope this game also will be revived as it looks pretty interesting (much more interesting than Hexen I).

Not as good as the first one, extremely difficult, and it feels rushed because of design choices.

HeXen II stands as one of Raven Software’s most ambitious attempts to push the boundaries of the 1990s first-person shooter, merging dark fantasy, RPG progression, and nonlinear exploration into a single experience that still feels distinct decades later. Built on an enhanced version of id Software’s Quake engine, the game embraces a deeply atmospheric world shaped by ancient myth, occult forces, and the shadow of the Serpent Riders. From the moment you step into its foreboding environments, it becomes clear that HeXen II is not content to be just another fast-paced shooter; instead, it aims to immerse players in a sprawling, interconnected world filled with danger, puzzles, and eerie mysticism. The game’s tone is grim and haunting, with each hub drawing from different mythological or historical inspirations, giving the journey a uniquely eclectic yet cohesive dark-fantasy identity.
One of the game’s strongest features is its class system, which dramatically alters the feel of each playthrough. Rather than offering cosmetic differences, HeXen II builds four entirely distinct paths: the Paladin with his raw durability and crushing melee strength; the Crusader, a disciplined hybrid fighter with holy-themed gear; the Assassin, light, fast, and deadly from the shadows; and the Necromancer, whose focus on spells and energy-driven attacks creates an entirely different pacing. This variety encourages replayability and allows players to approach challenges in radically different ways. Combat itself mixes the immediacy of an action FPS with the methodical considerations of an RPG. You do not simply collect weapons; you build a kit that matches your class’s identity, and as you level up, your functionality and survivability evolve, adding a sense of personal growth uncommon in shooters of the era.
Exploration forms the backbone of the game’s structure. Rather than guiding the player through linear corridors, HeXen II uses a hub-based layout where several interconnected maps influence one another. Progress often requires solving puzzles, activating mechanisms across multiple zones, or revisiting earlier areas with newly acquired items. This design creates the feeling of navigating a massive, ancient labyrinth rather than a series of combat arenas. At its best, this interconnected world fosters a strong sense of discovery, rewarding curiosity with secret chambers, shortcuts, and environmental storytelling. At its worst, it can become disorienting; the lack of a modern map system or clear directional markers means players can easily lose track of objectives, sometimes wandering through the same halls repeatedly trying to trigger the next progression point. The game demands patience, memory, and a willingness to approach it with an almost old-school dungeon-crawler mindset.
The atmosphere — oppressive, brooding, and often unnerving — is one of HeXen II’s most enduring qualities. The game’s hubs transport players to locations such as a plague-ridden medieval city, a deadly Egyptian desert, a cursed Roman fortress, or lush but treacherous Amazon jungles. Each location feels handcrafted, with evocative lighting, rich textures for its time, and an underlying sense of unease. The enemy designs complement this mood: grotesque monstrosities, undead warriors, ancient guardians, and the looming threat of the Four Horsemen who ultimately serve the final Serpent Rider, Eidolon. The world feels hostile not merely in terms of gameplay difficulty, but in atmosphere — a place where dark magic has rotted civilizations from within. Combined with its grim score and eerie ambient audio, HeXen II captures a foreboding tone few shooters of its generation attempted.
However, the game’s ambition also exposes its rougher edges. Combat can feel uneven across classes, with certain weapons lacking feedback or impact. Some puzzles veer into cryptic territory, requiring trial-and-error or external guidance. The movement and aiming, built on early Quake-era sensibilities, can feel stiff or imprecise by modern standards. Modern versions also suffer from issues such as missing CD audio and scaling quirks, making it advisable for players to use community patches or source ports for a smoother experience. Yet none of these issues erase the game’s intrinsic charm; rather, they highlight the experimental nature of a title created during a transitional time for FPS design, when developers were still discovering how far the genre could stretch.
Ultimately, HeXen II endures because of its willingness to be something more than a corridor shooter. It blends fantasy role-playing, dark atmospheric storytelling, and exploration-heavy design into a hybrid experience that remains memorable and unmistakably unique. For players who appreciate complex level design, moody world-building, and a fusion of action and puzzle-solving, HeXen II offers a rewarding journey into a world steeped in occult dread. Though time has weathered some aspects of its mechanics, its ambition and identity shine through, preserving its status as a cult classic that captured a creative chapter in PC gaming history.
Rating: 7/10

"Hexen 2" takes a sharp turn from the first game. Instead of the fast, chaotic boomer-shooter style, this one leans more into exploration and puzzle-driven action. I'll be honest: at first I didn't like it. The pace is slower, there are fewer enemies, and most of them are annoyingly tanky. My first reaction was pretty negative.
Surprisingly, the game grew on me.
The focus shifts from nonstop combat to figuring things out: reading in-game texts, collecting hints, solving local objectives in each hub. On paper that sounds like the game just slows down, but in practice that's what pulled me in. It starts to feel less like "run and kill everything" and more like "understand the place you're in and make progress because you noticed something."
The biggest improvement for me is navigation. In the first "Hexen" it was extremely easy to get lost, and that got frustrating fast. "Hexen 2" almost completely fixes that. The level design usually gives you a clear idea of what just happened and where it happened - for example, when you flip a switch and it opens a door somewhere else, the game still manages to hint at where that door is, even if it's in another area or another map. You still backtrack, but it feels directed instead of aimless.
In the end, "Hexen 2" left a more positive impression on me than I expected after the first few minutes. The combat is less wild than in the original, but the feeling of "I'm progressing because I figured it out" is stronger.
Only real downside: you still can't buy the official expansion on Steam.

Loved this game since I first played it over 15 years ago. Multiple levels, great story line, and always a challenge. Great game!