Heretic 2
Review by Cruise

_____When I played around with the Heretic 2 demo, I was disappointed with the idea of having a 3D shooter in third person perspective. I was so disappointed that I scraped it hastely right after my trial. I didn't welcome the different view skewed from the original Heretic -- it just didn't feel like 'Heretic'. But ever since its full release, I've gone through sleepless nights playing it. I must say it was a new experience to do rolls, somersaults, javalin jumps, and more. Really, I'm impressed!

_____A heretic by definition is a person who favors a religious belief against what is accepted. The story is centered around Corvus, the character from Heretic who has been banished to the Outer Worlds by D'sparil - you perform a variety of acrobatic, swimming and climbing maneuvers in order to penetrate the mystery of the plague. The plague is spread unto your brethrens in Parthoris, which causes them to kill anything in their way. Citizens who were spared of the plague were either died of fear or the hostility of the infected.

_____The gameplay of Heretic 2 is very different from traditional 3D shooters. Having a third person view, players with weak computers may experience a slight frame drop due to the rendering of Corvus [Grin]. The aiming has an option of auto aiming on close targets to reduce the difficulty. It is also much easier to manuever compared to the Quake 2 Third Person Mod. With more moves than standard linear directions, Corvus can roll, jump off walls, climb, and do all sorts of other things to reach certain places and evade enemy attacks.

_____Now lets talk about the AI programming. As your bloodlust brethrens of Parthoris await for your presence, they walk around the area ready to come rushing at you in the first glimpse. If you whack off their arms or the weapon they're carrying, they'll flee from you to their other companions, wailing at the direction that you're located. Interesting how they call for help once they're weakened. Although AI isn't as tough as the Unreal AI Bots, enemies are pretty mild to your pleasure of decapitation.

_____The settings are more than elaborate in Heretic 2. Using the Quake 2 engine, Raven sculpted a masterpiece which I encourage every game company to magnify. From damp musty sewers to gothic cathedrals and temples, the possibilities are unsatisfied. Imagine the sickening sway of the waters, left and right, as you dive into pools with treasure chests. Imagine the temples of Parthoris, elaborate and yet, gothic - and what's this? The worshipped statue of Corvus fully sculpted with his staff.

_____Multiplayer in Heretic 2 servers is just as fun and crazy as Quake 2 multiplayer. I happened to get a taste of the multiplayer with the demo of Heretic 2, and the players in the same server slapped me down so hard I couldn't imagine how long they had played with the demo. I can tell you it's very different from Quake 2. Everyone in there is literally ballistic! Storms emerge from the side while another player swings their staff in circular crescents at you while from the corner of your eye - another player launches phoenix arrows into the whole group. You won't really have a chance of staying alive for very long, since it's so wild!

_____In conclusion, I would have to say Heretic 2 would end up in my all-time classic list. It boasts flawless perfection, and stability is more than acceptable. Furthermore, this game branches off slightly in the 3D shooter/action genre where the possibilities for future releases are endless.

Rating:
4.5 / 5

http://www.activision.com/games/hereticii/