Heretic: Shadows of the Serpent Riders (PC, 1996)

First I just wanted to say to anyone considering purchasing this game that because of it's extreme (in terms of computer advancement) age you will need to get a source port to run it on a modern PC. What's a source port? In this case it means a port of the DOOM Engine on which the game is built, along with several other games such as Doom/II and Heretic's spin-off "Hexen".
As of this writing I would recommend "Skulltag" as the easiest Doom source port to set up and use, though there are many available and they are all free. It's not nearly as complex as it may sound and there are tons of FAQ lists, a Doom wiki, and many message boards if you need help.

Now, about the actual game itself.
Heretic is a classic FPS in the vein of the original "Doom"/"Doom II" in that it uses 2D sprites, and rendering to create the illusion of actual 3D.
Most of the game entails running through maze-like settings, killing tons of baddies and looking for keys to open new doors. No escort missions or anything like that, just you, your weapons and a whole bunch of monsters standing in the way of your next objective.
Any puzzles in the game are pretty basic, and again most only consist of finding key X for door Y to get to location Z. But the monsters increase in number and are increasingly tough as you progress through the game.
For people who enjoy this type of challenge Heretic's fantasy trappings should be a welcome breath of fresh air from Doom and many other FPSs Science Fiction setting. The graphics are good for the time, but of course using 2D sprites for enemies means that the game shows it's age.
So basically, if you like DOOM you'll probably like this. If you didn't like Doom this won't change your mind about this style of gameplay.

This is the game that got me hooked on gaming on the PC, way back in the day. Plays pretty much like a gothic version of Doom, really, and you know that's all good.

The level design is up to id software's usual high standards, with plenty of tricks and traps and nooks and crannies, as well as the occasional wide open space to seriously throw down. The background music is superb, with a mid-'90s-era style. The enemies are varied and well deployed, and the aforementioned gothic-sensibility art style is nice throughout the game. Heretic really is the complete package.

If you've any interest in Doom-era shooters, this is a game you must play. About the only drawback is that nowdays in 2010, you'll need some backwards-compatibility in your hardware to run it--but if you've got a system that can run Doom, it'll run Heretic as well.

Enjoy!

Heretic is a fantasy first-person shooter computer game created by Raven Software, published by id Software, and distributed by GT Interactive in 1994.

Using a modified 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 spawned when a character suffered a death by extreme force or heat. Previously, the character would simply crumple into a heap. The game used randomized ambient sounds and noises, such as evil laughter, chains rattling and water dripping in addition to the background music to further enhance the atmosphere. All music in the game was composed by Kevin Schilder.

Walk or run through magical maze of hell. Great weapons of destruction if you can find them. Nice gore rating high upon the chart. Nice color scheme as compared to ultimate doom on PC. Will be a nice addition to any vintage 3d game collector.

if you are a fan of the doom series ,you will love heretic. it is based on the doom engine of play. all gameplay is 100% like doom except different weapons and different looking levels. very fun.