When id software released Doom in late 1993, many game players – myself included – wondered how they could possibly top it. We all know about the forthcoming Quake in late 1995, but in the meantime, besides Doom II, id has two other 3D games in the works. This time these two games aren't being produced in-house, but rather, id has hand picked the teams to create these games using the Doom engine. One of those companies is Raven Software, the creative force behind Black Crypt and ShadowCaster.

Raven's game is entitled Heretic, a name that needs some explaining. A Heretic – at least in this game – is one who is a skeptic, and disobeys the laws of the church. You take on the role of a magical elf, sent on a quest to try to clear his name. As with Doom, the plot in this game isn't going to win any literary awards, the main focus is pure action.

Raven has taken the initial Doom engine and added a few new features, the most important of which is the ability to look up and down, scaleable to forty degrees in each direction. This feature doesn't slow down the game at all, and adds a lot to the overall experience. You can now shoot more precisely, and get a better view of the environment. Another interesting feature that Raven has added is a flight mode, where the player can fly around the environment, and onto the tops of buildings.

Raven describes this game's genre as action with a hint of fantasy, but it's important to remember this isn't a role playing game. There are no characters to talk to, or complicated puzzles to solve, because the main focus is on action. This fantasy element allowed the designers to be a little more outlandish in their design, creating enemies which range from flying red demons to walking mummies.

One possible feature in the game is the inclusion of an inventory screen, which would allow players to store health and magical items for later use. Unlike Doom where the item is automatically used when it is picked up, the inclusion of an inventory screen would add a nice strategic element to the game: Players would have to figure out exactly when they should use an item for maximum effectiveness. Still, the designers expressed to me that the inclusion of this feature is still debatable. If the switching between this inventory window and the actual game detracts from the player's overall enjoyment, it may be removed. Hopefully Raven will include this feature in the game, but provide an option to disable it in deathmatch duels.

The weapons are obviously more mystical than Doom, since this is a fantasy game. There are many indescribable weapons which fire magical spells, but one familiar weapon is a crossbow which shoots green arrows. Each weapon will have a "powerup" status, meaning that there will be about 14 possible weapons in the final game.

Raven has really gone all out trying to make their game a hit based on what's inside, and not on the success of, the Doom engine. It remains to be seen how the public reacts to this game, but I'm really looking forward to the final game. With 24 levels in total, ranging from mystical cities to volcanic ruins, Heretic will certainly inherit the action game fans, and should be one of the hottest game this holiday season!