Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information

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In a realm corrupted by the evil magic of three brothers known as the Serpent Riders, you are a heretic. As one of the last Sidhe elves, and a capable mage, you embark on a quest for vengeance against those who slaughtered your friends, family, and entire race.

Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders is a classic, fps and action game developed by Raven Software and published by id Software.
Released on August 03rd 2007 is available in English only on Windows.

It has received 1,135 reviews of which 1,068 were positive and 67 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.9 out of 10. 😎

The game is not available on Steam.


The Steam community has classified Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders into these genres:

Media & Screenshots

Get an in-depth look at Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders through various videos and screenshots.

System requirements

These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.

Windows
Minimum: A 100% Windows 2000/XP/Vista-compatible computer system

User reviews & Ratings

Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.

Aug. 2025
Heretic is like Doom but with magic. Best classic game.
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May 2025
It's Heretic! If you're more familiar with Doom (which is fair) think of this as basically Doom's fantasy-themed cousin made by the folks over at Raven Software. It takes the foundation of Doom and expands upon it with new visuals, new enemies, new weapons, more intricate level design, devilishly hidden secrets, and a full inventory system for storing items and powerups! Now I don't really recommend playing Heretic as you're given it here. What I recommend is that you play it through GZDoom or another sourceport that supports Heretic. Here's how you can play Heretic through GZDoom and still have Steam track play time: 1. Download the latest version of GZDoom onto your computer. 2. Find your Heretic install (ex: "C:/SteamLibrary/steamapps/common/Heretic") 3. Extract the contents of your GZDoom zip file into the folder named "base" in your Heretic install. 4. Delete the dosbox executable within the "base" folder and rename the GZDoom executable to "dosbox" 5. Run Heretic through Steam and the GZDoom start menu will appear, click that you want to play "Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders (HERETIC)" and click "Play Game" to launch Heretic. 6 (optional). Take a look through the settings menu. I typically enable the crosshair, I keep freelook enabled, but you can turn that off to be more authentic, unbind jumping and crouching (they weren't in Heretic originally, and can break certain levels) and you may want to quickly look over the rest of the bindings so you'll know how to use the inventory. Congrats! you have Heretic running on the GZDoom sourceport through Steam!
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May 2025
DOOM OF THE RINGS. Possibly one of the best games ever made. Nowadays with Zdoom and some right tweaking with the settings and keybindings it plays 100% fine and modern. Heretic it's arcane gaming, games like this are not made anymore. And it's dirty cheap. It's a must play if you are an FPS fan. 9.5/10 - The Heretic, the Mutant, the Alien.
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April 2025
The year this came out, I was consumed by Dark Forces (the game - I wasn't possessed). Even though I was a fan of Doom and Wolfenstein, I jumped straight from DF to Quake without a second thought - completely missing Heretic and its sequels. Here I am, three decades later, making up for it. My thoughts? I LOVE this game! Absolutely love it (please note, I've finished the first 3 levels, but I'm launching from gzdoom, so Steam isn't registering time played correctly). This will probably make 80% of y'all mad, but I actually prefer this over both the original Wolfenstein and the first 2 Dooms. Is it Quake level good? No. Dark Forces? Definitely not. Return to Castle Wolfenstein? Not a chance. But, it's still a blast (pun intended) and there's a lot here to love. Now, to finish the last couple of levels so I can get at those sequels! Crossing fingers they're just as good (or better)!
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Feb. 2025
Heretic takes place in a dark fantasy world where you play as Corvus, a surviving Sindhe whose homeland was invaded by the Serpent Riders and their minions. Despite all the odds, you persist through desolate cities, cathedrals, tombs, hallways, towers, domes and dungeons surrounded by darkness, lava or even layers of water. The first three episodes were really good but the bonus two episodes can be somewhat difficult and time-consuming. The music is fantastic throughout the game that fits the atmosphere. The weapons came in a variety and equip different types of ammo (e.g. crystals, bows, orbs and runes) but can be amplified if you use the book of tome. The power-ups were helpful and can be manipulated to your advantage. The enemies range from size, appearance and strength in a similar fashion to Doom besides this game was made with the doom engine with some extra modifications. This game is enjoyable and can be enjoyed by people who love fantasy games or first person shooters. It deserves to be up there with Doom, it's legacy cannot be denied. Overall Rating: 10/10
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Frequently Asked Questions

Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders is not available on Steam.

Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders is not available on Steam yet.

Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders received 1,068 positive votes out of a total of 1,135 achieving a rating of 8.88.
😎

Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders was developed by Raven Software and published by id Software.

Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders is playable and fully supported on Windows.

Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders is not playable on MacOS.

Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders is not playable on Linux.

Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders offers both single-player and multi-player modes.

Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders offers both Co-op and PvP modes.

Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders does not currently offer any DLC.

Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders does not support mods via Steam Workshop.

Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders does not support Steam Remote Play.

Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.

You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders.

Data sources

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Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.

Last Updates
Steam data 14 September 2025 04:08
SteamSpy data 10 September 2025 01:53
Steam reviews 15 September 2025 08:02

If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.

  • SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders
  • SteamCharts - Analysis of Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders concurrent players on Steam
  • ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders compatibility
Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders
Rating
8.9
1,068
67
Game modes
Features
Online players
1
Developer
Raven Software
Publisher
id Software
Release 03 Aug 2007
Platforms