Corvus, the elf warrior from the original Heretic game, was banished to the Outer Worlds by D’Sparil after our hero defeated the evil Serpent Rider. Now, after the Hexen series of sequels, we’re whisked back to the world of the original.

Yes, after years of wandering, the Tome of Power from the first game finally allowed Corvus to open a rift between worlds and return home. But all is not well -- Corvus returns to a world ravaged by plague and madness, where even his own people attack him without warning.

Of course, there’s peril afoot and Corvus is the only person who can stop it, what with all the survival skills he learned wandering the bad place. The problem is, this time the Heretic might have to oppose a Seraph, one of the angelic beings who created and populated Parthoris.

Heretic II is an absolutely fantastic third-person shooter. The world is lush and beautiful, especially with 3D acceleration, and it’s very easy to control the elf’s wide range of gymnastic abilities. The Quake II engine has never looked so good, especially with the added atmospheric effects (lighting, transparency, etc.) that made Unreal such a step above.

Gameplay will be familiar to anyone who’s ever played a first-person shooter. Most levels involve fighting, pressing a button or two, reaching a plot point and maybe blasting a boss monster or two. Sure, there’s a little more plot than that, but it’s generally saved for the areas between levels, and mostly exists to justify sending Corvus to a new, more exotic location.

Therein lies one of our few nits: Heretic II falls into the same pattern of neglecting non-player non-enemy characters. Yes, the madness explains most of that away, but such a gorgeous and easy-to-control game could only benefit by the added realism of walking through a town full of walking, talking people who weren’t trying to poke the player with sharp instruments.

The game also feels very short. Levels are often organized around the Quake II hub format, with Corvus performing tasks within three or four levels at once, like when he must gather items from around the city of Andoria to try and concoct an antidote to the plague. While the levels are always satisfying and even logical, the game only takes about a week of regular playing to finish.

Those nits aside, the good points overwhelming make Heretic II one of the most fun and satisfying shoot-‘em-up games of the year. Don’t pass on this sequel.