Doom and Quake were the heavy hitters among ’90s FPS games, although I’m sure most know the likes of Duke Nukem 3D as well. Aficionados will remember other names: Heretic, Hexen, Blood, and so on. Unless you were there at the time, however, you might have missed Witchaven and its sequel. If you wanted to catch up on the Capstone Software classics, both have been available on Steam courtesy of publisher SNEG for several years – but they’ll soon be going away. The good news is that you can grab them at less than a dollar each before they do.
1995’s Witchaven and its 1996 successor stand apart from their boomer-shooter peers by leaning into a more fantasy-driven blend of melee combat and spells. They incorporate light RPG elements, with enemies you defeat granting experience that nets you additional health, more damage output, and even stronger abilities. As the lone hero battling toward the eponymous witches’ lair, deep in the volcanic island of Char, you’ll need to blast and hack your way through the hordes and bring safety back to the realm.
The original was one of the first games to use the Build Engine, which also powered both Blood and Duke Nukem 3D – the latter of which would expand upon its capabilities in the hands of 3D Realms. Witchaven 1 and 2 retain that classic simplicity of structure, therefore, but the dark fantasy stylings and lovingly crafted enemy models give them a timeless beauty nonetheless.
The SNEG rereleases include the original retail versions (running in DOSBox) if you want the experience as close as possible to how it was back in the day. If you’d rather have a slightly more modernized incarnation, the ‘enhanced’ builds incorporate fixes from community project EGwhaven, with assistance from notable Doom, Heretic, and Hexen map maker ‘Ettingrinder.’ These also include the ability to use a control scheme that’s more closely aligned to the FPS standards we’re familiar with now.
Unfortunately, SNEG confirms that the pair of games are due to be pulled from sale in just a couple of weeks. Ahead of that deadline, it’s dropped them to their lowest price ever on the platform, letting you pick them up cheaply. I won’t claim that either are masterpieces of their time – there’s a reason everyone has heard of Doom, yet most don’t know Witchaven – but there’s enough in each to love, and they’re standout relics of the era that boomer shooter fans might want to secure for their collection.
Witchaven 1 and 2 will be delisted from Steam on Monday June 15, according to publisher SNEG. Thanks to an 89% discount, you can get them on sale for $0.87 / £0.63 each, or together for the combined price of $1.48 / £1.08, until Friday May 5. Head here to snatch them while the savings last.
If you already own a copy of either game, or buy one before the delisting, you’ll retain access to it after they’re removed from the store. You can also get the pair through GOG.
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