Heretic series playing order

The most ideal order to play the games is the ordered chronology, as released by the developers. If at all available, you should also consider the expansion packs. Keep in mind that the expansion packs are not standalone; For the best experience, they should be installed prior to playing the base game.

They are as follows:

• Heretic
  • Expansion: Shadow of the Serpent Riders¹
• Hexen: Beyond Heretic (commonly known as "Hexen")
  • Expansion: Deathknights of the Dark Citadel
• Hexen 2
  • Expansion: Portal of Praevus
• Heretic 2

Heretic vs Hexen

Hexen is still considered a sequel to Heretic. However, they are set in different realms. It is only with Heretic 2, the last released title, where the player is put back in the shoes of the main character from Heretic. That said, the first three titles make up what is called "The Serpent Riders Trilogy", and the Hexen set continue on from the overarching story of Heretic.

So ultimately, if you have a greater fondness for the main character out of Heretic than the overarching story concerning the Serpent Riders, you may have a more enjoyable experiencing jumping straight into Heretic 2.

_{¹ Shadow of the Serpent Riders is considered an expansion, but is actually the retail release of the original Heretic. Originally, you could only purchase Heretic directly from the developer, and there was no retail release. When a retail release came out, it was titled "Shadow of the Serpent Riders", and included extra game content. Unless you have a really old version of the game, this is probably the version you are currently playing.}