Ever since antiquity, there have been those born with the mark of the Macula, the dead god. Those bearing the mark could ultimately hold the power of magic.

Heretic Kingdoms: The Inquisitor is the tale of one such woman who bears the mark, but she has been embraced by the ruling power and she is on the path to becoming an Inquisitor, one who stamps out the outbreaks of religion through might of arms.

But for the heroine of this tale, there is a duality that beckons, and it could lead her to a life radically different and at odds with the one others would have her take.

Heretic Kingdoms: The Inquisitor is a PC role-playing title from 3D People and Got Game. The game bears likenesses to the former Black Isle Studio’s Icewind Dale sage in the way the camera focuses on the action, but also seems to be a cross of Blizzard’s Diablo 2 gameplay with finite mapboards, enemies that run at you, lots of hack and slash (initially) and gear drops.

Is this a bad thing? Not at all. However, the game does have some drawbacks in that zooming in too tight on the action shows some pixilated edges to the avatars and the games controls are mouse-and-keyboard based – left click to move, right click to fight. The game is also played on two planes of existence – the real land and the dream world. Some monsters are only visible through accessing the dream world and some quests involve fighting on that level. However, you cannot stay in the dream world that long, and have a meter that will replenish in the real world, but run down in the dream world. 

But that’s getting a bit ahead … to the storyline first.

The world of Heretic Kingdoms has been left without a god. It seems a hero acquired a god-slaying sword, killed the god governing the land, and assumed some of the power. That most of the power was inherent in the sword, which was protected by a monastery, is the crux of the opening story. The sword has been stolen, a rift has been opened and demons are unleashed. Your job, at the start is to seal the rift, kill the escaped demons and recover the sword. You are sworn to heresy, and all forms of religion must be stamped out.

Now, while the lost sword begins the thread of the tale you weave, it becomes apparent that this title is not just about recovering a sword. As you progress through the game, you will make decisions that could have repercussions on the way you perceive the world. Not only that, but you may actually decide to abandon the call of the Inquisitor, embrace your inherent magical nature and begin to help restore religious order to the world. 

The game allows players to name their avatar, and incorporates that name into the storyline. You uncover a myriad of objectives as you travel the lands, though some will have bigger meaning. You can be kind and caring, or ruthless.

The game’s interface plays a large role in the way the game is handled. There is a quickslot bar by which you can rapidly equip items, and you have a pouch of herbs that helps heal you. However, inventory space is limited, so it is best to keep what you what and can use and ignore the rest – at the start. Weapons are classed by speed and base damage, and armor has values placed upon it as well.

As you kill mobs, you acquire attunement points. These are vital in helping you gain attunements (think of them as skills) for customizing your avatar as you progress through the game. The title has more than 100 attunements you can choose from. How the attunement system works takes a little time to get comfortable with. Each weapon has as attunement available (though mages may have to attune some weapons for you). As you use that weapon, you become more attuned to the special abilities it has and can eventually unlock greater powers. The higher in level you are, the more active attunements you can have.  

The control system in Heretic Kingdoms is simple to understand and players should have no trouble jumping into this game. The sound is somewhat of a mixed bag, with some NPCs speaking and others communicating through text only.  

Graphically the game will remind players slightly of the aforementioned cross between the original Icewind Dale title and Diablo 2. Like the latter, the mapboards are rather small, and mobs run at you. You dash and slash, or slice and dice, and move through the missions. The game does appear to have a general direction in which you can go, but how you walk that path is up to you. If you exit an area, you see a mapboard of all available locations you can travel to with but the click of the mouse. Mobs do respond once you have left an area. The game does have a lush quality to it, but it is not overly detailed if you zoom in too close. And some of the NPCs are stuck in one style of animation.

What makes this title worthwhile, though, is the evolving story. The deeper you delve into the game, the more enjoyable it becomes, although it can be slightly predictable.

Heretic Kingdoms: The Inquisition does not tread new ground and may actually look a little dated, when it comes to the graphics, but it does feel – at times – like a comfortable pair of slippers that brings tiny smiles to your face when you slip them on.

Gameplay: 7.5
The game’s levels are small but accessible, and the game moves smoothly through each zone. The combat system suffers from the control system in a tiny way, and can be cumbersome when you are pursuing enemies.

Graphics: 7.0
These may have been solid five years ago, but they look a little dated by today’s standards. The animation and effects look nice, but the game’s overall look is merely average.

Sound: 6.8
Gentle musical elements that pick up in tempo to indicate a mob is nearby, but overall generic sound effects. Some NPCs talk, others feature are text-driven communication.

Difficulty: Medium
Normal is only marginally more difficult than easy, but there are five levels up through nightmare.

Concept: 7.5
A good storyline, some interesting elements in the way of attunements and the ability to follow the road you wish to travel and affect the outcome of the tale make for an enjoyable adventure.

Overall: 7.3
A unique tale but the gameplay mechanics hold this back just a touch. It seems to try to combine elements of Icewind Dale and Diablo 2. It works, but we have a sense of been there and done that. What keeps the game interesting and compelling is watching the growth of the main character. Gamers can move the story in different directions by the choices made along the way, and the end result is different and fun. There are solid concepts here and the game itself is entertaining.