Heart of Darkness (video game)
| Heart of Darkness | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | Amazing Studio |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Director(s) |
Éric Chahi Fabrice Visserot |
| Producer(s) | Jon Norledge |
| Designer(s) |
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| Writer(s) |
Éric Chahi Christian Robert Frédéric Savoir Fabrice Visserot |
| Composer(s) | Bruce Broughton |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation, Microsoft Windows |
| Release date(s) |
PlayStation
Microsoft Windows
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| Genre(s) | Cinematic platformer |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Heart of Darkness is a cinematic platform video game developed by Amazing Studio and published by Ocean Software in Europe and Interplay Entertainment in North America for the PlayStation and Microsoft Windows. A Game Boy Advance port was announced in 2001 but it was never released.
The game places players in the role of a child named Andy as he attempts to rescue his dog who has been kidnapped by shadow-like spectres.[1] The game has about half an hour of storytelling cinematic sequences, thousands of 2D animated frames, and uses pre-rendered background scenery. The game was supervised by game developer Éric Chahi, known for Another World, this time with a team of artists and developers. The game also features an original score by film and television composer Bruce Broughton.
Gameplay
Heart of Darkness is a cinematic platformer in the vein of Eric Chahi's previous game Another World in which players control Andy, who faces various dangers in search of his dog, Whisky. Players progress through the game's linear storyline by navigating various environments and solving puzzles, all whilst attempting to keep Andy from being killed by evil shadows, hungry wildlife, and perilous obstacles. Along with basic movement, such as running, jumping, and climbing, certain sections of the game give Andy additional abilities. The plasma cannon allows Andy to shoot lightning at shadows in order to disintegrate them. The Special Powers, which can also be used offensively against enemies, can additionally be used to grow and destroy trees born from seeds. The player has unlimited tries, with Andy returning to the most recent checkpoint when he is killed.
Plot
Andy is a boy who hates his abusive teacher, loves his dog Whisky, and has nyctophobia (fear of the dark). One day after school, Andy and Whisky head for the park to watch a solar eclipse as instructed by his teacher. During the eclipse, Whisky is taken away by an unseen creature. Andy then rushes to his treehouse where he keeps his inventions, and jumps inside a spaceship to find Whisky. He takes off and finds himself in the Darkland, which is a portion of the Heart of Darkness. Inhabited by creatures of the night and ruled over by an evil sorcerer that's known as the Master of Darkness, the Darkland is extremely dangerous. Andy must find it in himself in order to rescue Whisky and find a way home.
Andy collides his spaceship into a winged shadow creature and crashes in a canyon on the outskirts of the Darkland. Here, his gun is eaten by a giant monster. Andy manages to escape into the swamps, only to run into more danger while unarmed. Meanwhile, the Master of Darkness is abusing his servant when a winged shadow arrives with a sack that has Whisky in it. Angered by the mistake (the shadow was supposed to capture Andy), the Master of Darkness takes his anger out on his servant, killing the shadow in the process and then throws the servant at a spiked wall. However, the monster that swallowed Andy's gun appears, accidentally saving the servant, and explains Andy being in the Darkland. The Master of Darkness then orders his minions to search the Darkland for him.
Deep in the swamp, Andy saves a winged creature named Amigo who then begins to carry him to his home, but is dazed by a fireball that was thrown from a winged shadow and drops Andy into a lake. At the bottom of the lake, Andy comes across a meteor he calls 'the magic rock' that grants him the power to manipulate plants and destroy enemies. After resurfacing, Andy is rescued once again by Amigo, who takes Andy back to his home on an upside-down island and introduces him to his people. Andy wins their approval by creating an apple tree for them. The Amigos then agree to hide Andy in their village, but the shadows attack and destroy the village when night falls. However, Andy manages to slip away. After reuniting with the Amigos, Andy witnesses an Amigo fall to the evil ground, and becomes a winged shadow within contact. Andy convinces the Amigos to obtain the magic rock's power and wage war on the Master of Darkness.
With their newfound powers the Amigos help Andy slip into the Master of Darkness' lair. While in there, Andy is captured and thrown into a cell with Whisky, but manages to escape and free Whisky. Meanwhile, the servant somehow finds the magic rock and brings it to the Master, who destroys it which drains Andy and the Amigos' powers. Unarmed once again, Andy can only run from the shadows. While fleeing, he accidentally falls into a hole and lands on top of the giant monster from before, who promptly swallows Andy whole. However, he is able to escape by obtaining his gun from the monster's stomach and blasting him in half from within. He then encounters the servant and they form an alliance to overthrow the Master of Darkness. The servant tells Andy that the only way to defeat the Master of Darkness is to drop the completed meteor into the black hole at the center of his lair. Andy then searches for the fragments of the rock in order to reform it. He manages to obtain all but one piece, which is laying on the bridge above the black hole. While Andy is fighting his way to the bridge, the servant betrays Andy by kicking Whisky into the black hole.
After fighting countless shadows and dodging several fire blasts that are thrown by the Master of Darkness, Andy makes it to the bridge and obtains the final piece. The Amigos then tie up the servant and lower the meteor onto the bridge, crushing the servant in the process. Ignoring the Master of Darkness's claim that everyone will be killed if he does so, Andy connects the final piece of rock, which then falls into the black hole, which begins destroying the castle and the platform that the Master of Darkness floats on. He is then sucked into the black hole, but manages to take Andy with him.
They find themselves at the Heart of Darkness, where they battle. Andy wins the fight and then hears the sound of a door opening, only to see red eyes approaching. He prepares to strike, but lights come on from Andy's mother, revealing that the eyes are Whisky, and they are in Andy's tree house...the whole thing seems to have been in Andy's imagination. Andy's mother calls them to dinner. After being kissed goodnight by his mother, Andy taunts Whisky's fear of the dark a bit and then turns the nightlight off, revealing that he has conquered his fear of the dark thanks to his make-believe journey. The scene then shows the Amigos finding the wreckage of Andy's ship, with the servant also there tied up, being harassed, revealing that Andy's adventure was not imaginary.
Development and release
Heart of Darkness suffered a protracted development cycle marked by numerous delays and changes in platform. Development began in 1992, with the PC as the lead platform.[2] A version for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer was announced, but the game spent so long in development that by the time it was finished, the 3DO (which was not even launched until a year after development on the game began) was no longer commercially viable. In 1996 Sega signed a deal for the console version to be a Sega Saturn exclusive, with the PC version to be held off until after the Saturn version was released.[2] A release date of October 1996 was announced with the Saturn version,[2] but due to long delays, the Saturn was also no longer a commercially viable platform by the time Heart of Darkness was finished.
The game was released with a pair of red/blue 3D glasses, allowing players to watch a 3D FMV sequence at the end of the game. Despite the game featuring gruesome character deaths, the game received the lowest age ratings in its initial releases in North America and Europe, although some later editions received an increased rating.
Reception
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Heart of Darkness received mixed to positive reviews. Aggregating review website GameRankings gave the PlayStation version 75.33% based on 9 reviews[3] and the Microsoft Windows version 71.64% based on 14 reviews.[4]
References
- ↑ "Heart Of Darkness - Master Of Darkness". 2005-09-07. Archived from the original on September 7, 2005. Retrieved 2015-10-06.
- 1 2 3 Hickman, Sam (June 1996). "One Man and His Dog". Sega Saturn Magazine (8) (Emap International Limited). pp. 36–42.
- 1 2 "Heart of Darkness for PlayStation". GameRankings. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
- 1 2 "Heart of Darkness for PC". GameRankings. Retrieved 12 May 2014.