Description
Andy is a child who likes playing with his dog Whiskey, doesn't particularly enjoy going to school, and has a knack for inventing complicated gadgets. One day Andy and Whiskey are strolling through the park, when suddenly a solar eclipse darkens the sky, and after a moment Andy realizes that his dog has been taken away. But science can solve everything, and Andy heads to his treehouse, which is home to his outstanding inventions, including a spaceship! If you thought it was just a toy, you thought wrong, because Andy boards the ship and pilots it into the heart of the Darklands, a world controlled by the evil Master of Darkness. Andy takes out his gun (another splendid invention of his) and prepares to fight the evil sorcerer's minions. Nothing will stop the boy from rescuing his beloved dog!
Heart of Darkness is a cinematic 2D platformer designed by
Eric Chahi, the creator of one of the genre's progenitors,
Another World. Though the game has many fast and furious action sequences, including shooting hordes of dark creatures, it is built like a series of tasks, each requiring different approaches, from arcade-style shooting or jumping to interacting with the environment and solving puzzles. Like its spiritual predecessor, the game is linear; completing a section usually takes Andy to a different location, where another task awaits him.
Andy has several guns at his disposal, though in certain locations he will lose his weapons and will rely on the player's wit or quick reaction to survive. Andy will also gain magical energy, which can be used to grow or destroy trees. Similarly to
Another World, many hazards are placed on the hero's path; despite the child-oriented premise, the game contains graphically explicit death scenes, which occur if the player is not careful or quick enough to save Andy from a gruesome demise.
Heart of Darkness features orchestral music and pre-rendered animated cutscenes. It comes with a pair of 3D glasses, which allow the player to view certain scenes in the game in 3D.
Part of the Following Groups
User Reviews
The Press Says
| Absolute Playstation |
PlayStation |
Sep, 1998 |
89 out of 100 |
89 |
| Absolute Playstation |
PlayStation |
Sep, 1998 |
89 out of 100 |
89 |
| PC Action |
Windows |
Jun 17, 1998 |
85 out of 100 |
85 |
| Game Over Online |
Windows |
Jun 23, 1998 |
84 out of 100 |
84 |
| CyberJoy |
Windows |
Oct 17, 1998 |
4 out of 5 |
80 |
| Adrenaline Vault, The (AVault) |
Windows |
Oct 05, 1998 |
  |
80 |
| Absolute Games (AG.ru) |
Windows |
Jun 24, 1998 |
75 out of 100 |
75 |
| Jeuxvideo.com |
Windows |
Oct 06, 2009 |
15 out of 20 |
75 |
| PC Player (Germany) |
Windows |
Jul, 1998 |
70 out of 100 |
70 |
| IGN |
Windows |
Sep 29, 1998 |
5.8 out of 10 |
58 |
Forums
Trivia
Though the game is not a sequel, add-on pack, nor spin-off, the game has a striking similarity of story to 1990-1992's Commander Keen series.
