Heart of Darkness (PS1) Playthrough - NintendoComplete
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- A playthrough of Interplay's 1998 platformer for the Sony PlayStation, Heart of Darkness.
Played through on the default difficulty level.
Heart of Darkness is a game very much in line with Out of this World (Another World), most likely owing to Eric Chahi's involvement with both. It's a "cinematic platformer", as was Out of this World and Flashback, but instead of relying on a game-engine to render the sights and sounds, the backgrounds are FMV clips streamed from the CD, and the characters are all done traditionally with extremely fluid sprite animations.
Instead of a scientist, Heart of Darkness puts you in the shoes of Andy, a kid who goes to the park with his dog, Whiskey. Great name, btw! Long story short, some bad stuff goes down, Whiskey is dognapped, and Andy jumps in his homemade spaceship in hopes of saving the dog. He lands on the alien planet to fight (metaphorically, of course) his deepest-seated fears.
Andy is terrified of the dark (as his teacher so kindly demonstrates for us in the introductory exposition), and so those fears end up becoming creatures made of shadow. Light destroys darkness, and this is the crux of the gameplay, as well as whatever literary aspirations the game's writers had. It wasn't by sheer coincidence that it ended up being named after Joseph Conrad's treatise on the natural state of the human condition. The parallels are beyond obvious - man faces a place that on the surface is the absolute antithesis of everything he knows and understands, yet underneath everything sits far more familiarly than is comfortable. Class, race, values, the interiority of the self and how it is both a mirror for and a reflection of external forces, yada yada yada. So yeah, anyone that has read (and understood) Heart of Darkness will likely start connecting the dots before the intro has ended, and probably will continue to do so until the finale. If you tend to think of things this way, you'll love how the game tingles your literary sense, sending you (by reflex) into the video game equivalent of rhetorical and symbolism analysis. If that were the only high point, I'd still love that this game tries to scratch my nerdy English studies' itch, but that's really just the beginning of it all. You can quite easily appreciate the game for what it does without all of the high-minded mumbo jumbo.
The presentation is really what steals the show here. The game is beautiful, no doubt, and in an odd role-reversal, this is one of the few games that come across MUCH better on the PlayStation than on the PC. Both versions run at the same low-resolution (320x240 with letterboxing), but the PS1 version runs at the system's 24-bit color depth (millions of colors), while the PC version is limited to an extremely low 8-bit (256 colors) depth. The difference isn't too dramatic, but it is extremely odd considering how much more powerful the required PC hardware was compared to the guts of a PlayStation. A lot of PC gamers were not pleased, and understandably so. But oh well. Unless you are playing them side-by-side, you probably won't notice (or care).
Either way, the game is gorgeous. The FMV backgrounds are brimming with life and color, and the amount of care put into the details is immediately obvious. The same can be said for the character sprites - even at such a low resolution, the animation for every movement of both Andy and his enemies is strikingly smooth. It's obvious that there are a TON of frames of animation here. It introduces a lot more nuance into the control of the action, making it feel much like Out of this World, Flashback, or Blackthorne.
(Can I throw in how the graphics mirror the function performed by language in the novella? In other words hah language, a tool for communication, is generally insufficient and stumbles in conveying truth...)
Still, even with excellent controls, you will die. A lot. Each death only sends you back a couple screens at most (and often, you'll just restart at the same screen), but some of these puzzles can be tricky, and most of the deaths are insanely gruesome and dark, especially given that our avatar for this scenic trip is a (appx?) 10-year-old boy. There's a lot of blood and severed limbs, for sure.
Anyways, I love this game. It oozes high production values (as it should, it began development in 1992!) and its design, though old-fashioned, more that does its job at supporting what it was that the game aimed to do. If you want lots of 90s eye-candy, or you want to think, or you just want a super-violent platformer that maims a child regularly, grab a copy of Heart of Darkness.
_____
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
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Played this in the late 90's and thought this was a sweet cartoony game with a lighthearted intro setting the mood, boy was i mistaken with the gruesome death scenes.
I remember seeing a review for this on Toonami back in the day.
Whether you're a fan of thoughtful platforming, incredible art design, gaming as "art", or the graphic and vicious dismemberment of small children, Heart of Darkness has got you covered. It's a must play, especially if you like games like Out of this World or Flashback.
I really liked Out of This World, but this one's a little too cartoony for my taste. Even with the horrific deaths a small child can suffer in it. Just can't really get into it the same way as OoTW while playing as a cub scout, and a lot of the aliens look like they should be hanging out with Kermit the Frog.
loved the game !
Know what would've made it better? Laser bullwhips.
NintendoComplete
What exactly happened at the end? was it all a dream? was the black vortex the way home? is the heart of darkness waiting for him everytime he goes in the dark?
I played it in 1999 and I didn't finish it and many years later I looked for this game again but I couldn't remember the name. Thank you very much.
Bruce Broughton definitely elevates this big time. His music makes it feel like a rough cut of a 90’s animated movie.
Sound design is such an underrated part of great games, and the sound design in this game hits it out of the park.
Wow so many memories from this game, was the first game my dad brought for the PS1. I was a little young for it at the time, maybe 8/9, so used to watch him play. I remember at the very start, he was there was ages trying to jump from the craft to the ledge... didn’t know how to use the controllers 😂 very fond memories.
parents got me RE directors cut and i couldnt get passed the lobby area cuz i didnt know I could hit x on the stairs lmao! old game memories are the best
This game needs a remasterization
Invidente7 been saying this for years
I think I smell a Kickstarter for that coming on!
@@zhanefulp Preferly not
hopefully the original source still exists
@@Blackan Why wouldn't you want a Kickstarter?
Im really sad cuz that never will be happen. 😑
I have fond memories of playing this as a child, but watching it as an adult, I realise that I never even made it to the second cut scene.
what you mean first cutscene.
I literally grew up with this game bro... The feels kick in
Bro I had this game and it froze on the 1st level I ordered it on eBay let’s see if this copy works
You're a master at this game, great video.
Vile Designs Thanks!
for a 10 year old, andy is badass
Thanks for uploading this! Brings back memories. This is a great game!
Yes, I wish we had more games like this today.
One of my favorite cinematic platformers. Very well played too NC. \,,/
beautifully animated game
Agreed.
Loved his treehouse when I was a kid
1:07:40 He became Golem. "WE HAVE TO HAVE IT!"
Wow this was an epic nostalgic journey
Jeez the music in this game and cinematic buildup beats half the games we have nowadays.
A Nostalgic game of the ages of the 90s. Like Fighting the Armies of Darkness with Friends.
As i kid i braved the Adventure and never gave up and i always looked as Andy from Toy Story. Imagine Woody and Buzz being in that Situation!
Yes this game is amazing
No wonder the kid is bored in school, he invented a goddam spaceship!
....which he then immediately crashed because he never finished driver's ed...
the best part of this game are the multiple death animations
Roi Eclair I've got a video specifically highlighting those :) here it is! ruclips.net/video/IyDl230XCHM/видео.html
This game gave me nightmare when i was young.
I played this game when I was 7 or 8 , and If i remember right if you get caught by these black monsters ,sometimes they will LITERALLY TEAR YOU APART, that scared the shit out of me back then . nice memories though😂.
we need a remaster of this gem
I love whisky the dog he's awesome
john craw Me too. If I ever get another dog I think I'll name him that.
why would someone name there dog Whisky?
Richard Canipe Why would someone not name their dog Whiskey?
@@NintendoComplete
I just found this video in my recommended. Did you finally get a dog and name it whiskey?
@@codeerror5872 yeah I was thinking that too
this game was far ahead of its time.
Never even heard of this game but this looks like it’s so up my alley. I had an N64 growing up so I never saw this
I remember playing this and Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee and never even getting to the second level lol. Coincidentally they feel the same.
I forgot about this, i was 20 - 21 at the time when this game released.
Fuck i haven't heard that bootup in a looooooong time hahahaha!
The In-Game Graphics looks better than the Cutscenes
Andy is a badass all through the game and then comes through wearing that onesie at the end. Cmon man you can do better than that
1:14:40
the audio is so weirdly balanced in this game, but i'm lovin' those funky 3D graphics 👀✨✨
@23:56 I was lost here. I didn't know what's the next move to do
I just bought a PS1 to play this game again, hope i can find it!
heart of darkness graficks resemble the 1980's and 1990's hanna barbera animation style if you see closely
like those lef deppard 90's music videos
Game ideas:
PaRappa the Rapper for PS1
Pepsi Man for PS1
Vib-Ribbon for PS1
Half-Life for PC
Sega Rally for Saturn
Q*Bert for Dreamcast
Mister Mosquito for PS2
I play this game once with my father as a kid but dident knew or remember the name of the game
11:34 I don’t believe it, Andy appears to be climbing next to some kind of Dinosaur Skeleton.
Is there any movie (TV) about this game.? I think I saw any was look like this game, but I dont remember well. I dont know if it was in my draeams :/
Alllll the nostalgia
This reminds me of Abe's Oddysee / Exoddus! Very cool game.
This game is so amazing!!
Yes, it took me a long time to beat this game, but it was worth it.
I'm in awe seeing you basically speed run this game. Most players take it slow and make sure to kill everything before moving forward, since it only takes one unaccounted enemy to kill you in this game. Is there a clue on when this is possible? Because I recall getting caught and killed everytime I tried running past a single enemy, yet you run past several through the playthrough.
One bad quality this game has, in my opinion, is that the music score is too loud. I can't make up what most of the characters are saying, it doesn't help the game lacks an option for subtitles.
53:44 Oh, shit. The bugs will actually eat the shadow-creatures, too? Clever programming, for its time. :3
(It also seems that if a shadow leaves the screen, they won't come back unless you move away from the edge. #AntiFrustrationFeatures ?)
This game gives me horror vibes
Nostalgie
Jogava muito na minha infância... cada fase era um desafio que demorava horas pra descobrir oq tinha que fazer kk
it's like a 2d movie
Impressive, isn't it? I love this game
I remember reading about it in one of the local gaming magazines waaay back when it came out in the late 90s, but never really had a chance to play it, since the PS1 version is clearly superior and I never owned the console. Looks pretty interesting, if difficult... also, gotta love the weird Spanish/broken-English speaking village of vegetarian monsters. :D
Man I wish they would make a remastered version of this game 😍
Just finished this game yesterday! I hope I'm not the only one who was really creeped out by that final boss, it's just so quiet I guess. In general though while I do really like the game, I have to admit objectively it really isn't that great. What ruins it for me is the combat, Andy and this type of game really don't fit well with that idea at all. Other than that, with gorgeous visuals and fantastic ambience I certainly enjoyed my time with it, and from what I read, glad you enjoyed it too. Great playthrough dude!
Funny thing is, the game looks like its lip syncing in its animation constantly change. It's like the syncing change from its French script to English. That's why in the opening scene, it looks really weird when Andy says "I'm coming". He's supposed to be saying "J'arrive!" Which literally means the same thing. Yeah, I know, I'm a total dork when it comes to super small details like that.
De este juego se podría hacer una película y quedaría genial.
creo haber visto algo parecido al intro, pero no se si fue un sueño, hace como 15 años
32:31 disc 1 ends. Time to insert disc 2.
Very underrated game. But i can understand why many people criticized it. some levels are way too frustrating and annoying, possibly worse than another world. Also fighting with enemies can be tedious and really annoying because they usually appear in swarms and their health is uneven. who thought fighting with so many enemies at once in cinematic platformer is a good idea ? Prince of persia, another world, and flashback always placed about 1~3 enemies to fight.
Same, I never got past the horde after the underwater caves, very close to were Amigo picks you up. The light beam attack was too slow and always got swarmed. Based on the video, you can run past them, but when? I always got caught and eaten.
That's what war it is...
I wish this game was a 3d platformer
This is the reason I had nightmares as a kid XD, the rating is E so my parents bought it for me, god the sounds, the deaths, the monsters terrified me to no end XD
you using cheat code invincibility ? there so many time monster or water plant toutched you
No, that's how the game actually is, to some point you can touch things.
The water plants for example, if they don't grab the exact middle of you, you get by fine.
I remember playing this game and getting to the part of having to put the second CD in but never having that CD so sadly never gone after the first which was like a big slap in the face 🤣 but looking back I played to that point just to see if we really needed that extra disc like there gots to be a way !! Lol
Talk about a running plot.
Man I loved this game as a kid, I still have it in my draw next to me too :D Finished it all by myself too hehe.
Looking back at it the premise is very...odd? Like how is a kid going to be able to fly a ship, let alone make one. Or how come that teacher hasn't been fired for actually torturing his student rather than normal things like detention? Or the fact he says Rations WRONG. He says RAY-Shuns instead of RAH-Shuns. I MEAN HE IS TEN NOT TWO (jk but it is a annoyance lol).
Anyway great nostalgia game regardless and still like it, very amazing designs and such :D.
Money shot 47:16
Why they after Andy?
Fear of the dark
Feel like movie time but the gameplay.
Como pasar el lago? Ayuda!!!!!
13:53
That didn't age well
I'm 43yo now
It reminds me a combination of Monster Party and Brain Dead.
Played this as a kid never got far in it always died ..... its payback time 🤣
How good are the controls for this cinematic platformer? I'm getting a sense of free will and action-y vibe from looking at it.
Also, the FMV's in my honest opinion look really bad compared to the amazing yet low-resolution 2D sprite artwork.
+SpunkyBandy They're good, about on par with Prince of Persia. I agree, the sprite work has definitely aged better than the CG, but it still looks pretty nice for a 20yo game :)
I remembered playing this when I was 8 and it was incredible 100 percent deserves a remaster
❤❤my name is Sarah Maisha ali and I love the color purple and I ate ate teppan
This game schlaps
Like KINGDOM HEARTS, But With GUUUUUNS!! >B)
夢オチというわけです？
"Watche's whole thing".....😕 I have several questions, for example, WHAT THE #@&% !?
Gustavo
it is too tough
Better than shitty japorn games
Yes boi
If there was a game about SCP-058 'Heart of Darkness', that'd be great.
Fuck off.