Heart of Darkness

Game review

In 1998, the game was released, which was marked by a long development. Despite the fact that it was visible in the graphics and unfortunately the game was not long at all, it managed to gain players. The audiovisual processing was in the spirit of animated films like Toy Story (which is also helped by the soundtrack from Bruce Broughton, who makes music for cartoons and animated films).

In the story, we meet a red-haired schoolboy named Andy, who hates learning, adores his dog, and has an intergalactic rocket and a laser weapon in his treehouse. So, a normal boy from the suburbs. But when a slimy shadow flies in and steals his beloved dog. Andy embarks on a (not so) long journey into the heart of darkness, where he will experience thrilling adventures in classic 2D arcade style.

The game begins with the protagonist; a young boy known as Andy being abused by his teacher for sleeping in class where it is revealed that he has nyctophobia (fear of the dark). Being instructed that same day by his teacher to watch the solar eclipse, Andy takes his beloved dog Whisky to the park where dark forces steal Whisky away, prompting Andy to use his assortment of inventions and machines to get him back. Andy travels to another world called the Darkland in a homemade spaceship which promptly crashes and he has to face an assortment of obstacles to rescue Whisky and find his way home.
Throughout the game, Andy is tasked with fighting living shadow creatures and dark monsters while traversing several hostile alien environments such as a canyon, swamp, underwater cave, and lava river. He receives help in this quest from a peaceful alien race called Amigos whom he befriends, and from magic powers he obtains from a meteor referred to as the "magic rock" that can kill all the shadows of fear. The main antagonist is an evil sorcerer known as the Master of Darkness who intended to capture Andy instead of his dog. Somewhat resembling Andy's teacher from the beginning of the game, the Master of Darkness has an interest in capturing Andy and sends his minions to pursue him. Another major antagonist is the Vicious Servant; a sniveling pink creature that serves the Master but is quick to betray him for personal benefit.

The player progresses 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.