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Sunday, August 9, 2015

Heart of Darkness for $12? Yes Pls

In a win for collectors (well, me anyway) and a loss for resellers everywhere who can suck a big fat one; I've successfully bought Heart of Darkness for $12.
Yep. I win again, resellers. Har Har. Looks like I've snagged a **RARE** one on the cheap.

And by "rare" I mean it sold 1.5 million copies.
So, how did I snag this for $12.57? Well, I'm not entirely sure. I found it on eBay, much like that appalling listing above, but this was cheap and I can't for the life of me figure out why.
It's a black label, it's complete with an instruction manual, and both disks are in spectacular condition. It was listed by a chap in the Netherlands so obviously I was worried it would be in Dutch, but a quick email later confirmed it was in English. Even though the case and instruction manual are in Dutch, I've played it since it arrived definitely confirming that the game is in my dialect.

How about that, eh? I really have no explanation as to why it's so cheap, as going through the eBayers other listing showed he was (probably) a reselller too, and even though he's prices were incredibly reasonable for the most part - none were as comparatively marked-down as Heart of Darkness. Either they honestly didn't know its worth (which I find unlikely in this day and age where everything is a quick search away) or it had just been sitting there so long that it was offloaded on the cheap. Regardless, I consider myself very lucky. There will be an extra offering to the retro gaming gods this evening.

So, what's all the ruckus? Why's Heart of Darkness so special?
Developed by Éric Chahi (of Another World fame), Heart of Darkness spent six years in development hell - cycling through various release announcements for the 3DO and the SEGA Saturn until finally launching on the PSone and PC in 1998.
The plot follows a boy named Andy, who's searching for his dog named Whiskey in the Darklands. The Darklands is a portion of the Heart of Darkness, which is inhabited by many creatures that can kill the player quickly and unexpectedly. It very much reminds me of Limbo in a way, as there are plenty of cheapish deaths but also lots of checkpoints and unlimited redos.
It's all supported by a ballsy art style for the time, utilizing pre-rendered graphics (much like Abe's Oddessy) and about a half hour of cutscenes.

It doesn't list for a high price because it's **RARE**, but because it's a darn good platformer. I for one, can't wait to give it an in-depth play and review.


If you want to see my video review for this fantastic game, click here.


  1. Wow, what a deal! I am in the middle of Chrono Cross right now, but I think I might need to look into this game next. Playing these old games on my Raspberry Pi has been a totally new experience than when I played them back in the 90s, and I just can't get enough!

    1. Nice. Have you created a handheld out of the Pi? Or is it just playing through your TV?

  2. The coolest part of this game is that there are a few 3d levels that use those red and blue glasses. I am not sure if I had to beat the game to get them or if I used a code. Either way, make sure you check this out.

    1. Will do. It will probably be my next review (after the one I'm currently working on) actually.

  3. This game is tough last time I played it! Great pick up though!