Heart of Darkness: Éric Chahi’s Ambitious Platformer and Its Unreleased Sega Saturn Legacy
Heart of Darkness stands as a landmark in the history of cinematic platformers, best known as the brainchild of acclaimed French developer Éric Chahi, whose earlier work on Another World set a new benchmark for visual storytelling in gaming.
Developed by Amazing Studio and featuring groundbreaking CGI visuals, Heart of Darkness immediately turned heads upon its initial reveal in the early 1990s.
Despite intense anticipation and widespread media coverage, the game’s tumultuous development cycle led to a protracted six-year delay after its inception, ultimately launching for the PlayStation and PC in 1998—long after its original debut timeline. Initially, Heart of Darkness was positioned as a potential timed exclusive for Sega’s Saturn console.
The intention was for this version to lead its contemporaries, with other platforms, including PlayStation and PC, receiving the game after its Saturn debut.
However, the lengthy development cycle—beginning in 1992—meant the team missed the projected 1996 release window for Sega Saturn.
By the time Heart of Darkness neared completion, the Sega Saturn’s position in the market had severely declined, forcing the cancellation of plans for console exclusivity.
Virgin Interactive, the initial publisher, ultimately stepped away from the project before it was finalized, and the Saturn version never saw official release. While the existence of a Saturn prototype had been acknowledged among collectors and preservationists, recent reports have uncovered a second, previously unknown prototype for Sega Saturn, offering a rare glimpse at what might have been for the platform’s library.
This discovery provides new insight into the lost chapter of Sega console history and the intricate development timeline of Heart of Darkness. Reflecting on the game years later, Éric Chahi described Heart of Darkness as among his most demanding creative endeavors.
The protracted development, shifting platforms, and multiple publisher changes exerted considerable strain on both Chahi and Amazing Studio.
In journalistic recollections, Chahi has noted that the project’s intensity was such that he eventually stepped back from the industry, only returning to game development with the 2011 release of From Dust. Since launching on PlayStation and PC in 1998, Heart of Darkness has maintained a cult following, with retrospectives highlighting both its artistic vision and the challenges of big-budget game development during the industry’s transition to 3D visuals.
Though its Saturn version was never officially released, the platform’s prototypes continue to fascinate preservationists and fans alike, ensuring that Heart of Darkness retains a unique place in the history of Éric Chahi, Sega, and cinematic platformers worldwide.
Developed by Amazing Studio and featuring groundbreaking CGI visuals, Heart of Darkness immediately turned heads upon its initial reveal in the early 1990s.
Despite intense anticipation and widespread media coverage, the game’s tumultuous development cycle led to a protracted six-year delay after its inception, ultimately launching for the PlayStation and PC in 1998—long after its original debut timeline. Initially, Heart of Darkness was positioned as a potential timed exclusive for Sega’s Saturn console.
The intention was for this version to lead its contemporaries, with other platforms, including PlayStation and PC, receiving the game after its Saturn debut.
However, the lengthy development cycle—beginning in 1992—meant the team missed the projected 1996 release window for Sega Saturn.
By the time Heart of Darkness neared completion, the Sega Saturn’s position in the market had severely declined, forcing the cancellation of plans for console exclusivity.
Virgin Interactive, the initial publisher, ultimately stepped away from the project before it was finalized, and the Saturn version never saw official release. While the existence of a Saturn prototype had been acknowledged among collectors and preservationists, recent reports have uncovered a second, previously unknown prototype for Sega Saturn, offering a rare glimpse at what might have been for the platform’s library.
This discovery provides new insight into the lost chapter of Sega console history and the intricate development timeline of Heart of Darkness. Reflecting on the game years later, Éric Chahi described Heart of Darkness as among his most demanding creative endeavors.
The protracted development, shifting platforms, and multiple publisher changes exerted considerable strain on both Chahi and Amazing Studio.
In journalistic recollections, Chahi has noted that the project’s intensity was such that he eventually stepped back from the industry, only returning to game development with the 2011 release of From Dust. Since launching on PlayStation and PC in 1998, Heart of Darkness has maintained a cult following, with retrospectives highlighting both its artistic vision and the challenges of big-budget game development during the industry’s transition to 3D visuals.
Though its Saturn version was never officially released, the platform’s prototypes continue to fascinate preservationists and fans alike, ensuring that Heart of Darkness retains a unique place in the history of Éric Chahi, Sega, and cinematic platformers worldwide.
