Akuji the Heartless

Akuji the Heartless is a free-roaming 3D action game.{{cite magazine |title=PlayStation Previews: Akurji the Heartless |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |issue=106 |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=May 1998|page=56}} The player character, Akuji, can attack enemies with retractable claws or use spells to light enemies on fire, summon demons, and possess the bodies of enemies.{{cite magazine |author=Johnny Ballgame|title=Sneak Previews: Akuji the Heartless |magazine=GamePro|issue=116|publisher=IDG|date=May 1998|page=57}}

The game centres on the voodoo priest and warrior Akuji, who had his heart ripped out on his wedding day, and through the use of voodoo magic is now cursed to wander the Underworld. Kesho, his would-be bride, finds him in hell and speaks to him in soul form: she informs him that it was Orad, Akuji's own brother, who orchestrated his murder. She begs Akuji to escape and stop him, as their families are preparing for war, and Orad is preparing to sacrifice her to the gods.

Upon traveling through the first level of the Underworld and consulting loa Baron Samedi, Akuji discovers he has a chance for redemption: if he traverses hell and collects the souls of his ancestors, which the Baron despises for their evil, then he will grant Akuji safe passage out of the underworld. On his way through, he must also defeat the wardens of each of the vestibules of hell, which will enable him to advance on his quest for the souls.

After Akuji retrieves the Seal of Sadiki on the Baron's request, the Baron steals it from him and reveals he tricked Akuji into purging the souls of his ancestors so it would allow him to break free of his own imprisonment in the Underworld and exact his revenge on the mortal world while also making Kesho his servant once he sacrifices her. Kesho further confirms that the Baron had orchestrated Akuji's murder by possessing Orad and had also earlier used her voice to lead Akuji to him. Akuji engages the Baron in one last battle and succeeds, rescuing Kesho who in turn restores Akuji's heart, sending both Akuji and Kesho back to the mortal world.

Akuji the Heartless was built on the Gex: Enter the Gecko game engine.{{cite magazine |title=NG Alphas: Akuji: The Heartless |magazine=Next Generation|issue=32 |publisher=Imagine Media |date=August 1997|page=59 |url=https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_32/page/n60}} The game's titular character is voiced by actor Richard Roundtree.{{cite magazine|last=Bell|first=Carrie|date=March 13, 1999|title=EnterActive|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6A0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA30|magazine=Billboard|volume=111|issue=11|page=30|issn=0006-2510|access-date=October 26, 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/akuji-gets-shaft-star/1100-2465260/|title=Akuji Gets Shaft (Star)|last=Mullen|first=Micheal|date=April 28, 2000|website=GameSpot|access-date=October 26, 2023}}

{{Video game reviews

| GR = 65%{{cite web|url=https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/196572-akuji-the-heartless/index.html|title=Akuji the Heartless for PlayStation|website=GameRankings|publisher=CBS Interactive|accessdate=February 15, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501062426/https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/196572-akuji-the-heartless/index.html|archive-date=May 1, 2019|url-status=dead}}

| Allgame = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=11765&tab=review|title=Akuji the Heartless – Review|last=Romero|first=Joshua|website=AllGame|publisher=All Media Network|accessdate=December 13, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114233507/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=11765&tab=review|archive-date=November 14, 2014|url-status=dead}}

| CVG = 3/10{{cite magazine|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=8417|title=PlayStation Review: Akuji the Heartless|last=Fulljames|first=Stephen|magazine=Computer and Video Games|publisher=Future plc|year=1999|accessdate=February 15, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610115256/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=8417|archive-date=June 10, 2008|url-status=dead}}

| Edge = 5/10{{cite magazine|title=Akuji the Heartless|author=Edge staff|magazine=Edge|publisher=Future plc|issue=68|date=February 1999}}

| EGM = 7.125/10{{efn|In Electronic Gaming Monthly{{'}}s review, four critics scored Akuji the Heartless differently: 7.5, 6, 7, and 8.{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20116%20%28March%201999%29/page/n127/mode/2up|title=Akuji the Heartless|magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|issue=116|date=March 1999|page=129|accessdate=July 5, 2021}}}}

| GI = 6.75/10{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/Game_Informer_Issue_071_March_1999/page/n39|title=Akuji The Heartless – PlayStation|last1=McNamara|first1=Andy|last2=Anderson|first2=Paul|last3=Reiner|first3=Andrew|magazine=Game Informer|publisher=FuncoLand|issue=71|date=March 1999|page=38|accessdate=June 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010116042100/http://gameinformer.com/reviews/review_detail.cfm?ITEM_ID=4118|archive-date=January 16, 2001|url-status=live}}

| GameRev = B−{{cite web|url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/33969-akuji-the-heartless-review|title=Akuji the Heartless Review [game mislabeled as "Shadowman"]|author=Mark|website=Game Revolution|publisher=CraveOnline|date=March 1999|accessdate=December 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221224916/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/akuji-the-heartless|archive-date=February 21, 2014|url-status=live}}

| GamePro = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite magazine|url=http://gamepro.com/sony/psx/games/reviews/87.shtml|title=Akuji The Heartless Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com|author=Air Hendrix|magazine=GamePro|publisher=IDG Entertainment|year=1999|accessdate=February 15, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050209081257/http://gamepro.com/sony/psx/games/reviews/87.shtml|archive-date=February 9, 2005|url-status=dead}}

| GSpot = 6.2/10{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/akuji-the-heartless-review/1900-2545918/|title=Akuji the Heartless Review|last=Garrett|first=Steven|website=GameSpot|publisher=CBS Interactive|date=January 25, 1999|accessdate=February 15, 2014}}

| IGN = 8/10{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/01/21/akuji-the-heartless-2|title=Akuji The Heartless|last=Nelson|first=Randy|website=IGN|publisher=Ziff Davis|date=January 20, 1999|accessdate=February 15, 2014}}

| NGen = {{Rating|3|5}}

| OPM = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/Official_US_PlayStation_Magazine_Volume_2_Issue_6_1999-03_Ziff_Davis_US/page/n73|title=Akuji the Heartless|last=Rybicki|first=Joe|magazine=Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine|publisher=Ziff Davis|volume=2|issue=6|date=March 1999|page=74|accessdate=December 10, 2019}}

| PSM = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine|title=Review: Akuji the Heartless|magazine=PSM|publisher=Future US|year=1999}}

}}

Next Generation reviewed the PlayStation version of the game, rating it three stars out of five, and stated that "Crystal Dynamics has certainly provided gamers with a solid action title with enough imagination to please those who possess a penchant for the macabre. Yet the rough controls and animations keep Akuji from truly stepping into the genre's limelight."{{cite magazine|title=Finals|magazine=Next Generation|issue=52|publisher=Imagine Media|date=April 1999|page=90}}

The game received mixed reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.

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Category:1999 video games

Category:Action-adventure games

Category:Crystal Dynamics games

Category:Eidos Interactive games

Category:Fiction about Voodoo

Category:PlayStation (console) games

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Category:Single-player video games

Category:Square Enix franchises

Category:Video games developed in the United States

Category:Video games featuring black protagonists