Maidenless? Not anymore
The Heart of Darkness' review
Developer: BigWednesday (Published by Kagura Games)
Genre: JRPG
Store: Steam, GOG, Denpasoft, Kagura Games store, DLSite (only in Japanese)
Reviewed version: 1.01
Censored: No, except for the DLSite version
Patch Needed: No, except for the Steam version
OS: Windows
Language: English, Chinese (Simplified), Japanese
I have played a good chunk of high-fantasy H-Games, but this is the first one I play that has such a bleak setting it feels like you're playing a hentai version of Dark Souls. I gave the game a chance because of it, and I sure enjoyed it.
Pros
An interesting story with multiple endings
Beautiful artwork and soundtrack
Solid Gameplay
Cons
The game's resolution is quite small
Story
The game puts you in the shoes of an unnamed hero whose mission is to the deepest layer of the Sanctuary of Darkness and kill the saint locked inside so the darkness that plagues the kingdom disappears. I liked the story and the way it was told. There are none of those mind-numbingly dull infodumps, and instead, it's revealed by the different notes you find in each level and the "bedtime stories" you unlock after beating some bosses. Moreover, there are multiple endings in the game, and which one you get depends on the class you chose for your protagonist and what you do at the end of the game. Last but not least, the characters are decently written and likable (or hateable in the case of a specific bastard).
Gameplay
Broadly speaking, the game is not much different from the usual JRPG in terms of gameplay, but it includes some features that make it stand out among the rest. For instance, there are four different classes you can choose for your character: Knight (high physical stats but terrible magical stats), Rogue (high agility and can find hidden treasure easily), Aristocrat (a versatile character that levels up faster than the rest), and Wizard (the exact opposite of the knight). Also, the main character can equip any weapon or armor you find regardless of their class, though putting any iron-made equipment on your wizard is an awful idea because it reduces your MATK a lot. Some will give you a stats boost, while others let you use a special skill too.
Now that I mention it; leveling up also works differently. Rather than killing enemies for hours to get that sweet exp, you spend the money you get from defeating monsters and selling loot to level up. Moreover, leveling up increases your stats a lot due to the low level cap. Sometimes, even just getting one more level is the difference between being a particular boss' plaything to being able to beat them.
That said, the difficulty is surprisingly forgiving for a game so heavily inspired by Dark Souls. Here, you don't lose because you made a tiny mistake or the RNG gods wanted to make you suffer. On the contrary, there's enough room for error for you to rectify any mistake and win the fight. Moreover, the Bleeding status is so overpowered you can cheese some boss fights. Inflict that status on your opponent, make the tank receive all the attacks, and focus only on keeping him alive.
Audiovisuals
The game's art is fantastic. The character's portraits are beautiful and polished, and the maps are well made and original. Moreover, the designs, as well as the game's fantastic orchestral OST, fit the atmosphere. While the general mood of the game is dark, some maps like the Groaning Valley or the Basin give a particularly bleak vibe, and others like the Crystal Cave make you feel melancholic. On the downside, it's a real shame its resolution is so low. Everything is made with a 480p resolution in mind, so increasing the window's size or going fullscreen makes it look blurry and/or pixelated.
As for the sweet sexy times, well... they are anything but sweet as expected from a Souls-like JRPG. There are a lot of non-con scenes, both with and without monsters, as well as the occasional vanilla scene where you bang some living dolls or a particularly thankful adventurer. None of them are animated, though, but it's understandable given the art's quality.
Verdict: Fantastic
In short, this one is a must-play for many reasons. Do you want a high-quality game, one that's more bleak and depressing than your average medieval-themed HRPG, or one worth every cent you spend on it? Then you'll enjoy playing this one.