‘The Black Heart’ Explores the Horrific Side of Fighting Games
While punching and kicking people is all well and good, The Black Heart would rather impale someone mid-match with its bloody array of fighting options.
A monstrous creature has killed the king and taken his heart. Given that this heart holds the power that created the world, it seems like something you’d want to hold onto. Now, six sinister forces have started to move to get the heart’s power for themselves. Ananzi the spider woman, Peketo the ghoulish knife-wielder, the demonic Animus, Shar-Makai the serpent, Noroko the ghost, and Hashi (who I think has a scarecrow/leprechaun thing going on) all want a little of that power for themselves. And they’ll tear each other apart to get it.
I mean that quite literally. Animus has a tendency to swap genders while firing off spikes and rusted, sharp blades at their opponents. Ananzi will grow long, spider-like limbs out of her back to add to her combos. And occasionally just huck a nest of smaller spiders at you. Maybe it’s because I hate bugs, but that move really puts me on edge. Peketo at least just stabs the heck out of you. That’s so much easier to tolerate than getting covered in spiders. I’d even take Shar-Makai’s poison/acid shower of goo over being covered in spiders, if I had a choice. Each character has many of these violent combos and sickening moves, making for an over-the-top fighter that really leans into its horrific elements.
The Black Heart has grown a great deal since its days as a MUGEN fan game (which you can still take for a spin if you like). If you want something a little gruesome for some Halloween fighting game fun, you really can’t go wrong with this chilling title. And I mean, where else are you going to be able to find a scarecrow leprechaun?
The Black Heart is available now on Steam.
