PLATFORM: PC, PS4, XBOX ONE (REVIEWED) | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Thought for many years to be lost to time, cancelled mid-90s FMV game American Hero is finally seeing the light of day after being faithfully, painstakingly and lovingly restored and released to current major consoles and PCs. But is it worth a look? Or should we have left it in the dustbin of history?
Originally conceived using the (at the time) cutting-edge technology of the Gamefilm Engine and planned to be released on the ill-fated Atari Jaguar, American Hero is basically an interactive movie along the lines of other early 90s video-based hits such as Night Trap and Wirehead. Players take the role of military intelligence operative Jack Devon and are tasked with making key decisions related to the narrative of the game. These usually come in the form of two or more options and can result in either the game progressing, branching into a different path, or death. The latter of which will take you back to your most recently passed checkpoint (assuming you have reached one by that juncture), and treats us to a scene from our poor protagonist’s funeral before giving you the option of either continuing or retreating back to the relative safety of the menu. This can result in fairly lengthy sections of the game having to be played / watched again as the majority of these choices are essentially trial and error, but most sections of the game aren’t too long so this never feels like an egregious waste of one’s time.
The actual movie contained within the game is a lot of fun. It’s extremely chaotic, at times somewhat surreal and never takes itself remotely seriously without particularly straying into overt ‘silly’ comedy territory. Tonally, this is a very similar vibe to many of the narrative-based FMV games of the era (particularly the aforementioned Night Trap and Wirehead), so it definitely captures the 90s spirit that many people are currently so nostalgic for. There are more established Hollywood actors in American Hero than one would normally expect from this type of production and it generally shows throughout. Much of the story might not make a whole lot of sense outside of a bunch of stuff just happening, but it is fun watching that stuff happen.
Special praise must be given to the developers, not only for the stellar job they’ve done with the restoration and overall presentation of this title, but also for the historical significance of resurrecting a game many thought they would never play (or at least not in the finished state it is in today). It’s clear that a lot of love has been put into this product, and it really shows. Unfortunately, it also serves as a bit of a stark reminder as to why the shelf life of FMV games was so brief. The FMV candle of popularity burned very brightly for a fleeting moment in the early 90s, but it fizzled out with a whimper and no one really noticed. Top marks to the devs for bringing this project to reality, but the reality is, it’s difficult to imagine too many people in 2021 getting much of a kick out of a game with all the interactivity of a DVD menu.
