Heart of China

Heart of China

Company type	Video game
Industry	Video games
Founded	1991
Founder	Dynamix
Headquarters	United States
Products	Heart of China (video game)
Parent	Sierra On-Line (distributor)

Heart of China is an adventure title released in 1991, developed by Dynamix and distributed by Sierra On-Line. The storyline centers on pilot Jake "Lucky" Masters who embarks on a mission to save nurse Kate Lomax from a merciless Chinese warlord.

Plot

Taking place in 1930s Hong Kong, the narrative follows Jake "Lucky" Masters, a former World War I aviator, hired by businessman E.A. Lomax to retrieve his abducted daughter Kate from the stronghold of warlord Li Deng located in Chengdu. Lucky gains assistance from Zhao Chi, a secretive ninja figure. The reward for Kate’s rescue decreases by $20,000 each day the mission remains incomplete.

After successfully penetrating Deng’s fortress and freeing Kate, she suffers a venomous snakebite, necessitating medicine sourced from Kathmandu, Nepal. The adventure then progresses through Istanbul and onward to Paris. Player decisions determine several alternative conclusions.

Gameplay

Players navigate the game using a point-and-click system compatible with mouse, keyboard, or joystick to engage with characters, environments, and puzzles. Control alternates among Jake, Chi, and Kate for specific objectives. The experience includes two optional arcade-style segments: tank driving within Chengdu and a sword duel aboard the Orient Express.

Delays in progression reduce the ultimate financial reward, while multiple endings depend on player choices. The game also features various failure scenarios.

Development

Developed utilizing Dynamix’s proprietary Game Development System—also employed for Rise of the Dragon—the title was designed under Jeff Tunnell’s leadership to deliver an intuitive point-and-click interface aimed at minimizing player frustration and maximizing immersion. Visuals blend digitized photographs of live actors with hand-painted backgrounds, rendered in VGA 256-color mode.

Budget limitations led to casting primarily from Dynamix staff and their relatives.

Reception

Heart of China achieved commercial success upon release.

The publication ACE scored the game 910 out of 1000 points, describing it as "a major advancement within interactive storytelling," praising its outstanding visuals, sound design, and well-crafted narrative, while drawing parallels to the Tom Selleck film High Road to China. Computer Gaming World commended its dynamic and suspenseful storytelling, graphics, and soundtrack, labeling it "a cinematic experience worth savoring." Dragon magazine awarded it a flawless 5 out of 5 stars.

British magazine The One emphasized how the DOS version’s integration of full-color artwork, live-action actors, and digitization brought the concept of an 'interactive movie' closer to fruition.

In 1991, PC Format included Heart of China among the top 50 computer games ever made, highlighting its impressive digitized visuals and immersive atmosphere paired with challenging gameplay.