Akuji the Heartless
↘ 8.6%
(Playstation - PAL, Action & Adventure)
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Complete
$27.17
Loose $24.92
Manage Collection
Developed_By:
Square Enix
Published_By:
Eidos
Released On:
01 Feb 1999
The premise of Akuji the Heartless is not a happy one. Just as Akuji, a voodoo shaman, was about to get married, his bride-to-be was kidnapped and he was then killed by his very own brother. His seemingly loving sibling then ripped out his heart and sent Akuji to a dark and evil underworld. Akuji swore revenge on his brother and promised to avenge his true love. As Akuji, you must collect the souls of your departed ancestors and give them to Baron Samedi, watcher of the underworld. If you are successful, he will grant your wish of revenge by giving you the opportunity to face your brother and do unto him as he did to you. More importantly, you will be together with your fiancee once again.
UPC-A:
5032921005012 (Great Britain
France)
Media #:
SLES-01298 (Great Britain
France)
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Prices as of 09 Oct 2026
Typical $27.36–$27.99 (last 90 days)
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Market activity: active · about 28 sales a year
Activity is a 12-month sales count. Dashed segments rest on two sales a year or fewer.
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Manual
Game Guide
Extracted from the original game manual
This is a Voodoo-themed 3D action-adventure game where players control Akuji, a murdered prince, as he navigates the underworld. Akuji must defeat enemies, collect ancestral spirits, and appease Baron Samedi to escape Hell, avenge his death, and save his beloved.
Story
The Gods Demand Sacrifice
The people of Mamora were driven by the same passions as their gods, leading to a history of constant warfare. Powerful families fought for control, forming and breaking alliances, all influenced by Voodoo.
War was prevalent. Victories led to sacrifices for the god of triumph, while defeats saw armies slay their own to appease the god of war, hoping to change their fate.
From this chaos, Murat of the Selvia tribe emerged as a conqueror. He transformed his minor tribe into an empire. Murat, a powerful Voodoo priest, used his commanding presence and mystic powers to solidify his rule through strategic marriages.
A Lasting Peace?
Murat's second son, Akuji, was married to Kesho, the eldest daughter of the Tanko tribe. This union was intended to bring lasting peace to the world.
However, Murat's older son, Orad, was also an ambitious Voodoo priest. He despised Akuji and was disgusted by the idea of peace.
Betrayal and Damnation
On his wedding day, Akuji was murdered by Orad, who sought to thwart the "unnatural" peace. Orad's minions ripped Akuji's heart from his chest.
The still-beating heart was cursed, and Akuji's spirit was cast into Hell.
Akuji's Struggle
Death was only the beginning of Akuji's struggle. His powerful desire to survive is fueled by his love for Kesho and a hunger for revenge against his murderers.
Akuji is now in the realm of Baron Samedi, the Voodoo spirit of death. He must pay tribute to the Baron to gain passage through the gates of perdition.
To escape the underworld, Akuji must locate the spirits of his ancestors. He needs to use their powers to break the barriers between Hell and Mamora.
The Price of Vengeance
DANGER!
In his quest to save Kesho and avenge his own death, Akuji must search every abyss of the underworld and destroy its fiends.
As Akuji takes damage in combat, his spirit health diminishes. Akuji collapses when all his spirit energy is depleted.
He then loses one spirit life before regaining his health and resuming his vengeful quest. Should Akuji lose all his lives, he must remain forever in torment.
Eternity Awaits
To escape the halls of Hell, Akuji must explore the depths of all four vestibules and destroy four dreaded sentinels.
Is your rage strong enough to defeat the powers of Hell?
Demand for Souls
The hot winds of Hades have scattered his ancestors' spirits throughout the domain of tortured souls. Akuji must collect them as a tithe to Baron Samedi, the fearsome ruler of Hell's portals.
After completing a level, Akuji returns to Navo, the portal area where Baron Samedi rules. Baron Samedi must be appeased with a sufficient offering of souls before he will allow Akuji to continue.
How to Play
SETTING UP
1. Set up your PlayStation game console according to the instructions in its instruction manual.
2. Make sure the power is OFF before inserting or removing a compact disc.
3. Insert the game disc and close the disc cover.
4. Insert a game controller and turn ON the PlayStation game console.
5. Use the Directional buttons to make one of the following selections on the main menu, and press the X button.
•
NEW GAME: Start a new game.
•
LOAD GAME: Continue a previously saved game.
•
CONTROLLER: Change the button controls.
•
OPTIONS: Adjust game settings.
See page 14 for instructions on using the Controller and Options menus.
PlayStation Console Top View
•
RESET BUTTON
•
POWER INDICATOR
•
POWER BUTTON
•
CONTROLLER PORT
•
MEMORY CARD
•
SONY
•
OPEN BUTTON
•
DISC COVER
Saving Games
AKUJI THE HEARTLESS lets you save games at designated save points, and continue play on previously saved games. To do that, insert a Memory Card into slot 1 of your PlayStation game console BEFORE starting play. See "Saving & Loading" for further instructions.
Important
Do not remove the Memory Card while saving or loading games. Doing so could damage the game data.
SEARCHING THE ABYSS
JUMPING
To jump, press the X button (default). For a long jump, hold down the jump button and press a Directional button.
To climb up onto stones, ledges and surfaces that are higher than Akuji can jump:
1. Press the jump button to reach up to an edge. Akuji will grab onto the surface with a handhold.
2. Press the jump button again or press the Directional button ↑. Akuji will haul himself up.
HAND-OVER-HAND
Travel hand-over-hand when you find nets:
1. Jump up to the net until Akuji gains a handhold.
2. Use the Directional buttons to move left or right.
3. Press the ● button (default) to kick while hanging.
4. Press the jump button to release Akuji's grip.
5. Hold the L2 button (default) and press the Directional buttons to swing Akuji back and forth.
LADDERS
Find ladders to move up vertical faces. Jump onto a ladder and use the Directional buttons to move up or down. To jump from a ladder, press the X button (default).
ZIP LINES
When Akuji reaches a chasm, look above for a line to hang onto. Jump up to it. Akuji will grab the line and slide to another surface.
FLIGHT
If a yawning void blocks Akuji's progress, find something he can use to fly.
HINTS
Slash the Hint tablets to receive helpful messages. If you're determined to escape perdition totally by your own wits, leave these tablets unscathed.
CASTING VOODOO SPELLS
SPELL POWER
With Voodoo spells, Akuji can destroy enemies at long range with a variety of deadly effects.
Spells appear as skulls, and each spell is a different color. Some spells are easily found; many are hidden. To collect a spell, Akuji must run, jump or crawl into it.
USING SPELLS
Use spells to:
•
Attack enemies.
•
Break open containers.
•
Throw certain switches.
•
Destroy enemy generators.
To cast a spell, face your target and press the button (default). To change the selected spell (when Akuji possesses two or more), press the button (default).
Note
The selected spell and its quantity appear at the lower right of the screen.
USING SNIPER MODE
Sniper mode changes the camera view from overhead to line-of-sight for precise spell targeting.
1. To activate Sniper mode, hold down the R2 button. Crosshairs appear in the center of the screen.
Note
Crosshairs do not appear if you are using a non-shooting spell (Blood Shield, Flame Shroud or Ring of Death), or you have no spells in inventory.
2. Use the Directional buttons to move the crosshairs, targeting your victim.
3. Press the button (default) to fire a spell.
4. Target a fast-moving enemy by pressing the spell button repeatedly or holding it down, depending on the spell.
OPENING HIDDEN GATES
If an area seems impassable, scan the terrain in every direction, including up and down, to uncover fiendishly hidden escape routes. Activate Sniper mode for closer viewing of possible gates and passages.
USE SWITCHES & COUNTERWEIGHTS
Search seemingly inescapable chambers for the devices that can help Akuji escape. Be alert: switches and counterweights do not all look the same.
Activate some switches by moving near them. Slash others by pressing the button (default). When you trigger a switch, a cinematic scene will show you the fruits of your labors.
Release counterweights by slashing the ropes holding them.
DISCOVER MAGICAL LOA STONES
Invisible Loa spirits control Hell's hidden passages. To appease these dreaded ghouls, you must replace the fallen Loa stones on their altars.
When you see an altar lit by interior glow, a Loa stone will be nearby (though not always in the same chamber).
Collect the Loa stone, return to the altar and place the stone on it by pressing the button (default). A nearby passage will open.
**AKUJI'
Controls
Start button
Start game; pause/resume.
Directional buttons
Select menu items.
X button
Start game; accept menu settings; continue to game.
X button (hold)
High jump; long jump (with Directional buttons).
X button + button
Jumping attack.
button
Claw attack; activate/trigger switches; place Loa stone.
L2 button (hold)
Crouch.
L2 button (hold) + Directional buttons
Crawl; swing while hanging.
L2 button + button
Low attack.
X button + L2 button
Somersault.
Run+ L2 button
Roll somersault on ground.
Run+ L2 button + button
Somersault attack.
▲ button
Change spell.
R2 button (hold)
Sniper mode.
R2 button + Directional buttons
Aim spell in Sniper mode.
R2 button (tap)
Move camera directly behind Akuji.
R1/L1 buttons
Pan camera right/left.
Items & Weapons
ITEMS
Items can be found in containers, in plain sight, stuffed in totem poles, or hidden in dark corners.
ANCESTORS
There are four ancestors in each level (excluding boss levels) that Akuji must cleanse from the spirit world. The Ancestor counter shows the number found in the current level or in the entire game.
VOODOO DOLLS
Collecting 100 Voodoo dolls increases Akuji's spirit health meter.
HEARTS
Hearts restore some spirit health, with larger hearts supplying more health than smaller ones.
BONE MASKS
Bone masks completely refill spirit health.
SPELLS
Gain 10 different spells by collecting skulls, each spell being a different color.
SPIRIT ENERGY
Defeated enemies release blue spirit orbs of varying point values. Collecting 100 points grants an extra spirit life.
DIAMOND MARKERS (CHECKPOINTS)
Pressing the button at diamond markers marks Akuji's progress, allowing him to restart at that point if defeated but with lives remaining.
Tips & Maps
ENERGY BLAST
Fire bursts of energy in rapid succession.
HELL BLAST
Ignite enemies with long-range, forward shooting fireballs.
SOUL SEEKER
Unleash a tortured soul that hounds enemies to their death, unless detonated by collision with objects or terrain.
SPIRIT STRIKE
Release a fierce demon that targets enemies until destroyed, passing through objects and terrain.
CAPTIVITY STRIKE
Fire lightning at all enemies at close range. Deploy one or two at once.
DOOM BLAST
Explode an area-effect blast of doom.
RING OF DEATH
Create a burst of energy in all directions and ward off enemies at close range.
FLAME SHROUD
Create a temporary shield that protects Akuji from damage while igniting and incinerating enemies who touch him.
BLOOD SHIELD
Once Blood Shield is cast, the spilling blood of slashed enemies fills Akuji's spirit health meter.
FIRE BURST
The least powerful spell of Akuji's arsenal, it can be fired in rapid succession and is good for triggering switches out of Akuji's reach.
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