90s FMV adventure game American Hero is finally getting to see the light of day this summer. The game was originally developed for Atari Jaguar, but was never released. Retro studio Ziggurat Interactive has stepped in to perform a full restoration, and has recruited some of the original cast for additional voice work.
What can we expect from this restored version of American Hero?
Per a press release by Ziggurat, the upcoming restoration of American Hero will balance faithful restoration work with necessary updates "wherever game assets were incomplete". This satire of 80s action movies casts players as Jack, a former intelligence officer embarking on a mission to stop evil virologist Krueger from poisoning the LA water supply. As an FMV adventure, you'll need to make decisions and dialogue choices to work your way through the plot, all while enjoying what Ziggurat calls "a fully realized Hollywood-level script". Ziggurat also released an announcement trailer to mark American Hero's resurrection.
Ziggurat says it's worked with Empty Clip Studios (whose name you might know from A King's Tale: Final Fantasy XV) to "reengineer the game from the ground up". The Ziggurat version of American Hero will feature additional dialogue recordings from some of the original cast members, including leading actor Timothy Bottoms. Of course, since this game was never released, it's unlikely most players will be able to tell the difference between the original and the restored version, but Ziggurat's commitment to the project is admirable. The studio is promising a "gritty, adult-oriented action story with violence and sex appeal", so if that sounds like your bag, this will be one to watch.
What is the history of American Hero?
American Hero was originally planned for release on Atari Jaguar back in the 1990s. It was intended to serve as a tech demo for former Atari employee David Schwartz's GameFilm technology, which was supposed to present FMV clips seamlessly linked together in multiple segments. Given the failure of the Atari Jaguar, the project was shelved, and despite director Jeff Burr's attempt to shoot new scenes and rework the project into a feature film, American Hero languished in obscurity for two decades.
American Hero launches for PC and consoles digitally this summer. We don't have a more specific release date than that yet, so stay tuned for more info. Limited Run Games is also working on a physical release for the game. If this project is successful, maybe Ziggurat Interactive will also want to revisit Schwartz's other failed GameFilm project Caves of Fear. FMV fans can only hope, these can join the Limited Run Games re-release of Plumbers Don't Wear Ties (... which also guarantees this as not being the weirdest release of 2021).
Are you looking forward to finally being able to play this forgotten 90s gem? Let us know in the comments below!
