Heartworm [PC] | REVIEW

Heartworm is a survival horror game that certainly wears its retro influences on its sleeve. From its low-poly visuals to fixed camera angles (and even its tank control options), it’s a love letter to 90s horror classics such as Silent Hill and Resident Evil, bringing together tense resource-managed combat, clever puzzling, and an unsettling tone that makes you wary of what might be lurking around every corner. Sure, it doesn’t quite reach the same chilling heights as its inspirations, but Heartworm offers an atmospheric experience with a surprisingly emotional core.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Heartworm puts players in the role of Sam, a young woman still suffering emotionally from the death of her grandfather. Her grief pushes her down an internet rabbit hole, where she stumbles across rumours of a secluded house that is said to connect the living and the dead. The catch? Nobody who’s gone there has ever returned, but of course, that doesn’t stop Sam. Soon, she’s inside the house, surrounded by rotting interiors, flickering lights, and a deadly presence that’s out to get her.

I’ll admit, I didn’t expect to find myself too invested in the tale of the game, but it actually played into some emotional themes in a resonating manner – things like grief and loss are threaded throughout every part of the experience, given the game a heart-rending tone that makes it easy to feel attached to Sam’s somewhat foolish venture… come on, a house that no one returns from? What was she thinking? It shows her desperation to reconnect following loss though, and that sense of sincerity is effectively conveyed throughout to ensure that the narrative is constantly engaging.

Exploration forms the heart of the experience, with each room you enter packed with environmental storytelling, whether that’s with notes to read, clues to decipher, or hidden items to discover. The house was really intriguing to explore, though it does eventually give way to more surreal and otherworldly environments, with each bringing a nightmare-like tone that play into some of the game’s themes perfectly. Heartworm leans heavily into its unsettling atmosphere, and whilst it’s not the scariest of titles that you’ll play, there’s a constant sense of unease in the experience that’ll certainly keep you on edge.

“Heartworm doesn’t break any new ground, but it succeeds as a heartfelt and atmospheric tribute to the golden era of survival horror.”

Lighting plays a significant role in creating tension, with Sam carrying a camera that acts as both a flashlight and her primary weapon. The flash reveals just enough to help you move forward or momentarily catch sight of a threat, but its brief illumination often raises more questions than it answers and play into the tension of the game. The use of the camera for combat is simple: you take a shot to stun or destroy enemies. It’s not quite as robust as the similar system seen in Project Zero (or Fatal Frame depending on where you live), but the simpler approach works well enough given the scale of the game. And of course, there are some enemies that simply can’t be killed and have to be avoided altogether… wouldn’t be a survival horror game without those, right?

That said, it’s clear that combat isn’t the game’s main focus. The real draw lies in its puzzle-solving, which ranges from classic switch-hunting to multi-step riddles and memory-based challenges. Most puzzles are creative in design and enjoyable to solve, offering nostalgic enigmas that don’t feel dated or unfair. Of course, there are also some that don’t quite hit the mark, but there’s definitely more good than bad.

Visually, Heartworm offers an effective PSOne-style aesthetic that’s reminiscent of some of the titles that inspired it, with grainy filters, fixed camera angles, and stylised low-res environments that evoke a very specific era of horror gaming. However, those fixed camera angles, while authentic, can be jarring and disorienting when paired with modern controls where you’ll find yourself running wayward on the regular. It might throw some modern gamers off, so the best way to play the game is definitely through the use of the classic tank control scheme.

Check out some screenshots down below:

I really enjoyed my time with Heartworm, with the roughly 4-5 hour runtime perfect for the tense adventure that it offers, but there were some aspects of the game that fell a little short when compared to genre greats. The combat could feel a little too simple at times, whilst the boss encounters lacked the sense of danger and pizzazz seem in similar releases. The restricted inventory and subsequent backtracking won’t be for everyone either, and whilst it’s a staple of some classic survival horror releases, it’d have been nice if there was a more streamlined approach.

Developer: Vincent Adinolfi
Publisher: DreadXP
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed)
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1257030/Heartworm/