If you are a millennial, you probably look back at the games released in the 90s and early 2000s with rose-tinted glasses (Nostalgia). Let’s be honest, those games released during that time created new franchises and inspired a ton of other games. Over the last thirty years, Silent Hill and Resident Evil have inspired and redefined the horror industry. Horror games such as The Evil Within, Left for Dead, The Last of Us, and Alone in the Dark all drew inspiration from those two games. While many in the industry want to make horrifying and highly detailed graphic content, Vincent Adinolfi aims to recreate the thrilling horror experience of the 90s with their upcoming game, Heartworm.
So what is Heartworm? Heartworm is an investigative horror adventure game that takes place sometime in the late 90s or early 2000s. After falling down a dark rabbit hole, Sam looks to solve a dark mystery in a “supernatural house”.
Demo
Upon arriving at the house, something already appears off with shadowy figures moving in the window. While moving around inside, a figure can be seen rushing into the shadows avoiding the player’s gaze.
Heartworm uses the old-school Silent Hill and Resident Evil for its art style. As the player walks around and enters a new room, the old door loading style is utilized. The game does not hold the player’s hand either with it forcing you to solve the puzzles for yourself and not giving any clues on how to solve it. Early on, I got lost trying to solve a puzzle and was forced to walk around for 10 minutes to try and figure it out. Ultimately, it took me backtracking and retracing my steps to figure out what I overlooked and then finding the clock to input a specific time.
With the clock open, we were free to go down a never-ending staircase. At the bottom, we found a locked door with nowhere else to go. Think I had forgotten or missed the key, I went back up the steps to be treated by a horrifying fellow. Now being chased, we were able to get to the bottom door and escape. In a new area, white figures shambling around. As we approached one, it became aggressive. Thinking the game might have a Fatal Frame element, I tried to pull out the camera to fight them off; it didn’t work and I died.
Heartworm Impressions
On one hand, it was great being thrown back into time to the old style of horror games. On the other, it was definitely a relearning curve trying to readjust to the old style. Go into a demo blind is pretty typical, but if that was the full game, I could find a lack of direction to be frustrating. Despite using an older art style, you could clearly tell what the artist and developer were going for with the game and their love for retro horror games really showed. The controls felt like they were straight out of the games as well, and for a brief instance, I could remember sitting in my friend’s basement playing the old PS1 games.
After the Heartworm Demo, I had the chance to speak with one of the Co-Directors of Dread XP Hunter Bond. Click here for the full interview.
Heartworm Steam Description
Sam, crushed by the deaths of those closest to her, falls down an internet rabbit hole that promises a reunion with those she’s lost. Instead, she finds herself at a supposedly supernatural house in the mountains, hoping to find a way to make contact.
- Classic survival horror with modern improvements
- A compelling, emotional narrative
- 6-8 hours of gameplay
- Multiple endings
- Surreal, atmospheric visuals
- Both pre-rendered and in-game cutscenes
- Numerous bespoke puzzles
- Combat using a camera as the weapon
- Multiple enemy types and unique boss fights
- Modern controls or classic tank controls
- 3rd person over-the-shoulder aiming
- Toggleable pixelation and retro effects inspired by the first 3D console era
- A beautiful and haunting soundtrack
These features combine with an emotional and psychologically-focused narrative to compose a nostalgia-charged love letter to late 90s genre progenitors Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and Dino Crisis.
