Heartworm by developer Vincent Adinolfi and publisher DreadXP—PC(Steam) review written by Natasha with a copy provided by the publisher.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Even if that moment is brief, it still seems
to have gotten the message across.
For that, good people, I offer a resounding applause with a satisfying slow clap of approval.
But before you leave, let me explain why you should take the time to appreciate what made certain genres the way they are with this gem.
~
An Optical Lens of Truth
Heartworm is a survival horror game that takes you through a mental adventure with our protagonist, Sam. A strong believer in psychological and paranormal phenomenon, she researches some dark forum to find a way to reconnect with her lost grandfather, only to discover an abandoned house on the outskirts of a mountain town that has a strong connection with the spiritual world. Camera in hand, she heads out to investigate and hopefully find her dearly departed grandpa. However, Sam gets more than what she bargained for.
If Resident Evil and Fatal Frame had a Baby
Somehow, the creators of Heartworm knew how to really blend our craving for classic horror titles by drawing inspiration from two of the worlds best horror series.
For those who may not have had the chance to play any of the original first 3 Resident Evil games, you're in for a treat. These were the games that brought (In my experience) fixed camera angles, menu organization, area loading; via door animation and tank controls. It was both a breath of nostalgia and a wicked reminder why I love and painfully remember my childhood struggle, but this is far from a complaint. It is a reminder of how things used to be and the evolution of how far we have come in developing games. Sometimes, taking a step back to our roots is how one could potentially create a memorable masterpiece.
Another great piece of horror history that this game draws inspirational elements from is the famed, yet underwhelmingly overlooked, diamond in the rough, Fatal Frame. The nightmare occult adventure that swapped guns and ammo for a camera and film, making every enemy encounter ten times more palpitating. Since this is the spirit world, we're talking about your guns being useless. However your handy-dandy picture box ain't. With precise aim, you'll be able to suck the life right out of those spiritual monstrosities.
A Blurred Perspective on Past Memories
With classic controls at your fingertips, Heartworm also didn't skimp on the old school visuals either. They wanted to make sure everything felt like a nostalgic scary dream. Blocky models, tight movement, blurry backgrounds and designs. This game doesn't fall short on any classic details, least of all the music. It may not be grand with a mighty orchestral composer, but simplicity can go a long way in creating somber environments and moments.
But what's an action horror game without it's puzzles? Well an action horror without puzzles would be dull or too easy, in my opinion. Heartworm does make sure to give you some challenges, but I didn't find them so difficult that I had to pause and scratch my head and flip a map sideways to get myself around. Careful memory mapping and exploration is needed I find, but for those who don't have a photographic memory, a simple pen and paper will help you out.
As mentioned earlier, combat pulls more from picture taking than normal firearm skill. It's Sam's camera skills that help keep her alive, not her ability to fend off wild moose. With perfect timing you can take your opponent down, but nothing is limitless in this world. Film is scarce and you may want to preserve your shots for more enclosed or stressful situations. On a normal playthrough, however, the game will help you out if you're running low on shots. I won't say where, but there are places you can resupply. If you work hard and take the time to really explore in the game, you will also be rewarded with possible upgrades for your camera equipment.
Did I mention the menu screen? No? Well, it definitely brought back limited space and organization. Opening your menu screen will show you your health status, files, notes, maps and collected items. You will have to hover over each individual item in order to equip or un-equip. You may choose to also reload your camera if it's running low on film, but this can also be done on the playing field as well. Combining similar items is also available and you are able to craft by bringing two items together. Not everything is combinable though. There will be moments where you'll have to enter your menu to grab certain items to unlock doors or complete task objectives. Nothing but pure old school toggle tag, so be ready to juggle many menu screens.
The Final Pieces of the Broken World
To wrap everything up upon our departure, these were some of the smaller things that stuck out to me during my playthrough.
There was a bit of voice acting in the game, similar to past Resident Evil games, where only crucial moments were emphasized. Nothing over the top, but a nice little touch for the added experience of connecting you to the story and character.
At the start of the game you can examine Sam's car trunk to find that there is unlockable skins for you to enjoy during multiple playthroughs. You will have to find the secret to unlocking them, but that's half the fun. It's a nice touch to add during your adventure through the game.
Before the game drops you into the world you are given the option to customize your playthrough. Optimizing your settings by giving you the ability to change graphic modes (blurred or sharp), movement controls (modern or tank), camera aiming (first person or tank), tutorial (on or off) and subtitles (on or off). It really gives the player the chance to play how they'd like too.
And finally, I did bump into some strange glitches that seemed to affect me mostly after saving and loading my save files. Items that I had previously picked up had re-spawned, sometimes having multiple of an item I had already used just sitting in my inventory and having to re-activate or trigger events I had already done. It wasn't soft locking the game or anything, but it had me running in circles the first time I noticed it, thinking that I had missed something and had to retrace my steps. Hopefully these small issues will be fixed in future updates so that everything will run a lot smoother.
A Somber, yet Gentle Reminder of the Past
To conclude, I had a lot of fun playing through Heartworm. It was a warm reminder that classic horror is never a dying art. The creator took their time to really pay attention. Detail, detail, detail! That was all I seemed to notice and appreciate as I ventured through this 8 hour survival horror action with our gal Sam. If you're looking to get that classic horror game fix, then this game is surely the one to pick up and play. I'm comfortable giving this title a 9 out of 10. Thank you for bringing back good times.
And remember, don't forget to take a moment
to stop and appreciate the little things in life. They might come in handy in
creating a game one day!
Score: 9 / 10
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