Grief, Ghosts, and Good Intentions
Heartworm is a type of video games you actually need to like. It’s received that grainy PS1 horror look, a lo-fi ambiance dripping with melancholy, and a premise that guarantees one thing deep and psychological. It even opens like a misplaced Silent Hill demo from the late ’90s, filled with static and fog and weirdly particular unhappiness. However after the primary hour(s), you begin to really feel the cracks. It’s not dangerous—removed from it—however it stumbles lots on the way in which to what it’s attempting to be.
Tank(ing) Controls
Let’s speak concerning the negatives first. The controls are tough. You get the choice between tank controls and trendy motion, however neither feels notably nice. There’s a continuing tug-of-war between the way you need to maneuver and the way the sport lets you progress. Digicam angles are mounted (on function, after all), however that doesn’t cease them from making fundamental navigation annoying. Mix that with some tight corners and peculiar interactions – it simply feels wanting feeling nice.
A Lovely Place You’ll Go to Too Typically
What Heartworm does effectively is temper. The environments are atmospheric and surprisingly detailed for such a small challenge. Previous homes, foggy neighborhoods, surreal liminal rooms—all of them really feel like locations you’ve visited in a dream. Or perhaps a reminiscence you’re unsure is yours.
However then comes the backtracking. A lot of it. You’ll end up looping by way of the identical areas time and again, not as a result of one thing has modified or developed, however since you want a key or a photograph or a factor to progress. It begins to really feel much less like unraveling a thriller and extra like working errands in a haunted suburb. It begins feeling much less like a homage and extra into – this-is-why-game-design-moved-away-from-this.
Temper Killer
Now right here’s the place it stings. Sam, the principle character, is principally the one voice within the recreation. And that voice? Kinda flat. In a recreation so targeted on one individual’s grief, concern, and unraveling psyche, you really need the efficiency to promote it—however it simply doesn’t. Many of the line reads come off as stiff or bored, which makes emotional moments really feel awkward as a substitute of haunting.
Easy Execution
The story itself is simple: Sam is coping with the lack of her grandfather and finds herself obsessive about the thought of contacting the useless. She finally ends up at a mysterious home within the mountains tied to some bizarre on-line neighborhood. It’s a cool setup. There are hints of conspiracy, dream logic, and psychological breakdowns. You’ll be able to inform it desires to say one thing deep about grief and obsession.
But it surely by no means actually will get there. It flirts with existential themes and emotional trauma, however it doesn’t dig in. It feels extra just like the define of an even bigger, extra layered narrative. The a number of endings don’t supply a lot variation both—they’re primarily based extra on secret objects than your emotional or ethical selections, which appears like a missed alternative.
Not in a Deadly Body Method
The large twist is that as a substitute of a gun or knife, you employ a digicam to battle off enemies. It’s a pleasant metaphor—seize what scares you rather than destroying it—however it’s not notably satisfying in observe. Enemies are gradual, predictable, and simple to keep away from. The digicam mechanic is ok, however it by no means evolves. You simply level, shoot, repeat.
What It Will get Proper
Regardless of the issues, Heartworm nails its vibe. The lo-fi visuals, the VHS-style filters, the bizarre sound design—all of it works to create a wierd, unsettling world that feels prefer it exists extra in reminiscence than in actuality. That’s in all probability the sport’s greatest power: it appears like a private dream.
There’s this concept floating across the recreation that grief modifications the way you understand the world—and Heartworm actually leans into that. Rooms loop in on themselves. Hallways really feel too lengthy. Issues don’t look fairly proper. It’s all very intentional, and it virtually hits one thing profound.
Closing Ideas
Heartworm isn’t the following Silent Hill, however that doesn’t imply it’s with out worth. It’s a flawed however attention-grabbing indie horror recreation that’s clearly made with lots of care. The controls are clunkythe voice appearing doesn’t landand the story doesn’t attain the emotional depth it desires to. However there’s nonetheless one thing cool right here—a sort of digital ghost story wrapped in nostalgic visuals and honest (if barely undercooked) storytelling.
Must you play it?
In the event you’re into lo-fi horror, old-school survival mechanics, and video games that attempt to discover grief in bizarre, quiet methods, it’s price testing. Simply go in with tempered expectations. Heartworm has coronary heart—however it additionally has some tough edges.
For extra attention-grabbing articles associated to indie video games, take a look at the hyperlinks beneath.
