In case you lengthy for the times when Resident Evil had mounted digital camera angles and low polygon counts, Heartworm is simply the sport for you. Heartworm is genuine to the period it takes inspiration from and creates a nostalgic blast to the previous with this survival horror title.
We checked out the PAX West 2024 demo of Heartworm, the upcoming recreation from developer Vincent Adinolfi and printed by the horror fanatics at DreadXP. As they are saying, imitation is the best type of flattery, so learn on for our ideas on what might be a powerful religious successor to early Resident Evil video games.
Heartworm – is it Image Excellent?
I’ve made it clear up to now Heartworm takes inspiration from video games like Resident Evil, so let’s additionally emphasize the truth that it is a recreation with mounted digital camera angels, tank controls, puzzles, and door animations all. In case you love that form of stuff, Heartworm will little question ring a bell with you.
Although, it does sufficient to differentiate itself from its clear inspirations. As an alternative of weapons, you’ve a digital camera. Again when cameras had movie, y’know. So clearly, Heartworm takes place inside or across the 90s and it is an incredible setting when mixed with the darkish and dreary horror this recreation portrays. This brings residence that nostalgic really feel.
Enemies usually are not zombies in Heartworm, insofar as I can inform; slightly, they’re these specters akin to static on an previous CRT TV. They do bumble round like torpid zombies earlier than fight, however turn into a bit extra difficult once they teleport round making an attempt to reap the benefits of the participant character, Sam.
One notable distinction between this and different survival horror video games, it appears like these ghosts require much more ammunition (or slightly, movie). The digital camera’s virtually assured to hit the goal when you level in its common route, however the trade-off is much less injury. Consequently, Heartworm emphasizes much more warning over which enemies you must kill, and which you must skip.
I am cautiously optimistic with this idea. An old-school digital camera as a weapon is neat, however I fear it will really feel flat over time. Will there be different weapons, as an example? Or is the digital camera your sole instrument on this spooky journey? Regardless, my endurance was put to the check once I fought a spider boss, which took far too many hits from the digital camera and felt too repetitive when it comes to assault patterns.
But when it is environmental puzzles you are after, Heartworm does present. Discovering which key opens which door and exploring everything of a map is half the enjoyable of survival horror, and that is obvious right here. I began out in a darkish neighborhood with these ghosts wandering round, however the horror takes a flip for the surreal.
I enter an residence and the hallway is crammed with snow. Opening a door within the residence’s hallway results in a completely new neighborhood, now crammed with mounds of snow and new buildings. Heartworm‘s stage design seems to be to defy logic (in a great way) and shock gamers slightly than have it grounded in actuality. Even Resident Evil, for all its physique horror and zombies, was a bit extra grounded.
All of this takes place inside what’s a completely gorgeous recreation. From an inventive standpoint, the old-school, 90s aesthetic of the graphics is replicated to rattling close to perfection. Each scene is like its personal portray. I am biased since I am an absolute sucker for retro graphics in fashionable video games, however this doesn’t disappoint within the least.
Heartworm is among the most intriguing indie horror video games in growth proper now, if something for a way true it feels to different old-school survival horror titles. It solely must refine the fight a bit and make it a tad extra thrilling, chomping on the bit to play it when it comes out subsequent 12 months.
Heartworm was previewed through the PAX West demo on Steam.
Disclaimer: Our critiques editor, Sam Guglielmo, works at writer Dread XP however didn’t edit or view this piece previous to publication.