Heartworm
Review
Locked Door Simulator
by JackCarter
reviewed on PC
Grief stricken
Grief is hard to represent in media. It's nuanced, deeply personal, and often subjective. Grieving looks different from person to person, making it difficult to truly capture. Heartworm attempts to tell a story about a woman mourning the loss of her grandfather and the lengths we'll go for closure. But does it succeed...or does it flounder under the weight of its own premise?
Created by Vincent Adinolfi, Heartworm aims to capture the look and feel of classics like Silent Hill and Fatal Frame, with an art style reminiscent of low-poly PS1 graphics. We follow Sam, a woman mourning the death of her grandfather, who travels to a remote mountain house rumored to hold the secrets of resurrection. While exploring, she discovers a door in the attic that transports her to different moments from her past—but, in true horror fashion, each world is haunted by its own monsters.
Atmospheric
Story, as the creator admits, isn't the main focus of Heartworm. Instead, the aim is atmosphere, with level design and sound design carrying much of the narrative weight. The result is a sombre, melancholic world steeped in lost memories and haunted by the monsters that dwell within. It's reminiscent of Silent Hill's titular town - empty, oppressive, and devoid of hope. The retro-inspired visuals serve the eeriness well, with just enough low resolution to let your imagination fill in the unsettling details. It's a testament to how limitations can breed creativity.
Gameplay is also reminiscent of its inspirations, focusing on exploration, puzzle-solving, and simple combat. Exploration and puzzles are where the game truly shines - hunting down the next clue and then cracking it open have been some of the most satisfying and challenging moments I’ve had. No spoilers here, but let’s just say the piano puzzle had me stumped for ages; finally solving it made me feel like Sherlock Holmes. Combat is minimal, limited to snapping pictures of whatever monster currently wants you dead, with each flashbulb seemingly causing them pain, a clear nod to Fatal Frame. It’s straightforward, but it works.
The monsters are, unfortunately, the weakest part of the game. Each zone introduces its own set of enemies, but most feel a bit uninspired, especially compared to the creatures from the games it's homaging. You'll encounter static people, wooden dogs, and living statues, but they tend to feel more like exercises in tedium than heart-pounding encounters. Boss fights fare little better, often dragging on, though one standout, a hide-and-seek-style encounter, works surprisingly well, partly because the lack of graphical fidelity actually adds to the tension.
Also, can we please leave locked doors in the past? At one point, you explore an entire city block, only to find that most of the doors are locked. I'm not saying every building needs to be explorable, but trimming down the number of inaccessible buildings would help. As it stands, it felt like I was playing Locked Door Simulator. The game even cracks a joke about it toward the end.
Suffice it to say, creating a video game solo is no small feat, and Vincent Adinolfi has delivered a loving tribute to his inspirations - one that still manages to stand on its own. If you have a fondness for PS1-era horror and don't mind a smaller indie experience, Heartworm is well worth your time. I'm excited to see what Mr. Adinolfi creates next - and to quote Palpatine in The Phantom Menace, "We shall watch your career with great interest."
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8.0
fun score
Pros
Atmosphere, puzzles, PS1 inspired visuals
Cons
Uninspired enemy design, too many locked doors!
