The PSone aesthetic has been very popular of late, and the next big game to keep an eye on is Heartworm, a horror-title with a difference.
Vincent Adinolfi’s game approaches very sensitive subjects, and we wanted to learn more about that. But also, Heartworm got a nice audience thanks to being on a “demo disc”, so we were curious if that helped, and what Vincent thinks, generally, of the resurgence of games using this art style. Along with that, we ask him about his free time, and what other influences that his title draws from. Let’s get to it, then.
Heartworm is something made to deal with mental health issues, and described as “almost autobiographical” based on the themes of a girl struggling with death (admittedly not a cheery question subject), but we’re curious if you can explain more about this (if you’re comfortable doing so).
A lot of the main character Sam’s struggles draw from ones that I have experienced myself, and still do experience – with some creative liberty taken of course. Without getting too into the details, I had a traumatic experience when I was young and have struggled with existential/somatic anxiety and depression since.
While it is still something I am still learning to deal with every day, the version of me that I drew from when creating this character and story is from earlier on in my life – when I was a lot more lost in regards to how I dealt with my anxiety, grief, and the unfairness and uncertainty of existing. It can be difficult for me to talk about, not for emotional reasons necessarily but because I just think it’s difficult for me to express how I feel. Part of making this game was an attempt at expressing my feelings in regards to all of that.
Did being included in the Haunted PS1 Demo Disc help Heartworm find an audience?
Absolutely – without the HPS1 demo disc and the attention the original demo received there I probably wouldn’t be making it right now. I haven’t kept up with them much since then, but I’m very grateful they included me. There are tons of artists who were working on really cool projects that all grew from those discs. I think coming together to release those was a great way to get eyes on projects that might have otherwise not been seen.
What effect does the low poly aesthetic have on puzzle and combat design? Do you have to think differently about these elements?
I think it has made me think differently in that I want to keep the mechanics in line with the aesthetics. Holding things back from becoming too complex can be difficult to balance. At the same time, as much as I want to maintain accuracy to the era I’m inspired by, I have taken a lot of liberties to do things that wouldn’t be possible. It’s all subjective as long as it feels cohesive when it comes together. A lot of iterating.
How are you using the PS1 style look to enhance the horror?
In general I think it works for this kind of abstract horror because, as many before me have said, lack of detail forces us to use our imaginations to fill in the gaps, which is almost always scarier than seeing what is actually there.
What other media were your biggest influences outside of obvious game comparisons?
I’m very inspired by visual media – a lot of it is movies and TV. Mostly late 90s/early 00s stuff, a lot of stuff that takes place in the suburbs. It Follows, Donnie Darko, Are You Afraid Of The Dark?, Unsolved Mysteries, The Faculty. I’m also heavily inspired by photographers – the one I always mention is Gregory Crewdson, whose aesthetic I very much admire. A lot of the narrative is inspired by my favorite author Hermann Hesse, whose work helped me a lot in my formative years.
There’s a load of photography in Heartworm, has Fatal Frame had any inspiration on that?
I’ve actually never played Fatal Frame. Well, I played the first for like 10 minutes but got bored. I’m just really interested in photography and thought it could be interesting to use thematically and mechanically, in lieu of using something like firearms. They are functionally the same but photography is closer to me and feels more meaningful in context.
You mention inspirations from Silent Hill and Resident Evil. What are your favourite entries into that series, and horror/survival games in general?
Resident Evil 1 for the PSX is far and away my favorite – REmake is good but, back to the PSX style question, there is just something about the emptiness and liminality of the original that just beats out every other entry. Less is so much more there. With Silent Hill it is a lot closer – it’s probably 2, then 3, then 1 for me, but it’s very close. Other horror games that have really stuck with me are Eternal Darkness, Penumbra, Dead Space.
The aesthetic seems to be making a comeback, with titles like Sorry We’re Closed and Crow Country being well received. What do you think of this in general, and what do you put it down to?
I love it. I made Heartworm because I wanted more games of this style to play and the fact that other people are doing it too makes me happy that there is an audience for it. I think a lot of people want this style of game compared to the very action/surface level stuff that.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I have not felt like I’ve had much free time in a while haha but when I do have some I’m either playing Magic the Gathering, thrifting for VHS tapes, and thinking about what my next game will be.
What kind of music will be included in the game?
I’ve written most of the music for the game and while I feel like I have a very specific style I’m going for, it is hard for me to articulate hah. It is pretty piano heavy, with some strings, but I’m also using digital texture occasionally, like static/noise and synths, to contrast the analog instruments. I’m trying to match the style of the games of the era in how it feels sonically. And I really like instrumental music so it’s all right up my alley.
