As a nervy teen who struggled to get past the Redeads in Ocarina of Time, it was a while until I got into survival horror games. While others were fending off zombies in Resident Evil and wandering into the mist of Silent Hill, I was gathering shiny collectibles in colourful mascot platformers. I did eventually become the big brave boy writing this review today, and started enjoying all sorts of scary games. It meant I missed some of those early 3D classics though, but thankfully games like Heartworm are ensuring I get to experience those PS1 horror vibes even in 2025.
In Heartworm you’ll be playing as Sam, a young woman who is struggling to cope after the death of her grandad. She’s been obsessing with research into the afterlife and communicating with the other side, and after spending a lot of time online she discovers a potential way to see him again. There’s a house in the mountains which apparently has some sort of unexplained supernatural properties, and that’s all Sam needs to set off on an adventure. It’s a very emotional framing for a retro horror game, and had me hooked for the duration.
From the moment you arrive at the house in question Heartworm you’ll realise that this is a game about exploration over all else. There are loads of rooms to scour, full of notes adding story flavour and potentially hints on where to go next. As you progress further you’ll be introduced to much more wild and otherworldly locations to investigate too, ranging from completely jaw dropping to supremely dark and eerie.
When you’re struggling to see in Heartworm there’s a handy item you’ll always have to ensure you can forge ahead, your trusty camera. At the touch of a shoulder button you can let off a flash from this, which will light the room for just long enough to check where you’re going. This is very useful, but you’d better believe there’s nothing scarier than seeing something move during that brief moment of light.
Read our interview with Heartworm’s creator.
There’s actually much less of a focus on combat in Heartworm than I was expecting, but that doesn’t mean it’s non-existent. All combat is done with your camera, which you’ll use to photograph and stun or dispatch any weird static monsters that are after you. You’ll switch to an over-the-shoulder perspective when you do this, which is nice for exploring too and feels like a cool modern twist. Like with all old school horror games I tried to avoid enemies rather than confront them whenever possible, especially because you’re always having to manage your items in true survival horror fashion.
There are all the usual first aid kits and bits of ammo (camera film) to gather in Heartworm, but there’s also lots of puzzle bits to collect too. This game is full of those traditional puzzles I immediately associate with Silent Hill, like having to set a clock at a certain time to open the way. It’s a nostalgia fest which nails the difficulty perfectly, requiring you to engage your brain and read all the clues you find.
This overall nostalgia was one of the aspects of Heartworm I enjoyed the most, but if you’re not one for a throwback then there are options for you too. The PS1 style visuals for example can be swapped with a more modern look, which will likely be more palatable for many of the modern audience. You can also opt in or out of tank controls, which I definitely appreciated.
Some aspects of this retro horror game though can’t really be escaped, like the ever changing camera angle which I found more distracting and jarring than any survival horror game I’ve played. I also really struggled with the tiny inventory, which at six slots total feels needlessly cruel and meant I had to travel back to storage chests constantly.
My main other issue with Heartworm was the map, which initially impressed me with different colours to indicate where you are and a fuzzy effect which shows you’ve still got items to find in a location. The issue though is that Sam herself isn’t shown on the map, and there were numerous times where I struggled to figure out which exit I needed to take out of a room to get to my destination. The constant camera flips don’t help with this either, spinning you around so you lose all sense of direction.
Heartworm is both a heartfelt and horrifying survival horror throwback, which those looking for PS1 nostalgia will love. It also does a great job of catering for old school fans and a modern audience, with settings to include anyone looking for a spooky experience. For a shorter horror adventure, clocking in at around four hours from start to finish, you could certainly do much worse than helping Sam with her grief.
