Survival horror games have seen a resurgence in the late 2010s and throughout the 2020s thanks to remakes and sequels of previously popular survival horror titles such asResident Evil,Dead Space, andSilent Hill. The financial success and widespread appeal of these survival horror titles additionally led to developers producing new entries in celebrated series such asResident Evil’s upcomingResident Evil Requiemand developers producing entirely new survival horror games. While games such asILLandCronos: The New Dawnare building off of modern survival horror elements, one upcoming game is striving to return to the roots of the survival horror genre: Dread XP’sHeartworm.
Heartworm’s Direction and Nostalgic Development
Initially unveiled in early 2020 through a demo included in the digital Haunted PS1 Demo Disk,Heartwormis a single-player, third-person, survival horror gamethat utilizes fixed camera angles, pre-rendered backgrounds, and in-game cutscenes akin to the originalResident Evil 1and2. Similar to other titles found in the Haunted PS1 Demo Disk, such asDead HeatandFatum Betula,Heartwormis an indie game built to mirror the classic low-polygon, pixelated style of PlayStation 1-era games likeResident EvilandParasite Eve. According toHeartworm’s creator and sole developer, Vincent Adinolfi, Heartworm will be a “… nostalgia-charged love letter to late 90s [survival horror] genre progenitorsSilent Hill,Resident Evil, andDino Crisis.”
In an interview withHeartworm’s publisher, Dread XP, Adinolfi describedHeartwormas being a “suburban horror” game akin to the originalSilent Hill, as opposed to the generalized survival horror games seen in modern gaming. This is due toHeartworm’s setting of a supernatural houselocated in a mountain range that’s intended to create a sense of familiarity and unease, as many people live in suburban areas. WhileHeartwormis intended to be a love letter to classic PS1-era survival horror games, its themes surrounding mental illness and trauma are semi-auto-biographical with Adinolfi’s own struggles. Some of these autobiographical elements were toned down a bit followingHeartworm’s original demo, but they can still be felt throughHeartworm’s protagonist, Sam.
Heartworm’s Narrative and Gameplay Explained
Heartwormfollows Sam, a young photographer who’s struggling to come to terms with the deaths of loved ones, particularly her grandfather. Eventually, Sam, after attempting to find ways to contact those who have died, stumbles upon a mysterious message board discussing a house that supposedly has a room that can connect people with the afterlife and deceased loved ones. Despite no one previously visiting the house ever returning, Sam makes her way to the supernatural house and “enter[s] a world born of memories.” InHeartworm’s 2025 IGN Fan Fest trailer, Sam writes to someone detailing her intent to visit the house and claims that this person will no longer have to worry about her, but the identity of this individual is currently unknown.
In terms of gameplay,Heartwormis less action-packed than itsResident Evilinfluences. Instead of wielding a variety of firearms or melee weapons, Sam’s only defense is her camera, which she can use to pacify roaming static monsters and their variants, similar to the gameplay seen inFatal Frame. On top of fighting static monsters, which Adinolfi described as functioning similar toResident Evil’s common zombies, players will additionally encounter giant spiders, a mysterious cloaked figure, and more as bosses. Combat isn’tHeartworm’s sole gameplay mechanic, however, as players will also have to solve multiple puzzles and maintain item management with Sam’s limited inventory, just like theclassicResident Evilgames.
Heartworm’s Classic Appeal and Release
WhileResident EvilandSilent Hillgames have seen newfound popularity with their modern remakes and sequels, their original Fifth and Sixth Console Generation titles still retain a horrifying charm that has seldom been recaptured or recreated in modern games. Remakes may have made some gameplay mechanics and story elements easier to digest and understand, but there’s still an immense allure to the original games’ presentation. This appeal of classic survival horror titles has led to major gaming companies re-releasing classics for modern platforms, such as PlayStation announcing the originalResident Evil 2andResident Evil 3: Nemesiscoming to PlayStation Plus Premium’s Classics range during the June 2025 State of Play.
New games and mods such asHeartwormandFallout: Bakersfieldmay prove that older styles of games can still find a place in the hyperrealistic modern gaming world, thanks to their charming yet fun presentations and well-intended narrative direction. At the very least,Heartwormcan remind people of what made classic survival horror games such asResident Evil,Silent Hill, andDino Crisisgreat in the first place.Heartwormwill take about four to six hours to complete, but there are multiple endings, just likethe originalResident EvilandSilent Hill, that will make repeat playthroughs all the more intriguing.Heartworm’s demo can currently be downloaded and played for free exclusively on PC, with the complete game later launching on Thursday, July 31.
