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The Review Geek
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Heartworm (2025) Game Review – Another survival horror Indie darling?
Another survival horror Indie darling? Heartworm has all the ingredients to be an underrated Indie darling. The promise of a retro-horror title in a similar vein to Silent Hill and Resident Evil feels like just what the twisted Pyramid Headed doctor ordered. Indie games are dominating the gaming landscape right now and horror, in particular, is seeing a real resurgence. This year alone we've had Post Trauma, Karma: The Dark World, and Dread Flats, to name but a few. Unfortunately, Heartworm's good intentions don't quite translate to it stepping up as a contender in the field. It's certainly not bad, but clunky combat and poorly optimized difficulty give a general sense of unbalancing across the 4-6 hour play-time. Still, Heartworm does have some good moments and the enticing story, coupled with the visible homages to the genre (not to mention a very customer-friendly price) make this game that's worth checking out if you're itching for a retro horror title, even with those flaws. The premise of Heartworm is simple, and has enough of a mystery to pull you in and keep guessing until the very end. This is a game that plays on the ideas of memory and trauma, all through the eyes of our protagonist, Sam. It's clear the idea here has been to model Sam in the same vein as Jill from Resident Evil or Regina from Dino Crisis, although with far less weapons to choose from! Sam is struggling with grief after a family death and becomes obsessed with following a lead , which brings her to a mysterious house where something sinister lurks in the dark recesses… I won't spoil more because the game does a decent job of developing the story over time, and there are a good number of journal entries dotted throughout the environment to help flesh out extra characterisation beyond what we get here in the cutscenes and story beats. In a neat twist, the developers offer several different ways of optimizing the experience the way you want, as you can switch between tank or modern controls for Sam (for both traversal and shooting your camera (more on that shortly)). There's also the inclusion of skipping 'doors' (like the old Resi games when loading areas) and running by default rather than holding a button down. Heartworm's gameplay largely sticks to the traditional retro horror beats, with fixed camera angles across interconnected areas to explore, broken up through different levels. The world is generally quite interesting to explore and the game features a couple of neat mechanics to make things tense and eerie from the very beginning. This is where your camera comes into play. Sam doesn't have a weapon per-se, but the camera can be used for a first-person POV of the environment. With this camera you can aim and shoot at enemies, along with collecting possums, of which there are 10 dotted throughout the levels. Unfortunately, Heartworm's combat is easily the worst part of the game. Enemy AI is poor overall and with the exception of dogs that pop up halfway through the game, there's nothing here that will pose too much of a problem. A lot of the landscapes feature large, exterior sections and as a result, you can run right past most enemies without too many issues. There's one section involving a tight maze that proves a bit of a challenge, along with a couple of tight alleyways, but outside of that, Heartworm's level design never lends itself to making combat that much of a priority. Exacerbating this problem is the amount of health and 'ammo' for your camera you receive. There's never a point where you'll run out of photos and as a result, it completely destroys the immersion of fighting to survive. Part of what makes these survival horrors so appealing comes from the way you're constantly on the backfoot and need to manage resources just to stay alive. Here though, you never feel in too much danger. In fact, the only resource management comes from dropping off extra supplies in the Save Room to free space in your inventory! This is a problem only exacerbated by a camera upgrade midway through the game that allows you to shoot three pictures at once, nerfing the camera and making most fights – even the select boss fights – a breeze to get through. It's a shame too because outside of combat, Heartworm has some stand-out moments. The story plays out nicely, the boss fights are pretty good and a couple of puzzles are really nicely designed. There's nothing here that's as brainteasing or head-scratching as last year's indie darling, Enigma of Fear, but Heartworm does scratch that itch. Given the small team behind this project, there's a clear enthusiasm and love for survival horror that shines through in blood-soaked glory. While it is a bit rough around the edges, and is certainly not without its issues – difficulty and level balancing notwithstanding – Heartworm is a decent ride while it lasts. All of our videogame reviews are also featured on OpenCritic
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Best survival horror games to play while waiting for Resident Evil Requiem
Image credits: Cry of Fear, Siginalis, Dino Crisis Resident Evil Requiem has created a spark all over the internet as the fans are very excited for the game to release. But why wait so long when gamers can play other games that provide similar experiences to past Resident Evil titles? This article outlines the best survival horror games that every horror fan must try until the new title releases. Each title provides immersive and horrifying fun to the players, with challenging in-game mechanics making them a perfect choice for all the horror enthusiasts out there. All the titles that will be listed in this article are recommendations to provide an immediate immersion and ensure a satisfying wait until Resident Evil Requiem's arrival. Survival horror alternatives before Resident Evil Requiem Here are the following games that gamers must give a try until the Resident Evil Requiem releases: Signalis - Official Gameplay Trailer 1. Signalis : The game was released on October 27, 2022, for PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One. The game offers a rich sci-fi horror narrative steeped in Lovecraftian dread. The players are given the role of Repika Elster in a derelict facility where they have to solve puzzles and manage scarce resources. Its CRT visual mode and fixed-camera angles deliver a nostalgic yet chilling experience. Cry of Fear - Launch Trailer 2. Cry of Fear : It was originally a mod for Half-Life; Cry of Fear became a standalone free-to-play game on Steam. The game is set in a dark and psychological version of Stockholm. The game blends tense first-person combat with limited inventory and disturbing. Dino Crisis | Trailer [GOG] 3. Dino Crisis : Capcom's cult classic is available via GOG as of January 29, 2025. Initially, the game was available for PlayStation 1. The game features 4K resolution and modern controller support, making it a must-play for the horror enthusiasts out there. Dino Crisis, with puzzle solving and tense predator encounters, gives a panic horror vibe. Why do these titles stand out? Authentic survival mechanics: Limited inventory, scarce ammunition, and fixed-camera or claustrophobic environments build sustained tension. Diverse horror styles: Signalis emphasizes psychological dread in a sci-fi setting. Cry of Fear offers gritty, urban nightmares with emotional depth. Dino Crisis delivers adrenaline-filled predator horror. Immediate accessibility: All three titles are fully playable now—no pre-orders or release waits. Until the release of Resident Evil: Requiem, these survival horror titles will provide an atmospheric dread and satisfying gaming experience.
SoraNews24
03-06-2025
- Business
- SoraNews24
'Matcha crisis' emerges as the world falls in love with powdered green tea
A matcha crisis isn't fun and games like Time Crisis. It's hard and grueling like Dino Crisis . Once the hidden gem of Japanese tea ceremonies and confectionery, the carefully ground green tea known as 'matcha' has taken the world by storm with its vibrant green color, complex taste that seems to complement sweetness perfectly, and health benefits. But now, those in the industry are starting to wonder if the ingredient can handle getting this big. ▼ I'm just going to keep telling myself this is healthy because it has matcha in it. In order to achieve the best color and flavor in matcha, the plants' exposure to sunlight needs to be carefully regulated. This means the very best matcha you're likely to find is grown on a small scale with a high degree of personal attention. Even with attempts to modernize and industrialize production, there are still limitations because certain processes like growing the plants and grinding the leaves need to be done very slowly in order to be done properly. Since production can't be sped up, it would have to be expanded in order to produce more, and seeing the potential for matcha exports, the government began subsidizing green tea production a couple years ago in the hopes of focusing Japan's shrinking agricultural labor force on the coveted ingredient. Meanwhile, China stepped into the game too a while back and is currently the leading producer of matcha in the world. However, much of that is sold in their own gigantic domestic market and since they focus more on efficiency in production, it could be said that the quality is lower. ▼ These green tea plants in Saitama Prefecture are being grown in full sunlight, which means they cannot be used for matcha. The recent trade chaos caused by U.S. President Donald Trump may give Japan a competitive edge against China as Japan is expected to get a more lenient deal in the very sizable American market. Unfortunately, that probably won't make a difference, because even despite Japan's efforts at more than doubling matcha production in the past 10 years, that still won't be enough to meet the increasingly ravenous worldwide demand for the stuff. According to a tea buyer in the U.K., sales of matcha-flavored drinks have tripled in the past year alone and have even surpassed that of the classic Earl Grey there. Some in other countries like the U.S. said they have completely given up coffee in favor of matcha. A vendor in Ireland remarked that Japan will probably need to increase its production by 10 times in the next five years in order to keep up. Considering the fact that farmers of all kinds are literally a dying breed in Japan, a 10-fold increase seems unlikely unless a radical solution can be found. Many in the industry are saying we're already in the midst of what they call a 'matcha crisis' with it being hard to secure, and if both supply and demand continue on their current course we may end up in a full-blown matcha supply shock. ▼ A news report on the matcha crisis… I feel bad for those girls who probably had no idea they would appear on Japanese TV with 'MATCHA CRISIS' underneath. This could cause prices to spike hard and throw the future of matcha as we know it into turmoil. With the demand being what it is, it would seem likely that buyers in other countries would turn to more quickly produced and inferior matcha both from Japan and China, lowering the bar for a drink and ingredient once only made with an extremely high degree of craftsmanship. Many online comments in Japan felt that rising prices would preemptively help protect the integrity of Japan's more finely produced matcha and put it on the level of a high-class ingredient that it deserves. 'Japan has been selling it too cheaply. It should be marketed as a high-end product because it is.' 'This could just be a fad too, like bubble tea or tiramisu. Increasing production for now is fine, but you need to be prepared for after.' 'I don't think matcha is a passing fad because it can be used in so many ways.' 'Why don't they sell it for more?' 'This global demand probably doesn't know what good matcha tastes like, so the market will be flooded with poor-quality stuff.' 'Raise prices and make more of it so we can get some money over here.' 'Alright, who told everyone that matcha is delicious?' 'Looks like taking matcha snacks as a present for my trip to Europe was the right choice.' 'I work at a store in a tourist-heavy area and everyone is buying matcha stuff.' 'The matcha used in the tea ceremony is very carefully made. I hope this wave of commercialism doesn't affect that.' Indeed, matcha might've done well to follow the sake model in which it is marketed as a luxury drink and tends to sell for a premium overseas due to the high degree of technique that often goes into making it. But in the end, it will probably splinter off into something like chocolate where you'll have a more clear-cut range of co-existing options from the exquisitely crafted and highly expensive kinds to the stuff they use to mass produce KitKats. Source: TV Asahi News, The Guardian, Kyodo, YouTube/ANNnewsCH Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
