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Exclusive: Heartworm’s Michael Jentsch on Making PS1-Style Horror

Making Heartworm

Ever wondered how to create a PS1-style horror game? Then this interview is for you. Michael Jentsch, an environment artist working on the upcoming indie horror title Heartworm, was kind enough to give us a behind-the-scenes look at his creative process, including how he builds lo-fi environments that capture the essence of classic survival horror.

His excitement for the project is infectious. It’s clear he’s incredibly proud of what he and the Heartworm team have accomplished — and rightly so.

In our conversation, Michael shares insights into his workflow, tools, and inspirations, along with some exclusive images of his work on Heartworm. You’ll find highlights from the interview below, but be sure to watch the full video for the complete deep dive into his retro-inspired approach to horror game design.

Watch the Full Interview

Prefer watching over reading? You can check out the full video interview with Michael Jentsch right here. In the video, we dive deeper into his workflow, inspirations, and techniques behind Heartworm‘s PS1-style horror aesthetic. If you’re into retro game art, indie development, or just want to see the passion behind the project firsthand, this is well worth a watch.

Texture Atlas

Michael is using a highly efficient workflow for managing textures in Heartworm. Instead of assigning individual textures to each object, he creates a single texture atlas (often assembled in Photoshop) which contains all the necessary textures in one image. He then manually unwraps each mesh and carefully positions its UVs to align with the correct area on the atlas.

This process can be painstaking, especially if changes are made to either the mesh or the atlas later on, as it requires manually repositioning the UVs. However, the benefits of this technique are significant. By reducing the number of unique textures, fewer draw calls are made in the game engine (Unity), which can lead to improved performance and faster rendering, especially on lower-end hardware. It also helps with organisation and file management, keeping the project lean and efficient. While it requires more upfront effort, the optimisation payoff in-engine is well worth it, particularly for a game aiming to recreate the style of PS1-era titles.

Texture Tiling & Texture Blending

Michael shared several clever techniques he uses to avoid visible texture tiling — a common issue when working with repeating patterns in game environments.

In one attic scene, he showcased a complex, layered wooden floorboard atlas. This custom texture made strategic use of the alpha channel to represent missing or broken floorboards, allowing him to create visual variation and depth without relying on multiple texture files. This approach not only saves on texture memory but also contributes to the aged, decayed aesthetic that Heartworm is aiming for.

He also demonstrated a simpler but effective method for breaking up tiling in organic surfaces. Using a grass texture, he randomly selected different tiles from the atlas and manually rotated the UVs of individual faces. This randomisation disrupts uniformity and helps prevent noticeable repeating patterns, making natural surfaces like grass or dirt appear more realistic.

Later in the interview, I asked Michael about a section where grass blends seamlessly into a sandy path. At first glance, I assumed this effect was achieved using a texture blending node inside Blender’s shader editor. However, Michael explained that the effect was actually baked directly into the texture itself. It was a simple sand tile with a subtle grass bleed around the edges, hand-painted in Photoshop. This technique avoids the need for real-time blending or complex shader work, which can be expensive or problematic when exporting to a game engine like Unity.

Unity Occlusion Culling

Whenever possible, Michael groups objects together in his scenes. While this doesn’t offer any major benefits inside Blender — and can actually make editing a bit more difficult — it’s an important step when preparing assets for Unity.

Heartworm uses a feature called occlusion culling, which is a performance optimisation technique. In simple terms, occlusion culling tells the game engine not to render objects that the player can’t currently see (because they’re blocked by walls or out of view). If something isn’t visible, Unity can remove it from the scene at runtime, saving memory and improving performance.

To make this system work efficiently, Michael has to be mindful of how objects are grouped before exporting his scenes. For example, in one Blender file, he shows a large cluster of rocks. While each rock might have started as a separate object during the design phase, keeping them separate in Unity would require the engine to track and manage each one individually — which adds unnecessary overhead. By combining them into a single grouped object, Unity can handle them more efficiently, making it easier to cull and render only what’s needed at any given time.

This kind of forward-thinking setup helps Heartworm maintain performance while still delivering visually dense and detailed environments.

Door Transitions

One of the most iconic features of early survival horror games — especially the Resident Evil series — is the use of door transitions. These brief animations, where the camera slowly zooms in on a door opening into darkness, are etched into the memories of many fans. I’ve always loved seeing them, and during our conversation, Michael mentioned how much they reminded him of classic survival horror too — a sentiment I completely share.

In fact, I like door transitions so much that I incorporated one into my own logo — combining the look of a classic door animation with a fire escape sign. For me, it symbolises one of the core themes of survival horror: the need to avoid danger and escape, rather than confront enemies directly.

But in Heartworm, these transitions aren’t just included for nostalgia — they serve a practical purpose. Just like in the original PlayStation titles, door transitions are cleverly used to hide loading times between areas. This allows the game to load new environments in the background while keeping the player immersed, avoiding the need for traditional loading screens. It’s a smart design choice that not only maintains the retro feel, but also solves a technical challenge in a seamless, era-appropriate way.

Heartworm Artwork

Michael was quick to acknowledge that Heartworm is very much a team effort, and he spoke highly of the artwork created by Jakub K. Graczyk. In the images below, you can see some of Jakub’s art for the game. One piece, a capsule-style key visual unfortunately wasn’t used in the final version due to time constraints. Jakub had other tasks to complete on the project and didn’t have time to revise it.

I’m really glad Michael shared this alternate artwork with me, as I never would’ve known it existed otherwise — and I’m especially grateful to Jakub for giving me permission to include it here. I always enjoy seeing alternate visions of characters, and Jakub’s take on Heartworm‘s protagonist, Sam, reminds me of Joanna Dark. As a huge Perfect Dark fan, that’s a comparison I mean as high praise!

Jakub also created the game’s item icons — or more precisely, the artwork used for the icons. It’s great to see these in high resolution compared to their in-game, pixelated versions, which were deliberately styled to match the retro aesthetic. Some of the icons were based on 3D models Michael created in Blender, while in other cases, Jakub’s 2D designs came first and Michael used them as the basis for his modelling work. It’s a great example of the collaborative back-and-forth that defines so much of game development.
You can see more of Jakub’s work on Twitter and ArtStation.

Final Thoughts

It’s clear that Heartworm is more than just a nostalgic throwback — it’s a carefully crafted love letter to the survival horror games of the PS1 era, built by a passionate and talented team. From Michael’s meticulous environment design to Jakub’s striking concept art, every part of the game reflects a deep understanding of what made those early horror titles so atmospheric and memorable. Whether you’re a developer, an artist, or simply a fan of the genre, there’s a lot to appreciate in the creative process behind Heartworm.

If this interview has sparked your interest, I highly recommend checking out the full video and exploring more of the team’s work — it’s exciting to see retro-style horror evolving in such a thoughtful and technically smart way.

Steam link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1257030/Heartworm/

Fragile Reflection – Review

Pixel Crypt September 24, 2025

Definitely one of the best survival horror games of the year, despite its obvious flaws. At its core Fragile Reflection feels like Silent Hill f – PS1 edition. It takes place in a Japan-like world, as you explore a village, a sanitarium, mines, and a dream-like otherworld. It is super inspired by Silent Hill 1 and 2, just with modern over the shoulder camera and controls. The music and voice acting are peak, so authentically PSX. The atmosphere and enemy designs are a little janky but also fantastic. The biggest drawback lies in the technical execution. Animations, hitboxes, and controls can feel clunky, sometimes resembling something held together with duct tape. Character movement and animations in particular look like they came from a first-year animation project. But for me – it is not breaking the magic of the game literally AT ALL. And this is coming from someone who noticed the jank in the demo and had extremely low expectations for the full game. Overall, this game is far more absorbing and charming than I expected. It feels very authentic and nails the atmosphere and gameplay. You will know if you are the type of player that can tolerate a bit of jank in exchange for tons of charm and classic survival horror magic. If not, don’t buy. If yes, buy it immediately. Fragile Refection is avalible now on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3088670/Fragile_Reflection/

Echoes of the Living Exclusive Gameplay

JMMREVIEW September 10, 2025

Exclusive First Look at the Upcoming Survival Horror Experience We’re excited to bring you something special today, exclusive gameplay footage of Echoes of the Living shared directly with SurvivalHorrors.com. This upcoming survival horror title is heavily inspired by 90s classics like Resident Evil and Silent Hill, blending fixed camera angles, puzzles, and limited resources with stunning modern 3D visuals. If you’ve been craving a return to the golden age of survival horror, this is a game you’ll want on your radar. Echoes of the Living will be coming soon to Early Access, giving players their first chance to step into its zombie filled world. The Early Access release will feature Liam’s campaign, a 12+ hour survival experience filled with unlockables, multiple paths, and a brutal “Survivor” difficulty. Liam’s story will offer players five unique endings, rewarding replayability. When the game reaches full release, players will also gain access to Laurel’s campaign, which mirrors Liam’s in length, challenge, and content. Both campaigns are designed to provide a complete and deeply engaging survival horror experience, capturing the tension and atmosphere fans of the genre love. The developers (DevMoonGlint & KurauAmami) have also confirmed that future content and expansions will depend on the game’s success in Early Access, meaning fan support will directly influence how this game grows. If the reception is strong, Echoes of the Living could evolve into one of the most content-rich survival horror experiences in years. Don’t miss out on this first look at the horrors to come — watch the exclusive gameplay below and prepare yourself for the return of true survival horror. Echoes of the Living is avalible to wishlist on Steam now: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2173460/Echoes_of_the_Living/

Heartworm: Review

JMMREVIEW August 16, 2025

Disclaimer: I received a free review key for Heartworm from the publisher. This does not affect my opinions — all thoughts and impressions in this review are my own. Heartworm isn’t just an indie survival horror game—it’s a deeply personal work, built from the streets, buildings, and small details of Vincent Adinolfi’s own life. It’s rare to see something so steeped in personal history, where every location feels lifted straight from a lived memory. The result is an experience where the environments feel authentic. You’re not wandering through generic level design—you’re navigating spaces that have been lived in, remembered, and reimagined, making Heartworm all the more immersive and rewarding to explore. I was reminded of Hollowbody, which also features a stretch of suburban streets inspired by the developer Nate’s own background in the UK. But the streets there feel distant—abandoned, unreachable—partly because you can only pass by the houses, never step inside. Compared to Heartworm’s intimate spaces, it’s a colder kind of personal. Another source of Heartworm’s warmth comes from its protagonist, Sam, voiced by M in their very first voice acting role. The game is filled with monologues that breathe life into Sam, offering not just exposition but a direct line into her thoughts and emotions. They’re both well written and beautifully delivered—authentic, intimate, and free from the kind of cheesy dialogue that made Resident Evil 1 so charmingly clunky. Gameplay & Variety At the start of the game, you’re given a welcome set of options: graphics can be retro (pixelated) or modern; movement can be tank-style (player-relative) or modern; and aiming can be tank-style (camera-relative) or modern (over-the-shoulder). It’s a smart touch that caters to a wide range of players, as tank controls can be quite divisive. When I played the demo, I opted for tank movement with modern aiming, but found the switch from fixed camera angles to an over-the-shoulder view a little disorientating—it took me some time to get my bearings. For the full game, I switched to both tank movement and tank aiming, and I’m glad I did: it made the combat feel far closer to classic Resident Evil games. Environments Survival horror locations are traditionally dark, grimy, and designed to make you feel uneasy. But Heartworm took one look at that and said, ‘Nah, we’re going to be beautiful.’ I don’t think I’ve ever played a more beautiful horror game — some of the environments are so gorgeous, I actually forgot I was playing a horror game. Before it’s release, I interviewed Michael Jentsch about the enviroments in Heartworm. I learned a lot about how the game was made, but Michael stayed very quiet about some of its best areas — and I’m glad he did. I was genuinely impressed by the scale and variety of the locations. During my playthrough, I explored an abandoned house, a quiet neighborhood, foggy small-town streets, a warehouse, wilderness, a clock tower, a school, a hospital, a subway station, and an office building — and that’s just to name a few. With so many locations to explore, it’s no surprise that Heartworm’s development took around five years to complete and required a small team of dedicated developers. Speaking of which, shout out to the small but passionate indie team behind the game: Vincent Adinolfi, Michael Jentsch, Carlos Lizarraga, Leonardo Esteban Montes, Michael “Goba” Tomczak, Jakub Graczyk, Yves Searle, M. Hart, and Suzi Hunter. Enemies & Combat Feedback for Heartworm is generally very positive, but one area where I’ve seen some criticism is the combat and difficulty. Like Hollowbody, most enemies can be easily avoided. However, this didn’t surprise me, as both Hollowbody and Heartworm are influenced by Silent Hill 2, — a game where enemies are easy to avoid and combat is not the focus. Earlier this year, I also reviewed Post Trauma, another Silent Hill 2-inspired game, and it actually has far less combat than Heartworm. In fact, I thought the variety and number of enemies in Heartworm was very good. There are the bright, TV-like glowing copies of Sam that use a slow-motion attack, the dogs in the Wilderness, the stone statues that come to life with unique stone attacks, mannequin-style enemies, and licker-type creatures that leap from the ceiling. For an indie game, I was impressed by the enemy variety. There are plans to include an increased difficulty mode, but that’s not something I’m particularly interested in when playing a survival horror game. If I wanted really challenging combat mechanics, I’d play a Souls-like game (and I do quite often!). By the end of my playthrough, I had nine health packs and over 100 camera shots — but I think this is because Heartworm went for the Silent Hill-style approach, with enemies that are easier to avoid. In Resident Evil games, you’re often in narrow corridors, so avoiding enemies isn’t always a practical option. Heartworm, on the other hand, takes place in big, open areas and is mostly set outdoors. I didn’t fight any enemies I didn’t have to, which meant I ended up hoarding resources. Wow, what a mansion! When I first found out about Heartworm, I made the same mistake a lot of people did — assuming the gameplay and influences would be similar to Fatal Frame. Having now played the full game, I can safely say the gameplay is nothing like Fatal Frame, especially when you’re using tank controls and tank aiming, as I mentioned earlier. I think when you see a camera being used in a horror game, it’s hard not to make the Fatal Frame connection. However, in Heartworm, the camera feels more like a pistol in Resident Evil. It’s far more accurate to say that Heartworm is influenced by Resident Evil and Silent Hill. The Resident Evil 1 influence is hard to miss — the Clocktower section toward the end of the game feels like stepping right into the Spencer Mansion, complete with a replica of one of its staircases and hallways. I love seeing references and Easter

Survival Horror: How Much Action Is Too Much?

JMMREVIEW August 3, 2025

How much action is too much in a survival horror game? That’s the question I hope to explore with my Survival Horror Spectrum—a visual guide that maps where different games fall along a scale from pure action to pure survival. At one end of the spectrum (position 1), you’ll find action-heavy games with little or no survival horror elements. As you move up the scale, the action decreases and survival becomes the focus—often with limited combat or no combat at all. While most of us can agree on the core characteristics of survival horror, we each have our own personal threshold. At some point, too much action erodes the tension, resource scarcity, and vulnerability that define the genre. When that balance tips, the game doesn’t just lose its survival horror identity—it transforms into something else entirely: action horror. There are many factors that contribute to a game’s classification as survival horror, which can make the genre difficult to define. But too much action is often the clearest and most measurable disqualifier. At some point, when combat dominates every moment and tension gives way to constant gunplay, the game crosses a line. This isn’t a matter of personal taste or opinion; it’s a structural shift in both design and gameplay mechanics. If tension, and vulnerability are no longer central to the experience, then the game no longer fits the survival horror genre. True survival horror relies on elements like resource scarcity, player vulnerability, and the meaningful option to avoid enemies. In some horror games—such as Resident Evil 4, Dead Space, and The Evil Within—enemies frequently drop ammo, health, and other resources. This not only reduces scarcity but also actively encourages players to engage in every fight, removing any real incentive to avoid combat. Take Resident Evil 2 Remake, for example. Zombies are tough to kill, but relatively easy to avoid. Choosing to avoid them conserves ammo and reinforces the survival tone, even though combat is still present. If, however, those zombies dropped health and ammunition upon defeat, the game would shift to position 4 on my spectrum—below the survival horror cut-off point—pushing it into the realm of action horror. So, the main question becomes: Where is the line? Let’s start at the bottom of the spectrum with BioShock and Left 4 Dead—two of my favorite games of all time. First, let me make one thing clear: placement on the spectrum has nothing to do with quality. The games are ranked purely based on survival horror elements, not how good they are. While it’s true that in both games you’re technically fighting for your survival, the same could be said of almost any shooter. There has to be something more that sets survival horror apart from other genres—something beyond simply surviving. The main reason Left 4 Dead sits at the bottom of the spectrum is because of its relentless, unbroken combat. The zombie hordes are so frequent that there’s barely a moment when your finger isn’t holding down the trigger. As mentioned earlier, survival horror does include action, but it’s all about balance. Take Resident Evil 1 Remake (2002) its gameplay alternates between exploration, puzzle-solving, and sudden, tense combat encounters. The action isn’t constant or overwhelming—it comes in bursts, often catching you off guard. That’s in stark contrast to Dead Space 3 (2013). Side by side, I don’t think you could find two games more polar opposite in terms of gameplay and how you interact with enemies. As you can see in the footage below, there are moments in Resident Evil 1 Remake where you might encounter just a single zombie. In those situations, it’s often smarter to avoid the enemy and conserve your ammunition for tougher sections or boss fights. That kind of critical decision-making simply isn’t necessary in Dead Space 3, where you can mindlessly gun down every enemy in your path—and there are plenty to deal with. It’s not uncommon for the game to throw over 30 enemies at you in a single encounter, and avoidance isn’t even an option. They must be killed to progress, and they also drop health and ammo, giving you no incentive to avoid them. The meme below reads, “They’re the same genre,” which should obviously be taken as satire. Even based on these five-second side-by-side clips, it’s clear that these two games do not play the same way—and shouldn’t be classified under the same genre label. Survival horror cut off point After the success of Resident Evil 4 (2005), there was a noticeable decline in traditional survival horror games and a sharp rise in action horror titles. Following its release, the Resident Evil series leaned further and further into action, which is why Resident Evil 5 and 6 fall lower down the spectrum. It’s undeniable that the shift toward action horror became most apparent with Resident Evil 4—but what many people (including Wikipedia) don’t seem to agree on is whether Resident Evil 4 itself should be considered action horror. To be honest, I’d need to write a separate article to fully explain why I believe it is. There isn’t a single element that defines Resident Evil 4 as action horror, but rather a combination of factors that stack up over time. It’s the classic “straw that broke the camel’s back” scenario—we just have to decide how much straw (or in this case, how many action elements) it takes to tip the balance. Resident Evil 4 Remake does include more survival horror elements than the original—such as stealth, enemy evasion, and Crimson Head–style enemies. In the remake, some enemies can transform if not dealt with quickly, much like the Crimson Heads in Resident Evil 1. In general, enemies also feel more robust and less predictable, much like the zombies in the Resident Evil 2 Remake. In the original Resident Evil 4, if you shot an enemy in the knee, they would almost always fall, allowing you to follow up with a roundhouse kick. It was predictable and reliable. But in the remake, that

Survival Horror vs Action Horror

JMMREVIEW July 11, 2025

Over the past year and a half, I’ve been cataloguing every survival horror game I can find, with the goal of creating the most comprehensive list of survival horror titles to date. During my research…

Departure of Darkness – Interview

JMMREVIEW July 7, 2025

With Departure of Darkness, Red Vault Interactive aims to resurrect the magic of classic survival horror, think the fixed-camera tension of Resident Evil 2 in a new setting: a labyrinthine airport in 2005. I caught up with the developers to talk about their biggest inspirations, how they designed the game’s branching puzzles, and why your every action could turn desperate survivors into your worst nightmare. Q: Departure of Darkness clearly draws inspiration from classic Resident Evil. What specific elements of RE2 did you want to emulate, and where did you deliberately diverge? Our team has a deep connection to the look and feel of the classic Resident Evil games, and we wanted to honor that. We especially loved the pre-rendered backgrounds from Resident Evil 2 , fixed camera angles, and its tight survival horror gameplay loop. The police station setting and its narrative pacing really resonated with us, so capturing that same sense of dread and exploration was a core goal. However, we knew we wanted to push combat further. With modern technology, we can implement precise body-hit detection, so damage depends on where enemies are struck, and a laser sight for more skill-based shooting. On top of that, our narrative introduces various NPCs whose survival depends on the player’s actions, adding weight to every decision. Q: Why did you choose an airport in 2005 as the setting? What about that location and time period made it compelling for horror? Airports are strangely underused in horror games, despite being familiar spaces for so many people. We liked the idea of taking a place everyone knows, check-in counters, security lines, duty-free shops, and twisting it into something deeply unsettling when things go wrong. We chose 2005 because it’s a fascinating time: it was a period when airport security became much tighter worldwide. It also lets us play with technology that feels nostalgic and more analog than today’s always-connected devices. There’s something eerie about an era just before smartphones took over. Q: How do the branching puzzles work, and can you share an example of how player decisions might lead to different outcomes? A core design pillar for us is player agency. Many puzzles have multiple solutions, or can even be skipped entirely if the player prefers to tackle challenges differently. For example, if you don’t want to solve a particular puzzle, you might need to venture deeper into the airport to find an alternate, riskier route. Sometimes that path might expose you to tougher enemies or hidden story bits. We want players to feel clever for how they choose to progress. Q: I noticed in the demo there is a map on the wall, in the final game would you consider letting the player take the map with them? Absolutely. We’ve heard that feedback loud and clear! We’re exploring whether to let players collect and keep maps, or at the very least ensure they’re distributed well enough so players aren’t too lost. Exploration is key for us, and maps are part of rewarding that curiosity. Q: What are some “modern mechanics” you’ve introduced, and how do they complement the retro design? One example is our light RPG system: players can find passport stamps that upgrade Emma’s abilities, tying progression to exploration in a way that fits the airport theme. Our zombies are infected with a parasite that reacts to noise, so players need to manage sound carefully. Finding silencers or opting for melee weapons becomes critical for survival.We’ve also made movement, aiming, and camera transitions more fluid than old-school titles, while keeping the tense, deliberate pace fans expect. Q: What have you learned from being part of Science Park Skövde and CDG-Booster? How have those programs influenced your development approach? These programs have been invaluable. They’ve connected us with mentors, other developers, and business coaches who’ve helped us navigate everything from funding to marketing. The networking opportunities alone have been worth it, we’ve met so many people who genuinely want to see us succeed. Q: How involved is the survivor-rescue mechanic? Will those characters affect gameplay meaningfully, or are they more narrative-driven? They’re very much part of the gameplay. Survivors can help solve puzzles and grant access to areas. But if the player fails to protect them, they’ll mutate into tougher, more aggressive enemies. Your choices have direct consequences, so be kind to the survivors. Q: Is replayability a core goal? If so, how do branching puzzles and survivor outcomes feed into that? Absolutely. Replayability is essential for a great survival horror experience. We’re including all the staples, clear times, grades, alternate endings based on who survives, and so on. But we’re also working on a Resident Evil 3 style “Mercenary Mode”, random item placements, and higher difficulties designed for players who want a real challenge. We want each run to feel fresh and test your mastery of the game. Q: You’re aiming for a mid-2026 release. What does your roadmap look like between now and then? Our focus is on expanding every aspect of the game, more areas, more enemies, more puzzles, adding boss fights. We’re also continuing to polish our core mechanics and narrative systems based on feedback. Expect consistent progress updates as we refine and expand the experience on social media. Q: What kind of feedback have you received on the demo so far, and how has it shaped your roadmap? Are you planning future demos or playtests to involve the community? The response has been amazing, we’ve loved seeing players pick up on the Resident Evil references and embrace the retro look. People have also given us tons of useful feedback on what they like and their main problems. We’re working hard to improve on the experience and really nail the classical feeling whilst minimizing frustration. We’re planning to host regular playtests through our Discord, especially as new areas come online. If you haven’t joined yet, hop in and try the demo on itch.io, we’d love your feedback. If you’re intrigued by what you’ve seen so

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