Wild Hearts Reviews
Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.
I love Monster Hunter, and Wild Hearts isn’t perfect, but it improves and diversifies on that formula in ways I don’t think any fan of this genre should overlook. I want to keep being in this world and I can’t wait to see how Koei Tecmo continues to expand upon it.
Wild Hearts seems to have the right ideas about what a modern monster-hunting game needs. If it could inject some of the flashier bits from their other games, then Omega Force would definitely have a fierce competitor on its hands in the monster hunting genre of games. Right now, it does of course stand in Capcom’s shadow, but suddenly this subgenre has started heating up. Competition breeds innovation, and it’s exciting to wonder what we’ll see next.
While the game stumbles here and there regarding camera issues, story, and a lack of enemy variety at launch, Koei Tecmo's Omega Force and EA's latest game still manages to land on its own two feet. A brilliant crafting system makes Wild Hearts unique and a lovely addition to the hunting subgenre.
It is a shame that Wild Hearts launched in the state it is in. The gameplay loop of hunting monsters and using their parts to create gear is addictive, the weapons are entertaining to use, the Karakuri system is deep and filled with secrets, and the world of Azuma is beautiful and immersive. Yet the horrendous optimization issues bring down the experience and, in worst cases, render the game unplayable on certain platforms.
Wild Hearts is a solid enough first attempt at taking on the Monster Hunter crown, but its occasionally frustrating battles, its rather small number of monsters and the fidgety nature of its admittedly inventive gadget system mean you have to put up with a fair degree of irritation if you want to see it through.
This wonderfully weird creature-hunter has an unending supply of memorably unhinged, massive foes; it may not be an all-timer but it's fun while you're fighting
Ultimately, Wild Hearts feels like it was made for a group of hunters. Playing solo isn’t beginner friendly, and is relatively time-consuming. While the gameplay and battles are enjoyable as a whole, combining building with tactical fighting, we couldn’t help but feel like the stutters and slow pace held us back from the fast-paced experience we looked for. Nevertheless, for any Monster Fan, new or experienced, this is a fantastic addition to the genre — although it doesn’t seem to have quite garnered a podium position just yet.
Wild Hearts should thrive in its post-launch life as new updates accrue, while players devise and trade loadout strategies and boss techniques. Additionally, Koei Tecmo has stated that no microtransactions are planned, with new karakuri, weapons, kemono, and quests expected in the coming months. Our review encompassed single player only, and the game is a completely reasonable and satisfying challenge in offline mode, with an engaging story that builds to some gratifying peaks. Wild Hearts is a class act and an impressive first step at a franchise that feels entirely original, in spite of its direct Monster Hunter competition looming large.
Wild Hearts have dismantled the beast, and retrofit its parts into something more accessible and highly addictive in its own right. Obnoxious exposition and an uninspired narrative can sometimes get in the way of its well crafted gameplay loop, but the thrill of the hunt is more than worth it.
Wild Hearts is an innovative, interesting hunting game that explain the mass genocide committed by hunters. Net of a few camera defects and too many reskin, it is a solid game that brings a breath of fresh air to a genre that is a little too scared of Monster Hunter's shadow.
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If the developers were hoping to launch an IP that could stand side-by-side with other monster-hunting games, they can rest easy. Wild Hearts shares some mechanics with other titles in the genre, but it’s best when staking out unique territory. Hunting Kemono alone and with others, using the Karakuri, and just enjoying the game’s satisfying loop are all a lot of fun. Best of all, Wild Hearts has the mechanical foundation and potential for endless DLC and sequels. If they can live with its slightly disappointing visuals, fans of that “other” monster-hunting game have a viable and addictive alternative in Wild Hearts.
I would like to see some improvements to AI and things in the future but with an aggressive post launch plan that includes more monsters (kemono) and story beats, Omega Force is firmly behind Wild Hearts and that can only mean good things for the monster hunting market at large.
Wild Hearts is, at times, an utterly thrilling game. It's a game that will leave you kicking yourself for a poorly timed dodge or a missed opportunity, and jumping out of your chair when you finally topple a troublesome foe with a last-ditch, go-for-broke attack. There's a handful of technical issues, a mite too much repetition, and some quibbles about the difficulty, but the core monster hunting experience is spectacular enough that the joys far outweigh the frustrations.
Wild Hearts couldn't have been a better start for a new IP. While the experience shares more than a few similarities with that of the Monster Hunter series, the unique monster design, the great weapon variety and the Karakuri crafting mechanics give the game a unique flavor that makes it stand out easily among similar games. Performance issues, sadly, impact the experience considerably on all formats, preventing it from reaching greater heights, but even in its current state, the game is a more than worthy purchase for fans of the genre.
WILD HEARTS marks the emergence of a worthy new AAA franchise. While the game suffers a bit from some minor technical issues on PC, the core gameplay is astoundingly strong. The mixture of wildly creative Kemono monsters and player-built karakuri creates a strong, addictive cocktail of fun. The challenge level is high, but victory feels triumphant. Highly recommended.
Although WILD HEARTS puts up a valiant effort to capitalize on the success that Monster Hunter has found in the West these past few years, it still leaves a lot to be desired. The most disappointing aspect is how bogged down it is with technical issues that prevent a seamless online co-op experience. A lot of the joy in hunting monsters is being able to do it with friends. Despite featuring cross-platform play, I preferred to play WILD HEARTS alone rather than be bothered with the slow-downs that I encountered. It shows great promise with their weapon types and the upgrading mechanics, but ultimately WILD HEARTS feels like an unfinished product. I hope that the upcoming content updates can turn that around. In the meantime, I’d look elsewhere for getting that next hunt in.
Wild Hearts is a blast from beginning to end, and the combination of Karakuri with streamlined, snappy combat, makes it a joy to pick up and play. Newcomers to the genre or those who have always been intimidated by Monster Hunter should start here. But there is a very real possibility you may just stick with Wild Hearts for its unique aesthetic and streamlined mechanics, on top of the incredible Karakuri system.
Wild Hearts is ultimately a monster-hunting game, and just as in Monster Hunter, the core flaw of just how arduous it can be to take down prey, even with a little help from your friends, is present here. The story, though, at least provides a bit of motivation in hard times. Namely, the game’s main hub world, a fishing village powered by magic, provides some surprisingly poignant little tales worth seeing through to the end, and which home in on the important role that you play in helping to provide for that community. The results of your good work are tangible when those tales are said and done, which in the end makes the monster hunting at the center of Wild Hearts feel, if not less like work, then at least purposeful.