Wild Hearts Reviews
If you allow yourself to become immersed in the gameplay of Wild Hearts and its systems, you’ll get much more out of it than you will initially realize. Because, for all of its irritations and faults, one thing Wild Hearts has in spades is, ironically, a lot of heart.
While some of the characters and narrative beats feel passable, Wild Hearts' core combat mechanics bring a new, addictive hook to the monster hunting genre fans will love.
While Monster Hunter still reigns supreme, Wild Hearts still holds its own in the hunting arena. Those on Xbox Game Pass shouldn’t hesitate to give it a go.
Perhaps my biggest takeaway from Wild Hearts is that I didn't once find myself lamenting for Monster Hunter. Wild Hearts was perhaps a risky endeavour, but it's one that's paid off with impressive results. While genre newcomers can treat the land of Azuma as a gateway to monster hunting, long-standing genre fans will find plenty here to keep them happy until the next Monster Hunter adventure arrives.
Omega Force returns to the hunt with a title that promises to be the beginning of a new successful series.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
A quick shortlist for one of my favourite games so far in 2023, Wild Hearts is a thrilling action RPG that's bound to scratch an itch for Monster Hunter fans while providing something alternative for fans of the genre.
Wild Hearts apes Capcom's monster-hunting series, and does so well while introducing new elements that enhance the genre.
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 occupies an intriguing position, both as its own game but also as one that takes its inspiration heavily from a beloved franchise. The familiarity is not a dealbreaker, and in fact, it helps as a starting point for players with its increased accessibility and improved quality-of-life features. The Karakuri system is easily the biggest innovation that takes things up a notch, and if more Kemono are on the way, then Wild Hearts is in a good place as the next step for your monster-hunting journey.
Irritating performance issues on PC aside, Wild Hearts is an impressive Monster Hunter clone that brings a lot of fresh ideas to the table.
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.
More than a Monster Hunter clone, Wild Hearts managed to be a worthy competitor to the Capcom series, thanks to its original ideas and handling of well-known concepts. Omega Force has delivered a new series that could well become a mainstay for the Japanese studio.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
When you get into the action and get into the right rhythm, Wild Hearts works. Too bad for some uncertainty too much that delays, or interrupts, this state of grace.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Wild Hearts is a refreshing take on monster hunting that features huge creatures, cool weapons, and highly useful support systems.
Wild Hearts is a must-play game. The atmosphere is typically Japanese, just like the unwieldy gameplay and combat. Also graphically you will not be impressed by this game, just like the story that fades quite a bit in the gameplay. However, this one is interesting and reasonably tactical. The game can also go quite deep in terms of RPG elements and you really have to delve into it and encourage you not to just figure everything out after an hour, because that is not possible. You will therefore spend many hours dissecting all possibilities and details. If you're not into that then this isn't the game for you. It's nice that you can play online, even cross-play, so you'll have regular help in boss fights, or bosses can be distracted by other players. We take for granted that the game looks quite dated graphically
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Wild Hearts does take a bit of time to get into but once you get past learning the ropes, the game does get really addictive. Even when away from it I often found myself thinking about different build to try out next time I played and which creature I would try to take down next, or which piece of gear should I focus on trying to upgrade, which is always a good sign for a game.
Wild Hearts is brilliant in so many ways – as an innovation on the monster hunting genre, in its beautiful mythologically-inspired feudal Japanese setting, and in just how good it feels to play moment-to-moment. Perhaps most of all, it succeeds in realising the ideology at its core, through gameplay. Adaptation and growth is the cycle at the heart of Wild Hearts. As your Hunter places each Karakuri, they embody the innovation of humanity adapting to the natural world. In every clash with the Kemono, humanity meets the ferocity of nature head-on, to survive and prosper. Wild Hearts has undeniably proven its right to survive, and carved out a place in the high echelons of the monster-hunting genre.
Wild Hearts is an amazing game that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the Monster Hunter titles as a formidable contender. Its fast-paced combat mechanics feel satisfying, and the integral Karakuri tech allows you to conjure things out of thin air – an opening window to countless possibilities. Through and through, it is a challenging experience that feels oddly satisfying once you manage to overcome the hardships of Kemonos. And the Kemonos themselves are undoubtedly the biggest star of the overall show. The only things that can be a bit of an issue are the long matchmaking times and the complex skill trees that may feel overwhelming from a newcomer’s perspective. Definitely worth a buy!
While having to hunt monsters driven from their habitat by human intervention and a lack of food engenders a sense of Shadow of the Colossus-level guilt, there's no avoiding the sheer depth and consistent enjoyment that Wild Hearts has to offer.