Wild Hearts Reviews
Far more than just a Monster Hunter clone, Wild Hearts exceeds expectations and then some, mixing streamlined action with inventive new toys.
Sublime combat can only do so much to carry a flawed building system, too few monsters and terrible performance.
Wild Hearts’ building mechanics add a very fun twist to its familiar but well-executed co-op monster hunting formula.
"You'll need to stop and familiarize yourself with a monster and its attacks if you want to succeed"
Arguably the best Monster Hunter clone ever made and while it's not quite as good as Capcom's series it does have some unique and interesting ideas of its own – despite initial impressions to the contrary.
The gameplay matters most in Wild Hearts – it’s fresh, chaotic, and breathless. It does not reinvent the hunting genre, but it does just enough with its addition of the Karakuri gadgets and arresting locales (not to mention the myriad ways to traverse them) to give the genre a fresh and welcome perspective. A stronger story would have been welcome, and the camera leaves much to be desired, but Wild Hearts is a deeply engaging experience even with these faults.
I can picture myself weeks from now, strolling among the creations, gadgets, and objects that my friends and I have left littered across our worlds, thinking back on these early days in Wild Hearts. These constructions are marks of solidarity in a game that could have been mere homage. Building in Wild Hearts isn’t just a mechanical conceit. It’s the pillar of its identity.
Wild Hearts latches onto the familiar gameplay loop of Monster Hunter and infuses it with a fast-paced crafting system that lets you build your way to victory.
Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.
Though it can be a blurry mess at times, Wild Hearts does plenty right to justify a play by both monster hunter veterans and newcomers to the genre. The Karakuri system is genius and enhances an already fantastic combat experience, and co-op is wonderfully implemented, making it easy to group up with other hunters.
Wild Hearts is a more than solid proposal that manages to come out well from its comparison with Monster Hunter. Its distinctive points are clear and give the game a style of its own. The Japanese design and atmosphere convinces and although it is far from being a round IP, Wild Hearts could have a great future as a saga.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Wild Hearts has proved to be an immense surprise. It navigates the line between well-worn ground and exciting new innovation immensely well. It's the best non-Capcom hunting game we've ever had, and a hugely enjoyable action RPG in its own right.
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 is not only a great exponent of the genre, but it can also be a highly recommended entry point.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Wild Hearts often feels like a game that doesn’t want to be played. It’s fussy, it’s janky, and it constantly trips itself up. An erratic gameplay loop, an absolute bastard of a camera, and some ill-conceived weapon gimmicks prevent Koei Tecmo and EA’s experimental hunting joint from ever really succeeding where its genre rivals have. It’s ironic that building is such a core part of this game: if this is the start of a series, Omega Force has laid down some important groundwork, but it needs to make some serious structural revisions from the foundations up if it ever wants to look eye-to-eye with Capcom’s imposing juggernaut.
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 fantastic video game. It has so much flair and personality, and so much of it is designed with fun in mind.
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.
Irritating performance issues on PC aside, Wild Hearts is an impressive Monster Hunter clone that brings a lot of fresh ideas to the table.