Wild Hearts’ kemono monsters are more than just big lions, tigers and bears

Omega Force’s line of Warriors games is what makes it most famous (Dynasty Warriors et. al. ), but the Koei Tecmo-owned studio’s next project returns to a genre it last flirted with a half-decade ago with Toukiden: monster hunting. Wild Hearts, which Electronic Arts is publishing, takes the style of game popularized by Capcom’s Monster Hunter and gives it a few twists, letting players take on massive creatures mutated by their natural environments and throwing in a bit of tower-defense mechanics.

EA and Omega Force showcased more kemono creatures at The Game Awards on Thursday. Wild Hearts. There’s an ice-infused wolf named Deathstalker, a hawk infused with maple trees and sunlight known as Amaterasu, and tiger named Golden Tempest that’s infested with roots and gold dust.

These are the creators Wild HeartsIn an interview with Polygon over Zoom, earlier this week, they explained to Polygon that the kemono beasts of Kemono were made to seem plausible, despite being magical and terrifying in their ability to attack and survive.

The design of kemono started with the game’s boar creature, a beast with giant tusks and an abundance of eyes that is infused with the trees of its surroundings. The environment in which wild animals live is a major factor that they have an effect on the environment. Wild HeartsPolygon was told by Yu Oboshi, art director through a translator.

Image: Omega Force/Koei Tecmo/Electronic Arts

“The boar was the first kemono that we conceived,” said Marina Ayano, another art director on the game. “[Wild Hearts]There are several themes in this book, including the threats to nature and animal life, as well as how these merge. [together]We considered many options when designing the boar. But we wanted to maintain the boar’s rawness and its infusion with nature.

“The original kemono [form]It is timid, but it becomes aggressive as it grows. We wanted to maintain the elements of the original animal and the elements of nature, once we finalized the boar, other kemono followed suit.” Ayano noted that the art team took inspiration from ukiyo-e artwork, hanafuda cards, and religious shrines and temples to create its unique enemies.

Takuto Edagawa is the game director. Wild HeartsKemono, which are naturally-occurring creatures, can be found in the following: “There’s something that has allowed them to evolve over time, and become infused with nature,” Edagawa said. “This is normal in their world — that was the design intent behind it. While they are the enemy of your game, they’re not necessarily a villain. They’re fighting for survival too; what they want is against the interests of the humans in the game.”

Image: Omega Force/Koei Tecmo/Electronic Arts

Edagawa stated that Wild Hearts does not carry an environmentalist or ecological message “but there was the question of ‘What is nature to us?’ Nature is not aware of human beings, and what we do to it. While we can have positive and negative effects, animals don’t know this. Nature is circular — things come and go — and that is part of our story.”

As they fight kemono, players will have to pay attention to what’s around them. The In Wild HeartsA fight might take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes for each individual, while 15 to 25 is considered the best time, according to developers. An infused monster may appear calm and serene, reflecting its natural environment. It may then become more angry, or change to autumnal colors, as it nears death. The environment can affect the way kemono react to battle. For example, a monster that has been infected with snow and ice will be different than a variant affected by wind or heat.

Don’t worry, though, arachnophobes. One thing players won’t face in Wild HeartsAccording to developers, giant bugs and insects are not possible. Developers said instead that you can expect angry, giant-sized, nature-infused apes and porcupines as well as rats, wolves and boars. Wild HeartsXbox Series X, PlayStation 5 and Windows PC are available now.