Wild Hearts Review – A Bountiful Hunt

Wild Hearts is similar to Monster Hunter, other hunting-themed games. However, its emphasis on building gadgets in a culture steeped with Japanese folklore as well as feudal Japan helps it create its own identity. You can track large game and make new weapons and armor, just like Monster Hunter. The otherworldly version of old-world Japan is filled with mythical giants and it’s a wonderful place to live. This can be made possible by excellent weapon play, as well as a key feature: the ability to build powerful technology on the spot during hunts.

Slaying the game’s Kemono, Wild Hearts’ name for monsters like poisonous ravens, boars the size of houses, and other beasts inspired by and pulled from Japan’s folklore, quickly hooked me. All the weapons are unique and entertaining, from the katana and bladed Wagasa (basically, an umbrella you can parry), to the trusted hammer.

However, the Karakuri tech takes centre stage. The hunter is able to quickly build springs, torches, crates, and other equipment. You can quickly stack three springs together to make a huge hammer that will knock the Spinedlider off its perch or whack any Kemono. You can build enough crates to send Kingtusk the huge boar flying home. Flying enemies aren’t quite as fear-inducing when you can launch fireworks at them.

Karakuri technology is a frenetic and fun addition to your offense or defense. You can roll and slide in an emergency, but to be able to live you need to learn how to use a spring. You can also learn how to get that spring forward and lash out at monsters. The gadgets at your disposal aren’t just fun to use but are crucial aspects of the game. A boar can be killed if you lose a part or misplace it on an uneven surface. That’s super frustrating, but it thankfully doesn’t happen too often.

Another aspect of the game is more annoying and presents a daily challenge, however: The camera. Locking onto an enemy works the best, but even then, you might find the camera pointed at your hunter and some scenery as you desperately slash at a Kemono that’s out of view. Wrestling with the camera shouldn’t be this big of an issue in a game that requires such precision.

It’s a lot more enjoyable to have friends join you online missions. While your prey is busy, you have the time and resources to build Karakuri or assemble katana combinations. Wild Hearts can be enjoyed solo and is easy to manage. Playing alone I hit a wall with the boar early, but switched to a bow and applied upgrades. The armor was crafted, so it wasn’t too difficult. New weapons or upgrades were always the answer when I encountered a new Kemono. For better or worse I was able to climb up on top of trees and temples with my bow and rain down arrows at monsters that were hitting too hard. It’s cheap, but some areas let you win via this long strategy of attrition and guerilla warfare.

Hunting is a great way to make the most of your surroundings. Dragon Pits are a way for players to discover new places to create permanent Dragon Karakuri. This includes fast-travel shelters, fishing gear and gadgets to find Kemono. Travel is easy with fans, ziplines and gliders. They can also be reused for every hunt. This permanent structure gives the bamboo forest an old-fashioned feel. An area’s waterfront property becomes a small fishing industry for your hunter to make money. Slowly, you begin to take over hunting ground and feel concrete.

They are gorgeous and very evocative. The diversity and creativity found in every area is distracting, just like the bamboo forest. My journey to Kemono was not always easy. I needed to look around corners, climb hills, and find ways to get to an ancient temple. Little pieces of lore via scrolls or notes lay scattered around areas, telling brief histories of a wrecked ship or why vines have reclaimed an entire town and temple. These bits of lore were much more engaging than the game’s story.

There’s an overarching story in Wild Hearts, but it’s mostly forgettable. It’s a story about an archetypal warrior, full of tall tales and seeking the next glass of sake. But it didn’t grab me. Ancient technology, a mysterious figure, beasts devastating the human world – we’ve seen these tropes before. 

The gameplay matters most in Wild Hearts – it’s fresh, chaotic, and breathless. While it is not a complete rewrite of hunting, Wild Hearts does add to its appeal with the Karakuri gadgets as well as the arresting locations (not to forget the numerous ways you can traverse them), to provide a refreshing and welcomed perspective. Wild Hearts could have used a stronger story, the camera is not as sharp, but it’s still a highly engaging and enjoyable experience.