Wild Hearts review: Monster Hunter meets Death Stranding in a great RPG

In Building Wild HeartsPracticality is everything. For example, you can stack crates and combine torch-bearing column into firework cannons. You could also pile jumping pads onto each other to summon bouncing Hammers. All of these devices can be created in a matter of seconds. These contraptions can save your life during dangerous monster hunts. They are still very important.

These creations don’t just offer temporary aid — they linger in your world indefinitely after you put them in place.

You can travel incredible distances with vines. Wind fans will propel you higher than you ever thought possible. Crucially, you can also place these aids in other players’ sessions, and they can place them in yours. In a game about venturing into the wilderness to hunt monsters, harvest their parts, and use them to craft stronger gear, it’s the social value of these construction mechanics that makes the largest impact. You might like Death Stranding’s emphasis on communal striving in times of isolation, Wild HeartsEncourages you not to only give to others but also to make a difference in the world around you.

Was I skeptical? Wild HeartsYou will be astonished at how similar it is to Monster Hunter. Past attempts to capture the essence of Capcom’s series, such as Dauntless, didn’t quite nail the core elements — the tension during battle, iconic beasts that are a joy to (inevitably and repeatedly) smack down, and a strong cooperative factor. This latter came from my hunting experiences with coworkers at work in the breakroom. Monster Hunter GenerationsTo connect with the same friends via remote means Monster Hunter World And Monster Hunter Rise.

Image: Omega Force/Koei Tecmo Electronic Arts via Polygon

But this isn’t the first time developer Omega Force has attempted to emulate the thrills of a titanic competitor — it capitalized on the Soulslike frenzy with NiohAnd Nioh 2And indeed, the hunt-action genre is with ToukidenAnd Toukiden 2. It is part of this throughline. Wild HeartsThis is both logical and exciting.

Wild HeartsAs part of the new wave of monster hunting titles, aimed at improving quality-of life and simplified tutorials, he helped me to navigate its complicated web of mechanics and statuses. When I started sparring with some grandiose champions, it became obvious how Wild HeartsI was adding to its foundation established by its predecessors. I just didn’t expect a FortniteThe reinvention will be led by a symbiotic building mechanic.

While it may take some time to become comfortable with it, once you do, the building process can begin to flow. Wild HeartsThis becomes second nature. There’s an immediate satisfaction to creating a wall right before an enemy’s attack, leaving them stunned for a brief moment, or making them fall to the ground after a failed charging blow. You can jump crates to create that higher jump and avoid an approaching lava eruption, or to make sure you are safe.

Image: Omega Force/Koei Tecmo Electronic Arts via Polygon

Thankfully, these tools don’t disrupt the trademark tension of the genre. These constructions are called Karakuri and each one requires Thread, a special resource cost. The limit can be upgraded over time, but if you run out of the necessary material in the heat of the moment, you can either escape the reach of your prey and go off in search of it, or perform attacks to vulnerable points in a beast’s body to extract a chunk of it.

This alone can be enough motivation to work together. When up to three people are able to pool their resources, managing resources, and deciding on what to build is made easier. You can help each other finish a structure if the other person ran out of Thread, or create a wall to defend someone who was stunned by a beast’s attack. All of a sudden, your other teammate is gliding above the monster while shooting a cannon, shortly before you time the creation of a wall to interrupt the beast’s ground slam, like a wrestler carefully placing a foldable chair at the exact spot on the mat that will do maximum damage.

Many of these constructions (specifically, the ones labeled “Basic Karakuri”) are temporary. Battles can quickly bring down any constructions. However, you may be able to upgrade later with greater durability. However, Dragon Karakuri crafts can be used for a lifetime. Instead of using Thread, they draw energy from Dragon Pits, which are located in different corners of the game’s four islands. After you remove them you will be able to use the elemental resources they have available to create larger and better tools. These gadgets are becoming increasingly common on islands, and even appear as icons in the maps, which reminds me of Death Stranding’s In shared worlds players can create items to aid themselves and other people. While playing in friends’ sessions, I’d instinctively craft objects as if they were my own, only to realize that those might aid my friends long after I departed.

Image: Omega Force/Koei Tecmo Electronic Arts via Polygon

There are some key differences — Wild Hearts doesn’t place dozens of players in one session, there’s no ability to leave “likes,” and its feudal Japan is a far cry from Kojima Productions’ dystopian United States. But there’s an endearing sense of community in knowing that a flying vine I’ve made, which allows for quick traversal across a ravine or a shortcut to the top of a mountain where a beast had retreated, could aid the next desperate passerby.

It is possible to picture myself in weeks future, walking amongst the gadgets and creations that friends and me have scattered across our universes and thinking back at these early days. Wild Hearts. These structures are a mark of solidarity in a sport that might have been merely an homage. In Building Wild Hearts isn’t just a mechanical conceit. It’s the pillar of its identity.

Wild Hearts On February 16, the game will release on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. Electronic Arts provided a prerelease code for PC review. Vox Media also has affiliate relationships. Although these partnerships do not impact editorial content, Vox Media could earn commissions on products bought via affiliate links. Here are some links to help you find. additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.