Welcome to our review of Wild Hearts, the game that wants to outdo Monster Hunter with its own twist on the genre.
Wild Hearts is a unique twist on the hunting genre, where technology gives you a fighting chance against fearsome beasts infused with the ferocious power of nature itself. Take on these creatures alone or hunt with friends in seamless co-op.
No one remembers why the Kemono began their rampage through a once-prosperous Azuma. Fueled by desperation, they wield the power of primal nature at its most destructive. For a while, it seemed that none could stand against their overwhelming might. But hope arrives in the form of a formidable hunter armed with deadly weapons and ancient technology called Karakuri that could turn the tide of battle.
Developed for this generation of platforms by Omega Force, the Japanese studio behind the DYNASTY WARRIORS franchise, Wild Hearts takes you on an epic adventure set in a fantasy world inspired by feudal Japan.
The hunting genre in its whole is basically just dominated by a single franchise, Monster Hunter, ask any gamer, and aside from the occasional mention of God Eater, no one will really be able to name a title off of the top of their head. Enter Omega Force, one of my favorite studios with their view on this iconic yet very niche genre.
When I personally think about the genre, I think about slower attacks, complicated menus, and actions in order to survive. Increasingly difficult monsters are usually not even your worst enemies in this game, it is all about getting into a certain rhythm, the rhythm needed to go in for the kill, do your thing and unleash the best possible attack and then try to fall back or escape to the dead spot of the enemy. All very easy to write about, but it takes true class/skill to really pull them off.
On occasion, I do find my rhythm and am able to go slay whatever monster the game Wild Hearts threw at me, at other times, had to enlist the help of a fellow hunter online. I had my fair share of crossing over to help out others as well. I apparently had the right attack pattern to take down the big Tusked monster, so I helped out quite a few others.
This is where Wild Hearts caught my attention a little more than MonHun, it just felt like I was not sucking at the game from the start, which has in the past restricted my gameplay to just hours of trying (read FAILING) and then eventually giving up. One of my best Japanese friends Tetsu, is actually a real master and the last time I saw him, he just took on this massive beast on his own, clearly being on a different level as myself.
But that is ok, this game is more about the experience and working together, not to mention how incredddddibly pretty this Wild Hearts game is, from feudal Japan to massive beasts that just scream at you in the most impressive way. Like they are literally tempting you to make the first move.
Now in all fairness, I still very much suck at this genre, a genre that I would love to be better at, but alas, Wild Hearts did not manage to convince me to really invest hours needed to become a pro. As much as I liked the atmosphere and the graphics and even the combat, I just can not say that I would play this game on my day off for the twentieth time, I just can not click with the genre. As much as Wild Hearts really tried its best, making me very sure that when you love the genre, you will adore this game.
In conclusion, it is hard to review a game in a genre that you do not click with. Wild Hearts really tries very hard to be its own entity in this niche genre and well, I do recommend trying it out if you can, maybe you will click with it and become the ultimate warrior!
