As a gamer, I have fought a lot of weird and wonderful bosses. In fact, the boss battles are usually the main draw of video games. You spend the whole time honing your skills and then you get to test them out on a powerful enemy. So of course, it was only a matter of time before someone had the bright idea of having a game with ONLY boss battles. This is how we got games like Shadow of the Colossus, the Souls series and of course, Monster Hunter. However, there is now a new kid on the block, Wild Hearts. Let’s see how this game fares against the big boys!
Table of Contents
Story
The game is set in a Japanese-inspired world called Azuma which is a blend of feudal Japan and steampunk. You take control of a nameless hunter who is tasked with taking down giant monsters known as the Kemono. It’s as straightforward as it can be. There is a deeper story in place, but I found the portrayal very convoluted.
The game starts with just dumping you in the middle of nowhere and asking you to hunt the ‘kemono’ before actually telling you what you are hunting. You’ll have to assume that the weird thing in front is the kemono.
Soon after you get to finally meet an NPC called Mujina. He proceeds to give a long-winded exposition of the story. The first time you meet, he helps set up a back story for your character. Soon after, you get to create your own character and choose one of several pre-set voices. However, do note that your character is practically mute aside from shouting a few phrases during gameplay.
Following the initial set of monster battles, you are introduced to a vast human city called Minato. Which acts as the main player hub. Here, players can interact with other characters, take on quests, or trade items for better equipment. The place is quite vast with lots of places to explore, but little in terms of substance.
Graphics
The world of Azuma is colourful and gorgeous. There is a smidge of blurriness, but it adds a dream-like quality to things. It also makes the game look like a watercolour painting. It sort of reminds me of Okami, which I consider to be one of the most beautiful games ever made.
However, the vibrant colours and art style can make it difficult to see what exactly is going on at times. This is quite a concern as the action can get quite frenetic. But, it is also the part where Wild Hearts makes up for all its issues. This neatly brings us to gameplay.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Wild Hearts is what ties everything together. It’s fast-paced, frenetic and tests your skills. I like to think of it as a cross between Shadow of the Colossus and Dark Souls, but the comparison to Capcom‘s Monster Hunter Series is pretty evident.
The game is said to have about 20 different monsters/Kemono that players can duel with, with each Kemono connected to a certain element. For example, the first Kemono you tackle is called a Ragetail and is essentially a cross between a giant rat and a blooming flower.
Attacks in the game are quite ‘souls-like’. You have to know when to attack and when to dodge, which has become quite common in many games. The difference maker is the Karauri mechanic. This lets you create elaborate wooden constructions at any time. For example, you could create a wooden box to do a leap off and do massive damage via a leap attack. You can also unlock more Karakuri to additional moves. For example, you can create a springboard Karakurii for faster traversal and for getting out of the way of certain attacks. These Karakuri are created with a resource called ‘thread’ which can be collected by destroying trees or rocks, so are pretty much unlimited.
Before the battle, the game will ask if you want to call in assistance from other players or tackle the create on your own. If you choose the former, the game will summon up to two additional players to help you take on the Kemono. This can be quite handy and can help you take down these monsters faster as their focus will keep shifting between players. If you want, you can also search and assist other players with their battles if you’re looking for a change of pace.
The most annoying bit of the gameplay is that once a Kemono is sufficiently damaged, it will run off and you will have to chase it. This happen three to four times during a battle and I felt that this killed off all the excitement that had built up during the battle itself.
It should also be noted that the game doesn’t really do a lot of hand-holding and demands quick reflexing and learning of how to properly use the Karakuri for great efficiency in battle. Otherwise, you will end up dying a lot or your battles will go on for a very long time.
Verdict
Wild Hearts has a lot to offer to players. The game features gorgeous graphics that look just like a watercolour painting. The gameplay is tight and battles with the Kemono are fun once you get the hang of the Karakuri mechanic. The game also encourages multiplayer without necessitating it.
However, the story is extremely convoluted and the player can feel absolutely lost at times. Moreover, the steep difficulty gradient can be a deterrent to some players. However, if you can go beyond that, Wild Hearts definitely has something special to offer. Especially for those looking for a Monster Hunter-style experience.
Rating: 3.5 / 5
Pros:
- Beautiful aesthetics
- Battling monsters is fun
- Karakuri mechanic makes things unique
Cons:
- Convoluted story
- Steep difficulty curve
More info
Developer: Omega Force
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC
Reviewed on: Xbox Series X
