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Wild Hearts review: an impressive monster battler that’s perfect for beast-brawling newcomersBut beware the stuttersaurus that eats PC players alive
But beware the stuttersaurus that eats PC players alive
There’s a touch of poetry to the wayWild Heartscarves so liberally fromMonster Hunter. After all, Monster Hunter is a series about an unknown newcomer toppling ancient beasts, chopping up their best bits to create weapons and armour. Forget sleeves, Wild Hearts wears its inspirations as a complete set of clothing crafted from the bones, fur, and teeth of Capcom’s increasingly popular series. Inevitably these materials may feel lesser than the whole from which they were harvested, but they are worn proudly and with confidence nevertheless.
WILD HEARTS Official Story Trailer | Welcome to MinatoWatch on YouTube
WILD HEARTS Official Story Trailer | Welcome to Minato
Battles follow a strict loop. You choose which beast you’d like to brawl from a map, then after some tracking you’ll find the monster, who will proceed to muster everything in its power to ensure you have an absolutely terrible time. Fights are tense and chaotic, frequently stretching past the 20-minute mark as you desperately attempt to fell this humongous creature without the comforting aid of a health bar letting you know how close you are to your goal. There is a rhythm to combat, a balance and a beat in your dance of death. In small pockets of calm you’ll guzzle down health juice, and so too will the monster retreat to its lair to lick its wounds as you both prepare for your next encounter. After tracking it again and eventually dealing the final blow, the battered carcass can be harvested for precious upgrade materials that will aid you in your future monster bashing endeavours.
The gritdog - a sort of dog-racoon hybrid - is my favourite monster of the bunch. They’re capable of mimicking your Karakui, creating bombs and walls out of a soot-like substance. They also have a move where they pat their belly for a bit, which is as adorable as it is dangerous.
Whacking a big pig with a hammer made me laugh throughout my entire time with the game. The simple joke of a huge wooden mallet bonking an unsuspecting creature on the noggin’ never gets old. Karakuri make fights more dynamic and interesting, sure, but they also make them more fun which is just as important. They can be used outside of battle, too, letting you access more permanent structures so you can carve shortcuts into the game’s open spaces. These Dragon Karakuri - as they’re referred to in the game - aren’t as exciting as the trinkets you use in battle, but they allow you to make your mark on what would otherwise be little more than a twisty combat arena.
Each weapon comes with its own Karakuri specific special moves. Hovering in the air while using the cannon, for instance, lets you blast monsters from the relative safety of the sky for a few short moments.
Still, as is so often the case with a first attempt, Wild Hearts is not without its flaws. Monster designs are brilliant and expressive (their rage forms, which cause trees and other flora to erupt from the earth as they roar with anger, a particular highlight) but variation is unfortunately limited. This will no doubt change as inevitable DLC packs or sequels are released, but as it stands a few additional monsters wouldn’t have gone amiss. The same can’t be said for the game’s story, which probably could have benefited from being scaled back. Things happen and people talk to you about them, but the actual content of these conversations and events is so bland and uninteresting that I genuinely can’t recall a single thing that happens. The fact you’re infrequently presented with a dialogue choice is laughable. It literally doesn’t matter, and the wider story can be summarised as “go and punch those monsters before they turn around and punch you”.
Neither of these dialogue options have any effect on the story. Sometimes the game will provide you with just a single option, which is laughably pointless.
Even with the stuttering though, I adored my time with Wild Hearts. This is a fierce competitor to Monster Hunter and a great starting point for newcomers to the genre. A small part of me suspects that a sequel will see the game’s ideas coalesce in a way that makes Wild Hearts essential, but even in this slightly rough form, Omega Force has created one of the finest games of the year so far.
