WILD HEARTS: Not another Monster Hunter clone

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monster hunter it’s amazing. Wouldn’t it be great to have more games like this? Koei Tecmo agrees and that’s why he created WILD HEARTS, a new game that follows in the footsteps of the Capcom saga. We have already tested its first hours and, right off the bat, we can tell you that it is a gem. You want to know more? Stay, because we will tell you 4 things that we loved about WILD HEARTS.

Before there is something very important that we must explain: What the hell is WILD HEARTS? We’re not going to tell you a long story: it’s a new monster hunting game developed by Omega Force, the same guys who made Dynasty Warriors, Hyrule Warriors Y Toukiden.

The phrase that can perfectly define WILD HEARTS is “rule a world gone wild.” Thus, using building and hunting mechanics, you will have to defeat powerful monsters known as Kemono in intense combat. In fact, that last thing is the first thing that hooked us, and that is that WILD HEARTS He has a fight that had us glued to control.

Related video: WILD HEARTS – Reveal Trailer

Light but intense combat

This combat system doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. In fact, what you will find is very similar to other action RPGs. This means that you should be prepared to review your enemy’s moves and attack on the indicated move. You still have to worry about making the right combinations of attacks and avoid leaving yourself open to a devastating attack.

Although the rhythm of WILD HEARTS can be considered fast compared to other hunting games, you are not free to attack without chains. What happens is that you have an energy bar that is spent when you attack, run and climb. In this way, the rhythm of combat depends on energy, creating a dance where you and the beast are ready to attack, but also to step back when necessary.

One element that makes this title special is the crafting mechanics. Not only do we mean that you will get resources to build items that will improve your camp and help you on your adventure, it turns out that in combat you will have tools called karakuri, which you can combine with your attacks to deal devastating damage.

For example, one of the first karakuris you will have is a kind of box that you use to jump. You can use this karakuri to reach higher places or to jump and hit your enemy from the skies. You can also put many boxes together to get higher or even match 6 to create a wall to cover yourself or make the Kemono stamp.

Your hunter’s combat style will revolve around the weapon you select. In our case we started with a katana, which allowed us to attack quickly without committing ourselves too much. Shortly after, we unlocked a bow that completely changed the way we faced battles, as we had to find space between ourselves and the Kemono to make it the victim of our arrows. The possibilities don’t end there, as you can also combine your weapons with the karakuri; for example, using a torch to burn your weapon and deal fire damage.

In the demo we were only able to test a few weapons, but Koei Tecmo promises that there will be 8 in total. Each one will have its own characteristics that will open up a range of possibilities for you to find the one that best suits your hunting needs. Additionally, it will allow each hunter to have a set role in 4-player co-op.

Now, as much as we liked the combat, we must accept that it is far from perfect. We imagine that the most inveterate fans of the genre will not feel entirely comfortable with the lightness of the movements. Also, we felt like there was only one way to deal a significant amount of damage, but maybe that’s a symptom of only playing the first few hours of the game.

In short, despite its problems, the combat of WILD HEARTS we were excited. The fights took us a considerable amount of time, but they were like seconds. Our adrenaline was pumping as we dodged the attacks of these dangerous animals and we felt like champions when one of our blows mutilated our prey. Just the intensity we expected from a game like this.

Every monster feels different

In the development version that we tested thanks to EA, we were able to face 3 different classes of Kemono. These creatures are found naturally over the course of the story, but fighting them first required locating them in an open area that can be explored in many ways.

What we loved about the different Kemono is that each one seems to have a unique identity. All the creatures had something in common: being huge beings with powers of nature, but nothing more, since the combat with each one felt like a different dance.

It is clear that the simpler elements of combat are similar. After all, it’s about beating the Kemono to defeat. However, the identity of each one goes beyond their design, which stands out thanks to the creative art direction reminiscent of princess mononoke.

It turns out that each creature had something that made the combat stand out. Perhaps they were fast and unrestrained or slow and powerful; they can even take advantage of the environment in different ways to harm you. In this way, the first confrontation against a Kemono becomes a ritual in which you know how that wild creature behaves.

Of course, it remains to be seen if that is maintained throughout the game, since we only tested a part of the adventure that promises to last more than 30 hours. However, what we saw in this section left nothing to be desired.

is not another monster hunter

We know what you are thinking. Every time a new game is announced where your mission is to fight huge monsters, the comparisons with Monster come. And let’s face it: Capcom is the king of the genre and any similar game seems to come to a duel to the death for the crown.

Nor are we going to want to cover the sun with a finger: it is evident that WILD HEARTS It takes inspiration from Monster Hunter, but come on, it’s not like I want to come in and take everything from him at once. Rather it is a title that has such deep respect for monster hunterwhich takes its bases to deliver something with its own identity.

Which makes that WILD HEARTS go to another address monster hunter It is found that combat delivers other types of sensations. The weight of your movements and attacks is much lighter, so your character’s movement is more like that of almost any action RPG than that of the Capcom saga.

To this we must add that the construction and management elements give it a lot of personality. As we said, being able to support each other with structures in combat opens up new possibilities and combinations that generate combat moments that you would never have imagined.

WILD HEARTSturns out to be a very friendly experience

Sometimes games that involve fighting giant creatures make many people’s legs tremble. We are not judging anyone, it is perfectly normal! Few want to get their ass kicked in the tutorial by a game and then feel bad about spending $70 on something they’re never going to touch again.

That’s not the case with WILD HEARTS. In fact, during the hours we tested it we were surprised by how user-friendly it is, even with newbies to the genre.

The combat is easy to understand and little by little it reveals its different possibilities to dominate it. Also, while the creatures look huge, defeating them is far from mission impossible.

Note: we do not want to say that WILD HEARTS be a piece of cake In total, we were able to fight off 3 creatures and one of them did kick our butt a couple of times; however, at no time was it a headache to adapt to the strategy we had to follow to beat him. We just weren’t adapting properly to what combat required of us.

Of course WILD HEARTS It still has a lot to prove to become the next hit of the monster hunting genre. We were only able to test his starting area and defeat a trio of his most powerful Kemono. However, our first few hours only served to leave us wanting to go back and fight more massive creatures.

WILD HEARTS It will arrive on February 17, 2023 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Series S and PC. Follow this link to see more news related to him.

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