Cool Monster Hunter inspired game, abysmal performance | First Impressions - Wild Hearts

Wild Hearts is a new game that offers a unique blend of Monster Hunter-style gameplay and Fortnite building mechanics: an ancient technology called Karakuri magic. Players take on the role of a customizable hunter tasked with tracking down and defeating massive monsters known as Kemono, which are negatively affecting the world of Azuma and its inhabitants.

The game features a mix of exploration, combat, base building, and crafting. While the game is not an open-world title, it offers several large areas for players to freely explore. Each area is packed with hidden secrets, crafting materials, and challenging enemies, from harmless creatures to gigantic monsters that offer a unique experience every time. The world of Azuma feels alive,  heavily inspired by Japanese and Chinese culture, which is evident in its design and aesthetics. The attention to detail in the environment and level design is impressive.

At the start, we are greeted with an unnamed hunter, in which we can customize. The character creation impressed me straight away, as it boasts an expansive character creation system with great attention to detail. Many types of voices, faces, are available. Even the hair is highly customizable with different combinations of hair style, bangs, and color available. You also get a modern approach to gender with the option of a neutral pronoun identification.

The is backstory is open-ended and vaguely customizable while the story is a little laid back, just a hunter-wanderer who traveled to Azuma looking for a purpose. That very purpose may very well be saving Azume from these Kemono and taking back the land.

Once you complete the tutorial, Wild Hearts also features a fully integrated multiplayer experience, which adds an extra layer of fun to the game.  You can team up with two other players, either strangers or friends, and you can even join players on other platforms thanks to crossplay. With the semi open nature of the game, you can hunt Kemono together, or complete missions and quests that have you hunt down specific monsters.

Wild Hearts tries to make the gameplay novel by remixing some Fortnite elements into the game. By way of an ancient technology called Karakuri that allows you to instantly craft contraptions such as square blocks, bouncepads, and base building tools such as a tent, forge, and a fireplace. The concept seems out of place at first, something that’s not really needed by this gameplay archetype, but as it turns out, they work really well when integrated with the exploration, base building, platforming elements into the game, and they also blend well with the combat too, by using blocks and bounce pads to jump and dodge around monsters and to inflict heavier damage.

The combat can be quite tactical and rewarding, and it looks cool too, as Wild Hearts prioritizes flashy animations with a style over substance attitude. However, one downside is that the controls can feel a bit stiff and unresponsive due to the inability to cancel animations. But this is how Monster Hunter works, so it's a part of the genre's charm.

The players need to plan their attacks and make each one count, as there are consequences for reckless button-mashing. This adds an additional layer of challenge to the game, making it all the more satisfying when you take down a Kemono.

Unfortunately despite all the game’s bells and whistles, the game's performance is abysmal and unacceptable on PC as well as consoles, considering it doesn’t really look good either. The graphics can be blurry even at maximum settings. This can be a significant drawback, particularly for players who value graphical fidelity and stable performance.

Despite this, Wild Hearts offers an enjoyable and unique experience for players who enjoy Monster Hunter-style gameplay with a twist. Here’s hoping they can patch up the performance and graphical issues soon.