The idea behind Wild Hearts seems like it might be a cynical cash grab at the behest of Electronic Arts. At the time it was announced, Monster Hunter: World and Fortnite were dominating the charts, and it would be easy to imagine a soulless corporate executive thinking, “What if Monster Hunter and Fortnite were combined?”, as if combining both titles would result in gaining both audiences. Developed by Omega Force and originally published under EA Originals, this feudal Japan-inspired adventure sadly found its way lining the bottom of bargain bins. Those who played it swore by its excellence, while the rest of the gaming scene gave it a collective shrug. While it met a tragic fate quickly as Electronic Arts swiftly dropped all support, Koei Tecmo, still believing in Wild Hearts, aims to give it a second chance on the Nintendo Switch 2. How does this criminally overlooked hunting epic fare on new hardware, and what kinds of new features can gamers expect in Wild Hearts S?
The story centers on the protagonist, a lone hunter, who arrives in the rural village of Minato seeking purpose. Azuma is plagued by Kemono, creatures infused with nature’s fury, which have grown increasingly aggressive, disrupting the balance of the land. Like Princess Mononoke or James Cameron’s Avatar, the story explores themes of humanity’s relationship with nature, as the Kemono are embodiments of the land’s spirit, corrupted by an unknown force. The story, while serviceable, functions as a thin thread to tie hunts together.
Where Wild Hearts S‘ strength lies is in its combat. Eight bespoke weapon types that range from the oversized Nodachi to the eclectic metallic umbrella offer varied playstyles that feel weighty and responsive. Each weapon’s move set is deep, encouraging mastery through practice, whether chaining combos against a towering Ragetail or dodging the earth-shaking slams of a Kingtusk. The combat reaches its full potential when paired with the Karakuri system, a Fortnite-like crafting mechanic that summons everything from spring-loaded platforms to massive bulwarks mid-battle. This system transforms hunts into dynamic playgrounds, where building a gliding crate to escape a charging beast or stacking walls to block a fiery blast feels as rewarding as landing the killing blow.
Compared to Monster Hunter Rise, Wild Hearts feels faster, and some of its design choices streamline the experience while deepening in other areas. Even swinging around the largest, heaviest weapon feels snappier compared to the methodical combat in Monster Hunter. Setting up camps and placing essential facilities like forges and smithies anywhere on the map, and building ziplines for convenient traversal makes travelling more flexible than its Capcom counterpart. This offers more freedom compared to the fixed camp locations in Monster Hunter games. The hunts also run much shorter and feel less tedious, making the grind for elusive Kemono parts less painful.
The Karakuri crafting mechanic injects a fresh twist into the familiar Monster Hunter formula, making every encounter into a mad dash of MacGyver-like gizmos and Kurosawa swordplay. While eight weapon types may seem slim, the Karakuri system lets players craft tools like springboards, walls, portable helicopters, or explosives on the fly, adding a layer of environmental strategy absent in Monster Hunter or Omega Force’s own Toukiden. While Monster Hunter’s fights emphasise positioning and timing, Wild Hearts S feels more dynamic, turning battlefields into playgrounds of improvisation. Sometimes Karakuris can occasionally feel clunky under pressure when facing down a large porcupine with quills the size of Buster Swords, barreling toward the hero.
Porting to the Nintendo Switch 2 came with some compromises. While the fantasy feudal Japan setting bursts with color, cherry blossoms flutter over misty valleys, and bioluminescent vines curl around ancient ruins, there is no mistaking the shadows and texture quality being subpar. The image quality bears some rawness to the pixels, making for some harsh visuals, especially on some of the hairy creatures. Monster designs are still a highlight, each Kemono a blend of majestic and terrifying, from the lava-spewing Lavaback to the oafish Sapscourge. The attention to detail in their animations and environmental interactions is seemingly preserved in this port.
During battles, when Kemonos are badly wounded, they get worked up into a wild frenzy, often tearing the level apart and ripping trees from the earth and leaving a trail of destroyed flora. As expected, the outrageous spectacle is a lot to handle for the Nintendo Switch 2, and the frame rate goes all over the place. It was admirable to target 60fps, but these battles are a lot to take in due to the endless variables of the destructible Karakuris and the dynamic way the Kemono interact with the world. Sound design complements this, with roaring beasts and clanging steel underscored by a stirring orchestral score evoking sweeping samurai epics.
When Wild Hearts originally released, the co-op maxed out at three players, but on Nintendo Switch 2, Wild Hearts S increases the count to four. Regretfully, the older version won’t be updated to support the extra player, and so this new iteration won’t have cross-platform support. Other notable aspects are that an EA account won’t be necessary to play and that the Nintendo Switch 2 GameChat feature is supported for subscription holders. All of the Karakuri Edition content is also included, which entails a couple of cosmetic outfits and some emotes. Admittedly, the Karakuri Edition content was a pitiful surcharge for anybody who bought it.
Having an extra player join in on the hunts is a worthy addition that makes already chaotic battles become utter bedlam. With more players means more Karakuris on the field, and the result is almost unfair for the unsuspecting Kemono. A lot of the time, the brawls are so hectic that coordination becomes impossible when the poor creature has no idea what to do and panics, smashing anything in its path. The extra variables are worth it even for vanilla Wild Hearts veterans to give it a go.
The Wild Hearts S monster roster, though beautifully crafted, feels lean, with some repetitive encounters creeping in during the late game. The Karakuri system, while innovative, can be finicky, with precise placement sometimes clashing with the heat of battle. These issues don’t derail the experience but keep it from reaching the genre’s full potential.
