One of the best things about Nintendo’s commitment to third-party support on the Nintendo Switch 2 is the opportunity to discover new games for the first time. I’ve heard so many stories of people using the console as an excuse to play titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Yakuza 0, and Street Fighter 6, games they never would’ve played before, for the first time, due to the new enhancements and accessibility. I have even used the console as a way to revisit these games, as well as play new ones. One such example of the latter is Wild Hearts.
Wild Hearts is a game heavily inspired by the Monster Hunter franchise. Players can use various weapons to hunt monsters across the world, both big and small. What separates Wild Hearts from the Monster Hunter franchise is the distinctly Japanese-inspired setting and aesthetic, as well as the Karakuri mechanic, which lets players build structures with numerous utilities.
I have a passing interest in the Monster Hunter franchise (I like what I’ve played of World and Wilds, but I’ve not committed hundreds of hours compared to my friends), so when given the opportunity to try the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Wild Hearts, called Wild Hearts S, I was admittedly curious to see how the game handled on the new hardware and how the gameplay compared to similar titles. Unfortunately, I wasn’t too impressed with either the port or the game itself.
What Exactly is “Wild Hearts”?
It’s not hard to see what games Wild Hearts takes influence from. As mentioned previously, it is very clearly meant to evoke the Monster Hunter franchise and offer its own take on the beloved series. In that aspect, I’d say that Wild Hearts succeeds, save for one key mechanic that I would say detracts from the overall experience.
Wild Hearts begins with a hunter wandering through the forest, looking for new prey to track. In some dialogue with an NPC, you can outline your character’s backstory and why they hunt in the first place. In my case, the choices I picked helped to form a character in my mind who had been traumatized by the abundance of monsters, called kemono in this game, in their hometown.
From there, I got a chance to build a character, and I have to say: the options offered in the character creator are incredible. I love that you can pick two different sets of eye colors, and I especially enjoyed the option to select highlights for a character’s hair. I wish there were more distinct character trait options, but the choices available were quite compelling.
Once you get passed the opening few hours, where you are forced into an impossible encounter with a truly powerful kemono, a lot of Wild Hearts‘ unique qualities begin to truly shine. For one, there’s a very clear and present cultural influence. A lot of the language, terms, aesthetics, monsters, and even the mechanics of Wild Hearts are directly inspired by Japanese culture.
For instance, the term for monsters, “kemono,” is the Japanese word for beast. Karakuri, the game’s key mechanic that allows players to build various structures, is a term that represents a mechanism. There is very clear love and care put into every aspect of the game’s visual identity, and it initially drew me into the overall experience.
As for the actual moment-to-moment gameplay, I must admit that I didn’t find myself clicking with it as much as I did with the visuals. The actual combat is very similar to Monster Hunter. You are given the chance to choose from a few weapons early on (though you start with a katana), you hunt monsters while balancing the weighty combat with the need to target weaknesses, and use your loot to make new weapons and armor. It’s certainly an effective formula, if Monster Hunter is anything to go by.
At some points, though, the combat feels a bit too weighty. There is a feeling of unresponsiveness that, as I’ll mention later, I’m unsure is a problem with the game or an issue unique to the Nintendo Switch 2 version. I felt like I was button-mashing more often than not, rather than using my tools to make the right strategic decisions that would allow me to incapacitate monsters. By no means was it unplayable, save for one or two circumstances here and there, and I liked how Koei Tecmo added some unique flair to kemono encounters (the ability to spare smaller creatures is a great touch).
My biggest problem with Wild Hearts‘ gameplay is the karakuri mechanic. In theory, it’s a very unique concept that distinguishes the game from other entries in the genre. In execution, though, it feels more like a hindrance that absolutely kills the pacing of combat and exploration. Early on, you’re taught to use crates or springs to get the jump on enemies or get to greater heights in platforming. The former in particular is a great way to get some extra damage on a kemono, especially with how little damage your basic attacks do.
However, when you’re actually using a kemono in combat, it’s more arduous than anything. There’s an encounter with a giant boar kemono known as King Tusk, who is constantly charging at you and forcing you to react quickly, since dodging sometimes isn’t enough. You are required to build certain karakuri, namely crates that build a bulwark, to counter his charge attacks.
The problem is that building structures takes way longer than you should, and you need to take a moment to find a spot you can actually build in, all of which slows down the combat and your ability to counter an opponent. It was extremely frustrating, and there were a few moments where I had to stop myself from yelling at the screen, as I had to stop enjoying the already trying combat to build some karakuri quickly before I got attacked.
As a whole, I would say that Wild Hearts has a good gameplay premise with a flawed execution. This raises an important question, though: how does the Nintendo Switch 2 version, Wild Hearts S, add or detract from the experience? Much like the base game, this new port is the epitome of a mixed bag.
What’s New, What’s Old, What Works, What Doesn’t
Wild Hearts S has some unique attributes not seen in the original release. The biggest example of this is the choice to raise the maximum number of players in co-op from 3 to 4. While I wish this were a feature that would be universal across all platforms, it’s still a great addition that will likely lead to more fun with friends. I didn’t get a chance to try out the GameChat compatibility and post-launch content added in from the original Wild Hearts in depth, but the inclusion of both is worthwhile for fans looking for a solid reason to pick up the game on Switch 2 specifically.
Right off the bat, it’s worth noting that yes, the textures of Wild Hearts S are severely downgraded in comparison to its predecessor. This is an unfortunate reality of the hardware, as despite the improvements to the Switch 2 compared to the original Switch, some compromises will still need to be made in order to make certain games run well. That said, I’d argue that the visuals of Wild Hearts S as a whole are actually surprisingly impressive.
While some of the textures are rough, the character models and visual identity are still maintained. I was kind of surprised by how good the world looks in some shots. Plus, I’m thrilled to say that the game runs extremely well in handheld mode. There are very few frame drops, save for some moments during combat, and considering the type of game this is, I think that’s an impressive feat.
The characters, in particular, look absolutely lovely. There’s a great level of detail in the facial models that honestly surprised me, given the hardware. I do wish that the armor pieces for the hunter had a little bit more detail, but there’s only so much that can be done. Further, I do think that the compromises made to make this game run are certainly more vast than a title like Cyberpunk 2077. Yet, unlike Cyberpunk, the physical edition of Wild Hearts S is only playable via a game key card, further limiting any potential accessibility.
I also wish there were more options for performance vs. graphics. Unlike other games on the Nintendo Switch 2, which allow players to choose between prioritizing a higher quality or a higher framerate, Wild Hearts S has neither. Instead, you’re stuck with the default, which I believe is under 30 FPS at 1080p (Koei Tecmo has not given an official metric of the game’s targetted performance or resolution).
By far the biggest issue with Wild Hearts S is just how poor the game can feel at times. As mentioned previously, there’s an unresponsiveness to certain actions. Sometimes I’d press the dodge roll button and nothing would happen, which also applied to attacks, sprinting, and other actions. I only had this problem with Wild Hearts S, and it’s hard to tell if this is unique to this version of the game or a problem that dates back to the original version.
There are also moments when the performance can tank substantially, particularly in combat. It’s really hard to get a read on an enemy’s weakness when it feels like I can barely even perceive them due to the poor quality. Furthermore, there are some strange physics glitches here and there. Sometimes an enemy can send me flying at the drop of a hat, and at one point, my game softlocked because I got stuck in a wall. All in all, these issues further detracted from any enjoyment I had with Wild Hearts S.
All things considered, the Nintendo Switch 2 port of Wild Hearts isn’t that bad. That said, it is marred by several major issues in a game that I would already consider to be fairly mediocre.
A Mixed Bag
You can never really go wrong with the Monster Hunter series. Even when the franchise is at its most divisive, it still manages to be a great time for fans and newcomers alike. Many Switch players, in particular, had a fantastic Monster Hunter game with Rise, which helped to introduce a whole new audience to the beloved franchise. All this means that Wild Hearts was always going to have a hard time proving itself to Switch 2 players. After playing the game, I can’t say I was too impressed with its quality.
To be clear, there are some things that Wild Hearts absolutely nails. For one, the visuals and aesthetic are extremely well handled. The unique emphasis on Japanese culture helps to distinguish it from other entries in the genre. Plus, the characters and kemono all look great, even on the Switch 2. The basic combat and traversal mechanics are also quite fun, save for some unresponsiveness here and there.
That said, all of the good that Wild Hearts and the Switch 2 version accomplish is marred by several major issues. The karakuri mechanic is exhausting and ruins any of the appeal that the gameplay possesses, despite being so unique. Further, while Wild Hearts S runs fairly well on the Switch 2, the countless glitches and lack of performance or resolution options despite several massive compromises make it a hard game to justify to new players.
At the end of the day, that’s the biggest problem with Wild Hearts S. While there are some good qualities here and there, I can’t strongly recommend the port despite the reasonable price of $49.99. This sentiment applies regardless of whether you’re a fan of the original release of Wild Hearts, a newcomer who’s only familiar with Monster Hunter, or if this is your first entry in the genre. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that, unlike other third-party games that will make their way to the Switch 2, Wild Hearts S may be a game that slips through the cracks for a lot of people due to its mediocre quality.
Disclaimer: Koei Tecmo provided a Nintendo Switch 2 copy of Wild Hearts S for review purposes.
