Sayonara Wild Hearts Reviews

Everything works in concert in Sayonara Wild Hearts. It’s sublime.

Sayonara Wild Hearts is a simplistic trip through an album wrapped up in a visually pleasing package. Reminiscent of Bit Trip Runner, with more emphasis on the endless running rather than the platforming. However, does it do enough to set itself apart from being just an interactive album?

In its one-hour runtime, Sayonara Wild Hearts transcends video games and becomes not just a playable pop album, but a hypnotic self-help soundtrack. It's an endorphin factory.

Sayonara Wild Hearts is a shot of pure positivity to the heart, delivered with excellence, fun, and finesse through a staggeringly bold and bop-worthy soundtrack.

That's the heart of it, really. I think Sayonara Wild Hearts reminded me of all the cool things I've liked over the years, because it's not saying anything deeper than "Cool things are fucking great, and being cool is great too." Which is fine. It's all said in this incredibly alluring wash of pink and blue and purple, this brief flowerbloom of a game, this stylish, inescapably cool thing that references Tarot without, you know, trying too hard about it. It is the older girl with a leather jacket who smokes behind the gym. And, like her, it is intimidating, and will make few concessions to you. You may, perversely, find that you want Sayonara Wild hearts to like you.

Sayonara Wild Hearts is easily Apple Arcade’s first “killer app” and a must play if you’re a subscriber, interested in music games, or just want to try something new. The synergy between the visuals, gameplay, and music raises the bar for the genre.

It’s hard for me to say too much about Sayonara Wild Hearts, because the experience I had going in was one of pure discovery, and I want that same eager foray into this neon world for everyone. If you’re even mildly curious, I recommend simply getting it now. Your curiosity will be rewarded with an unforgettable experience, like the first time you listened to one of your favorite albums all the way through. Carve out an hour of your day, grab some headphones, and simply experience this game from start to finish the way it was meant to be discovered. Still not convinced? Maybe I can help with that.

Let it be known that one needs to really play Sayonora Wild Hearts in order to truly experience it. Everything here describing the game honestly can't do it justice. The graphics are a pure blast of neon joy and the soundtrack is absolutely stellar, but when combined with simple yet addictive gameplay that takes so many wonderful twists and turns, it creates this sort of trippy experience that you only see once in a blue moon. This is easily some of Simogo's best work and should not be missed out on. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to play this album over and over again just for the tunes alone. "Wild hearts never die, wild hearts never die..."

For everyone else though, Sayonara Wild Hearts is best enjoyed without pressure. Put on some headphones, get yourself comfortable and let the game’s audio and visuals wash over you. By all means, try to get a good score while you’re at it, but the true beauty of Sayonara Wild Hearts is simply enjoying the exceptional music and getting lost in the visuals. Mistaking this for a simple rhythm game is to do it a disservice. It may be less than that in terms of gameplay, but it’s a hell of a lot more in terms of audiovisual accomplishment.

When Sayonara Wild Hearts was first announced last year atthe Game Awards, I was immediately drawn in by the anime-esque art style, dreamy visuals, and all of the neon colors.

Sayonara Wild Hearts is a shining example of using a game’s design to say something meaningful while also making it look cool as hell. The game controls simply with the analog stick and a single button. What makes it stand out is its music, its look, and its mood.

Sayonara Wild Hearts is the video game equivalent of Prince: it’s extremely short and its journey maybe ends a little sooner than you’d hoped, but it packs so many varied and beautiful ideas into its brief life and masters so many different styles that even though there’s a real disappointment it’s over so quickly, what it did give you will remain with you for an extremely long time. A true creative masterpiece.

Wild hearts can't be broken.

Sayonara Wild Hearts plays more like an extended interactive music video than it does a traditional video game, but it’s still a wonderful time. It offers little in terms of challenge (if you aren’t hunting high scores) or substantial player input, but the stirring soundtrack and impressive art and animation all lead to a moving experience that culminates in a joyful finale.

It’s not so much heart-pounding, as heart-swelling action, and it’s a hugely uplifting experience, despite the melancholic narrative set-up.  It’s a rare thing in gaming to find something as gloriously life-affirming, and I’m already praying that Simogo feel up to a difficult second album. We need that right now.

Annapurna Interactive’s 2017 entrance into the video game publishing scene made a statement about the kind of games it was interested in. What Remains of Edith Finch and Gorogoa, both published by Annapurna that year, were inventive titles that delivered creative visuals and unique gameplay. With original games like Florence, Telling Lies, Donut County, and Outer Wilds and ports of games like Journey and Flower, Annapurna has put a clear focus on arthouse experiences. SAYONARA WILD HEARTS is yet another of these, and like so many of Annapurna’s other projects, it’s a damn good one.