Wild Hearts S

Creature capture games have been around for decades, and an extension of this genre, especially in the 3D realm, is the creature-hunter genre. Rather than capturing critters, fighting your bouts for you, and treating them with love and/or kindness, creature hunter games such as Monster Hunter and Dauntless are about a group of players hunting large, deadly, ferocious, and wild monstrosities to destroy limbs, shatter bones, and use these these materials to craft new weapons, armor, and accesso...

This port of Wild Hearts for the Nintendo Switch 2 is about what you'd expect. The visuals have been downgraded a little and performance isn't particularly stable. It remains one of the best alternatives to Monster Hunter around, though, and you can now team up with more players than ever before. Seriously consider picking this up if you want some monster-slaying fun.

2 1/2 years after its original launch, Wild Hearts has found a second life on Nintendo Switch 2

Wild Hearts S clearly takes inspiration from Capcom’s classic formula, but it puts its own spin on the genre to keep things feeling fresh. Battles are epic in scale, with the Karakuri system allowing you to adapt your approach on the fly. Whether used for offense or defense, this mechanic adds welcome variety to each encounter. However, as enemies grow more aggressive and fights become increasingly chaotic, the frame rate can noticeably dip. Combined with basic textures and a lackluster visual presentation, the presentation underwhelms. Even so, the addictive gameplay loop remains intact. Whil...

Wild Hearts S gives Switch 2 owners the chance to play Dynasty Warriors developer Omega Force’s monster-hunting game. It’s far from a perfect port, with a noticeable visual downgrade and choppy performance. But it’s still perfectly playable, and the game’s fantastic Karakuri system and interesting take on weapons and armor sets remain as refreshing today as they did in the original release.

You can’t talk about Wild Hearts S without understanding what’s gone before. This Switch 2 port comes some two years after Koei Tecmo’s ambitious hunting game appeared on other platforms, taking the monster hunting formula that Capcom originated, and building something that retained enough of the familiar framework, while creating new gameplay experiences within it.

Wild Hearts S is a satisfying, if unspectacular, addition to the Switch 2’s early library. The monster hunting and equipment building is just as rewarding and addictive as you would hope, and there’s tons of replayability here whether you’re playing solo or with friends. That being said, the technical performance is just okay, while the lack of any significant content additions to this re-release feels like a missed opportunity, especially if you previously played this on other platforms. I’d still give Wild Hearts a recommendation, as its blemishes don’t ultimately take too much away from its...

As a hunter, you will face off against beasts that have endured the blazing lava, raging blizzards, and rising miasma plaguing the harsh lands of Azuma. These beasts, known as Kemono, embody the very essence of nature in all its beauty and ferocity. The key to surviving the fight lies in joining forces with comrades and wielding Karakuri technology. Switch version reviewed. Review copy provided by company for testing purposes.

While Wild Hearts has a compelling visual style, aesthetic, and gameplay concepts, the actual execution of those concepts can be frustrating and make for a mediocre title. Further, the Wild Hearts S port for Nintendo Switch 2, despite its impressive visual quality, features numerous glitches and performance/quality problems that make it a hard game to justify, regardless of if you're a fan or newcomer.