Wild Hearts S - Review

When Wild Hearts released, I reviewed that version and enjoyed it, but it had some issues. The developers did release a number of updates post release; I never went back to the game as other reviews required attention. So, with the release of Wild Hearts S on Nintendo Switch 2 it felt like it was time to jump back in.

Content wise, there is very little different here to the original release, there are some differences in options and such, but the content is mostly the same. That just means that if you have sunk dozens of hours into the original release, there is going to be little here that is new for you. However, that does not mean there is no reason not to play the game again, like I did. If you want to know about the story, then be sure to check our original review, because as I said this is the same. Instead, this review is more about the Nintendo Switch 2 features because they do make things more open for players.

The first thing I wanted to touch upon is just how much they have adjusted the balance of things. This does not mean that the developers have made the game super easy or any such nonsense, but rather they have tightened things up. They have made some adjustments to how some of the Kemono behave when they run away, which likely won’t matter to most players. Something that I found is that some of the more challenging beasts originally, like the Kingtusk or the Lavaback were easier this time around, don’t get me wrong I took a few licks in fighting them, but I was able to take them down without needing to restart the hunts. Something else that I noticed is that most beasts were less eager to engage if they spotted me across the map, which I appreciated when I was not actively looking for a fight.

Perhaps the most unique addition to this release is the fact that the game now supports 4 players online, whereas the other versions only support 3 players. While I did play with one other player in some online matches, I can’t say how the addition of a fourth character might impact the fights, but maybe once the game is out, I can find out. The other addition is that you can play the game locally, which means sitting around with mates and playing together. This was not something I could test as a mate who was playing the game did not live close by, in fact I forgot this feature was in the game. When I was sitting at the campfire, one of the options was new and that was play locally. Given the online worked without issue and other games play locally fine, I will assume it is the same here. The game did make use of Nintendo’s GameChat feature and it worked, there really isn’t much to say about it beyond that.

Something that I was honestly stumped about were the visuals, when Koei Tecmo released the 4-player gameplay video, part of me looked at the game and wondered why it looked so bad. I just assumed that it was from a development build that was older, I see it all the time in my early hands on with titles. But running around Harugasumi Way, Minato and even Fuyufusagi Fort, things looked weird to me. I did jump back onto my Xbox version to make sure I was remembering when the game looked like and it turns out I mandela effected myself. The games look the same, they even have the same issues loading in elements, though on Nintendo Switch 2 it seems more pronounced at times. This was something I first noticed in the opening sequence where you chase after a deer, again I replayed this on Xbox just to confirm and the same issues happened there. One of the weirder effects I noticed was when viewing the landscape from up high, there was a clearly visible line where the game stopped loading in the high-res assets. If these issues were happening in areas with a lot of detail, you might forgive things, but even in Natsukodachi Isle, which is known for its cliffs and mountainous terrain, the amount of pop in was extreme.

If you can overlook those issues, or you don’t care about them, then the game looks great. Characters are still showing some great detail, though their hair often has that weird effect that most Japan developed games have. The locations still have some wonderful sites with the Akikire Canyon again being a delight for me and Minato still has a lot going for it. The character creation suite is still robust and again does not limit your desires for characters that are built like a brickhouse, or covered in the most scars possible. The kemono designs are still a highlight and once you bring one down and can get up close to them, without fear of becoming paste on the ground, you can see all the details.

Wild Hearts S on Nintendo Switch 2 is a great adaptation of a solid hunting game, all the core elements are still hear and just as fun to play. The games visual issues are just as prevalent here as they were on the original release and while they are noticeable, the performance itself is not really impacted by the events happening on screen. The addition of a fourth player in multiplayer could change the game, but I was not ablet to test that and when I can test local wireless play, I am sure it will be amazing. If you have never played Wild Hearts before, and you have a love for monster hunting games, then this is an easy suggestion. However, if you are someone who has put in a lot of time to the original release, there is nothing new here that makes this worth another buy.

The Score

8.0

Review code provided by Koei Tecmo

The Pros

The gameplay loop is still satisfying and taking down a giant Kemono feels rewarding

The updates to multiplayer are great to see and I am sure local wireless will be enjoyed a lot

The Cons

The visual issues that plagued the original release are still here and are more noticeable now

There is no new content for players who enjoyed the original release