Wild Hearts Release Date, Trailer, And Gameplay - What We Know So Far
When it comes to the monster hunting genre, most people think of "Monster Hunter." It's understandable, considering the series saw 13 million shipments of "Monster Hunter: World" alone. There are other games that are arguably in the same genre, including "Ark 2" and the "Pokemon" clone that's more violent (and more alike) to "Monster Hunter," "Palworld." Another one is on the horizon: "Wild Hearts."
At first glance, "Wild Hearts" looks like a new kind of "Monster Hunter" game — or an "Elden Ring" clone, as some viewers thought — but it's not being developed by Capcom. Instead, Koei Tecmo is taking a stab at the genre, and the results look promising to many. Some fans are even excited to see another major studio provide competition to the "Monster Hunter" series. While it's unclear if "Wild Hearts" will seek to mimic "Monster Hunter" directly, it seems like a safe bet for fans of the series.
Keep reading to find out what's known about the game already, including the release date, trailer, and some gameplay mechanics.
When's the release date for Wild Hearts?
"Wild Hearts" is set to release on Feb. 17, 2023 on PS5, Xbox X, and PC according to the game's official website. Considering the game was officially announced in September 2022, the release date isn't making fans wait too long. The game is being developed by Koei Tecmo, the team behind the "Dynasty Warriors," "Nioh," and "Atelier" games. Some people are excited over the game's release, while others are a bit wary.
On the flip side, the game's being published by EA, which has some fans concerned about things like microtransactions or deluxe versions of the game that include different content. None of these things have been announced for "Wild Hearts" yet, but people are still worried. One fan noted that "Monster Hunter" is only half as successful as it is because the developer/publisher, Capcom, cares about its audience, and EA hasn't proven to do that for their other games.
Regardless, the game's got the attention of plenty of fans. In fact, one fan called it the "savior of the hunting genre."
Is there a trailer for Wild Hearts?
"Wild Hearts" was announced with a two-and-a-half-minute trailer that showed off the game as it's been developed so far. The trailer didn't explain too much of what the game would be about besides hunting monsters and utilizing inventions to do so.
In an interview with IGN, "Wild Hearts" developer Kotaro Hirata explained that the game talked about what prompted the game's development: "This project began as an attempt to create a Japanese-style hunting game that a new generation of players around the world could have fun with ... We believe that Wild Hearts, born from these core ideas, is a hunting game that offers a new and innovative experience." So while the game looks like it has a lot in common with the "Monster Hunter" games, Koei Tecmo had a very specific reason behind making "Wild Heart" that had nothing to do with the other monster hunting game.
The trailer did show a bit of gameplay mechanics as well.
What's the gameplay in Wild Hearts like?
The "Wild Hearts" trailer highlighted a few parts of the game's gameplay, but it was very clear on the fact that this is gameplay that's currently being developed. Despite that, eager fans were able to get a look at some of the weapons in the game, such as a katana, bow and arrow, and even an umbrella. At some point, the weapons even become empowered with the mysterious technology called Karakuri the trailer showed off. In an IGN interview with Kotaro Hirata, other parts of combat were confirmed to be in the game, liked grappling, sliding, jumping, and dashing.
That technology also allows players to build structures and weapons that can help them hunt monsters. When speaking to developer Hirata, IGN asked about the building element, which led to discussion about the tech fans got to see. Players can use the tech to create structures that can instantly help them or use it to make hunting grounds themselves.