The new hunting game from EA has been revealed: Wild Hearts is developed by Omega Force and will be released on February 17, 2023. MeinMMO editor-in-chief Leya Jankowski was able to conduct an interview with the developers and discuss the differences from Monster Hunter World.
When publishers EA and Tecmo Koei announced a collaboration on an “action RPG with hunting”, we were already wondering if a competitor for Monster Hunter is coming. Now, after the reveal of Wild Hearts, we can say: Yes.
Wild Hearts is a hunting game where you hunt the Kemono monsters and collect loot in a continuous loop to become stronger. At first, that sounds like a clone. However, Wild Hearts actually has a unique twist that has not been seen in other hunting games before.
Before the reveal of Wild Hearts, I was able to learn more details about the hunting game from the chief developers Edagawa-san and Hirata-san. The studio behind Wild Hearts is Omega Force, known for their association with the hunting genre mainly through Toukiden.
MeinMMO: How long has Wild Hearts been in development?
Edagawa-san: We started with the concept four years ago.
MeinMMO: Wild Hearts looks very much like Toukiden on paper, a hunting game that you developed. It was often criticized as a clone of Monster Hunter. How does Wild Hearts differ from Monster Hunter?
Hirata-san: Yes, we developed Toukiden, but Wild Hearts is something completely new. It does not rely on the elements seen in Toukiden. The biggest difference from Monster Hunter is that we combine building elements with hunting.
Dynamic building like in Fortnite
MeinMMO: In the trailer, you can see that players build different structures like towers while hunting. I had to think of Fortnite, where you can also build during battles. Did I understand that correctly?
Hirata-san: Yes, you understood correctly. However, it is not exactly like in Fortnite. It’s something new to combine crafting with a hunting game.
MeinMMO: Could you explain in more detail why it is unique?
Hirata-san: The player uses something called Karakuri. That is a building technology. In the game, you can [during the hunt] directly erect these Karakuri. There are different types that you can use, some of which you have seen in the trailer. For example, you can stack boxes to build a tower.
This way, you can quickly gain elevation [over the monster] by climbing up. You can also use a para-glider and fly to attack the monster directly from the air. Additionally, there is a spring to help you move faster. All these things can expand your skills during combat.
Additionally, you can combine all these different Karakuri to create a larger and stronger Karakuri.
MeinMMO: What does the gameplay look like exactly?
Hirata-san: The basis is similar to other hunting games. You start with exploration and discover the map, you encounter the Kemono monsters and start fighting against them.
In our game, we have Karakuri. You collect the materials [that you need] on the map to be able to build the Karakuri. The materials can be collected anywhere on the map. The monsters in the game are also merged with nature. You gather materials when you defeat the Kemonos.
The cycle is to defeat the monsters and gather material for the Karakuri to create Karakuri.
Play the entire story together in coop
MeinMMO: That sounds really interesting, and I am excited to see how it plays. Another topic that interests me is the 3-player coop. What are your social features like?
Edagawa-san: There are two types of matchmaking systems. The first is a quick hunting experience. Players can go on a single hunt together, and then they go their separate ways.
The second type is the 3-player coop. In this scenario, we believe that players want to stay together longer and hunt together longer. Here, players are connected throughout the entire world and can experience the story together.
We also just explained how Karakuri can be used during a battle. Karakuri can also be used during exploration. They can help you move around more easily or assist in cooking. You can use these things together in coop.
No open world, but seasons
MeinMMO: You said that you can simply roam around with friends in coop. How much freedom do you have there exactly? How open is Wild Hearts?
Edagawa-san: At the beginning of development, we discussed the concept of an open world. But we decided against it. One of the most important concepts of a hunting game is to defeat the monsters repeatedly. We don’t think that fits well with an open world.
However, Wild Hearts is set in Japan, and we have the concept of four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Each season is huge on the map. Within the map, you can even use Karakuri to unlock hidden places.
MeinMMO: Do you have to deal with environmental effects in different seasons? Will you freeze in winter, for example, and need protection from that?
Edagawa-san: There are no environmental effects, like the example you gave. So you don’t need special clothing to stay warm or anything like that.
However, you will encounter different Kemono that can trigger environmental effects. You will need different strategies for those.
MeinMMO: I would love to learn more about your beasts. You have already said that the monsters are merged with nature, and this is well seen in the trailer. The monsters appear very grounded and natural. Will that remain so, or can we expect something completely different later on? I say, for example, a crazy case: dragons combined with planes shooting lasers at us.
Edagawa-san: I don’t want to reveal too much about the later stages of the game yet. What I can say is that Wild Hearts has the concept of combining reality with fantasy.
The animals are simply merged with nature.
At least 30 hours of gameplay, but over 100 are possible
MeinMMO: Of course, without revealing too much, what direction is your story going?
Edagawa-san: The basic story is that you are in a place called Azuma [in feudal Japan], which is full of Kemonos, monsters merged with nature. There are places there where people used to live.
Now Kemonos have essentially taken over the world. As the protagonist, you deal with various problems to make the places of the world habitable again for humans.
MeinMMO: How long do you estimate the gameplay will be?
Edagawa-san: That’s difficult to estimate. If you only play the main story without side quests, it should take about 30 – 40 hours. But of course, this is a hunting game, and there are plenty of things to do.
So if you go beyond the main story, it will easily be over 100 hours.
No in-game purchases at launch
MeinMMO: Are you planning to continue developing the game after launch? Is there a DLC strategy with new monsters?
After a lot of whispers behind the scenes, it was decided to leave this question unanswered.
MeinMMO: Will there be an in-game shop for things like skins?
Edagawa-san: We can’t reveal anything about DLCs yet. However, we currently have no plans to offer in-game purchases at launch.
Players should gain more freedom through building
MeinMMO: Lastly, I would like to know what your motivation behind Wild Hearts was. Why did you want to make this game?
Hirata-san: As you know, we developed Toukiden with Mega Force, which is also a hunting game. We haven’t made a hunting game in a long time. We wanted to create a hunting game that meets the needs of today’s players.
By allowing players to build with Karakuri and influence their environment, we thought we could create something really new.
MeinMMO: What exactly do you mean by today’s players?
Hirata-san: We talked about Fortnite earlier. In modern games like Fortnite, we see the creativity of players having a significant impact on the gaming experience. When we developed Toukiden, we didn’t have this type of environment.
Today, players are much more flexible, and we wanted to give them exactly that and the opportunity to express their creativity.
MeinMMO: Thank you very much for the interview! I am very excited to try Wild Hearts.
Wild Hearts will be released for PS5, Xbox Series XIS, and PC. There will be crossplay between platforms. You can find more information about the new action RPG in our article about the reveal of Wild Hearts.
