Wild Hearts – Everything we know

Published by EA under the EA Originals banner, Wild Hearts is an upcoming title from Omega Force, a developer best known for its work on the Dynasty Warriors series. The game looks to be a fresh and exciting new take on the Monster Hunter formula. Read on to learn everything we know about Wild Hearts so far, including its release date, story and gameplay details, and PC system requirements.

Wild Hearts: Everything we know

Wild Hearts: Release date

In great news for those of us not blessed with the virtue of patience, Wild Hearts is slated for a release date of February 17, 2023, on PC. This means that players won’t need to wait long before they can sink their teeth into some classic monster-slaying action.

Images via Electronic Arts/Omega Force

Story details

Though it doesn’t look like a game that leans too heavily on its narrative, we have been given some fascinating glimpses of Wild Hearts’ story to date. Set in the land of Azuma, a world inspired by feudal Japan, Wild Hearts sees the player facing off against powerful beasts known as Kemono; creatures infused with the power of nature. Though the Kemono are beyond the scope of most mortal hunters, your exclusive access to ancient Karakuri technology gives you the edge you need to bring them down.

It’s a rare inversion of the age-old nature vs. technology conflict, highlighting the positive applications of technology and the destructive capabilities of nature in one stroke. The Karakuri technology you acquire throughout the game lets you alter the environment around you to suit your needs, creatively manipulating your surroundings to help you take on the Kemono.

Images via Electronic Arts/Omega Force

Gameplay details

Like its main inspiration (and competition), Capcom’s Monster Hunter series, Wild Hearts will feature a gameplay loop built around slaying monsters, using the resources gained from doing so to craft better weapons and armor, then going out to slay more monsters. It’s a tried-and-true formula, and one that should offer hours of excellent gameplay, provided the game has a diverse enough menagerie of Kemono to work through.

A key gameplay feature here, and one that differentiates Wild Hearts from its competitors, is the Karakuri technology you can use during hunts. This is ancient technology, a clever combination of traditional materials and forgotten magic, and it has a wide range of applications during each of your Kemono encounters. For example, you can set up a giant hammer Karakuri to stun your enemy, or place fan Karakuri on the ground to evade an attack, or transport you to tactically advantageous higher ground.

The game will also feature the option for online-only co-op, letting you bring in up to two fellow hunters to help you through more challenging fights. This option will add a welcome layer of multiplayer strategizing to Wild Hearts which, when combined with the flexible Karakuri technology, should deliver an experience with depth to spare.

Does Wild Hearts have cross-play or cross-progression?

It does indeed! As confirmed by the FAQ on the game’s official site, Wild Hearts will support cross-play with up to three players across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Images via Electronic Arts/Omega Force

Recent news

• Wild Hearts preview – Take a look at the core systems of the game in our preview article.
• Wild Hearts gameplay trailer – Check out one of the game’s fearsome Kemono in this gameplay trailer breakdown.

Wild Hearts: PC system requirements

Wild Hearts’ Kemono may be monstrous, but will your PC need to be in order to run it? We’ve scoured the game’s official website to bring you up-to-date PC system requirements. We’ll start with the minimum specs necessary to play Wild Hearts:

• Windows 10 64 bit
• 12GB RAM
• Intel Core i5-8400/AMD Ryzen 5 2600
• GeForce GTX 1060/Radeon RX 5500 XT
• A GPU with DirectX 12 and 6-8GB of VRAM
• 80GB Storage
• 512 KBPS or faster internet connection (For online play)

And here are the recommended PC specs, to give you the best possible Kemono-crushing experience:

• Windows 10 64 bit
• 16GB RAM
• Intel Core i7-8700K/AMD Ryzen 5 3600
• GeForce GTX 2070/Radeon RX 5700 XT
• A GPU with DirectX 12 and 8GB of VRAM
• 80GB Storage
• 512 KBPS or faster internet connection (For online play)

If interested, you can check out more info on the game over at Steam, and watch for new updates as they come up on the offical site here.