We’ve heard a lot of reports about Halo support developer Certain Affinity developing an Xbox game akin to Monster Hunter, but EA is stepping into the same realm with Wild Hearts. It’s a co-production with Koei Tecmo, the publisher behind Dynasty Warriors. Yes, that means the game looks a lot like Monster Hunter by way of Dynasty Warriors, and there’s a dash of steampunk contraption-building in there too.
The reveal trailer gives us a glimpse at what to expect from Wild Hearts. The game is set in a picturesque, mythical land “inspired by feudal Japan” — a land that’s also dominated by giant monsters. The trailer is full of these beasts. We can see a fiery rock giant, a boar that summons vines from the earth, an icy dire wolf, and more. Needless to say, they look very big and very dangerous.
Players will hunt these monsters with combat that looks pretty similar to Dynasty Warriors. There are flashy blades, empowered strikes, and acrobatic moves that you’d expect from Omega Force, the Koei Tecmo team behind the Warriors franchise. There’s an extra hook here though: “technology gives you a fighting chance against” these beasts, according to the trailer description. There’s a steampunk tinge to this wood-focused tech, as we see hunters deploy giant explosive devices, seize their targets with massive siege ropes, and even glide across the battlefield with a helicopter blade-like device.
Wild Hearts already looks intriguing, and we don’t have to wait very long to see more. This was simply the reveal trailer; an extended look at gameplay will be shown on October 5. As for the final release date, Wild Hearts will launch on February 17, 2023. It’s coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Origin, Steam, and the Epic Games Store. Wild Hearts will let you hunt solo or with two friends in co-op, but perhaps more importantly, crossplay will be supported across all those platforms.
