Monster Hunter has competition because this RPG has something it doesn’t
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After years of dominating the limited genre of RPGs where you slay large creatures, Monster Hunter finally has some serious competition. from Omega Force Wild hearts has all the big guns and giant critters you’d expect, but it’s got something else: buildable tools.
Released February 17 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S; it won’t be long before we can get our hands on the title ourselves. Developed by the people behind it Dynasty warriorsit’s clear that Wild hearts places a strong emphasis on spectacle. In a new gameplay trailer, we see a hunter trying to take down the Golden Tempest, a giant vicious tiger eager to make you his next meal. However, the visuals also show us that there may be substance behind the game’s impressive style.
We see three players tackle the beast using different weapons and techniques. Although, what states Wild hearts separately, the focus is on mobility and basic building. Instead of sprinting around and hoping for the best, the player with cannons builds their own cover and uses it to screen their advance. We also see players using wooden handheld helicopters to fly around the battlefield.
I am a big fan of Wild heartscompetition, after spending dozens of hours in it Monster Hunter Rise for Nintendo Switch. However, even though Rise offers impressive verticality thanks to its grappling hook-like Wirebug mechanic, it seems Wild hearts is ready to take it a step further and foster more mobility creativity by giving us all sorts of weird and wacky tools.
We’re going on a monster hunt
In addition to the mobility and creativity showcased in the trailer, we’re also introduced to three of the game’s weapon types. The Claw Blades look like the paired daggers Monster Hunter Rise. While exciting, they don’t seem like anything to write home about – yes, I just wrote about them, but I won’t be sending this news article to my home. The cannon, however, is a different story. A slow but powerful source of ranged damage, you can fire it while dangling from one of the weapons Wild heartswooden helicopters – which basically turn the mini-gyrocopter into a combat ship.
The Karakuri staff was perhaps the most interesting and seemed to offer a variable weapon type. One minute it’s a nimble sword, the next it turns into a painfully large broadsword. While none of these three weapon types indicate a huge departure from Monster Hunter’s own arsenal, the context of Wild hearts‘ more emphasis on movement and building creates a range of tempting new possibilities.
Wild heartstrailer left me with an aftertaste of optimism and excitement. As a fan of the Monster Hunter formula, I’m always excited to see new entries in the genre. It seems unlikely that Omega Force’s own title will shake the genre to its foundations, but the mechanics seen in this latest gameplay trailer promise a breath of fresh air.