Wild Hearts

Wild Hearts is a 2023 action role-playing video game set in the fantasy world of Azuma, inspired by feudal Japan. Developed by Omega Force and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Originals label, the game challenges players to hunt down massive monsters known as Kemono. Players assume the role of a nameless hunter and can explore various large areas within Azuma. The game offers eight different weapon types and introduces the Karakuri mechanic, allowing players to build items and machines to aid combat and traversal. As players progress, they unlock new weapons and armors to face more challenging monsters. The game's narrative campaign takes around 30 hours to complete, and players can team up with two others for cooperative play. The plot follows a Kemono hunter who travels to Azuma, seeking refuge from warring samurais and a decline in Kemono hunting in their homeland. After a battle with a formidable ice-wielding wolf Kemono, the hunter is saved by an enigmatic old man named Mujina. Mujina imparts Karakuri technology to the hunter and sends them on a journey to the town of Minato. Along the way, the hunter discovers their newfound ability to create Karakuri objects and harvest celestial threads for power. In Minato, they assist in revitalizing the town and defending it from threats, ultimately facing a gigantic Kemono called Earthbreaker. The game's story also hints at a broader issue of dwindling celestial thread supplies causing unrest among Kemonos across Azuma.