EA Originals and Wild Hearts executive producer Lewis Harvey recently hosted a Reddit ask-me-anything where he confirmed that their joint project with Koei Tecmo’s Omega Force will not include any microtransactions or paid content after launch. All content added after release will be free, including new Kemono (lit. 獣 monster in Japanese) as free DLC and updates.
“All post launch content will be free, including new Kemono and more! We don’t have any plans to feature MTX.” Lewis answered when asked about monetization. Kemono are the monster hunter-like beasts that players must defeat (the big ones, not the little deer and rabbits), and there are currently over 20 planned, as the team’s focus for the new IP was quality over quantity. However, Lewis confirmed that there are intentions to add more Kemono after the game launches on February 17th.
As for multiplayer, visitors will be able to interact with the host player’s karakuri and create their own devices in the world. Karakuri (lit. 絡繰り mechanism or device) are like the tools hunters use in Wild Hearts to interact with the environment and fight beasts, and players will be free to create them on any server, but only the world host can destroy them to avoid toxic player behavior. In addition, the game difficulty will scale up and down depending on how many hunters are present on the server, and while the game will allow you to customize your appearance, there are no plans to make female armor available at this time.
Wild Hearts takes place in the world of Azuma, which consists of four sprawling regions inspired by the seasons, as well as the hub city of Minato and other secret locations. Players will have the opportunity to upgrade their Tsukumo companions to aid them in battles against powerful enemies, including the formidable volatile Kemono in end game. The game also features a full solo and offline campaign – with the option to pause while playing – and supports two modes on PS5 and XSX: a performance mode of 1080p at 60fps, and an image quality mode option of up to 4k at 30fps.
With a strong Japanese influence, evident in the names and the developer’s previous work on the “Toukiden” series, “Wild Hearts” promises a new and innovative hunting experience for all players around the world. Wild Hearts is set to release on February 17th for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.