After Koei Tecmo and EA announced that they are working on together on a new AAA hunting game, they later teased that the game would be unveiled soon. Today, WILD HEARTS has been officially revealed. WILD HEARTS is a new kind of hunting game featuring unique crafting mechanics. The game is being developed by Omega Force, the team behind the popular Warriors series. WILD HEARTS puts players on an epic adventure set in fantasy feudal Japan where they’ll battle against giant nature-infused beasts called Kemono. Players will have help in the form of Karakuri, sophisticated mechanisms crafted from a lost, ancient technology.
WILD HEARTS takes place in Azuma, a fantasy landscape inspired by feudal Japan, that is now rampaged by the once peaceful Kemono, altering their environment at the cost of citizens’ lives. Kemono range from plant-infused squirrels to the massive Kingtusk wild boar and the winter wolf Deathstalker.
Players can journey through WILD HEARTS solo or with up to two friends. Players can expand their battle plans and go on special missions while pack hunting, join other hunters, or take on Kemono on their own.
“WILD HEARTS opens up a vibrant fantasy world to players that’s as untamed as it is beautiful,” said Yosuke Hayashi, Executive Vice President of KOEI TECMO GAMES CO, LTD. “With WILD HEARTS, not only did we want to showcase the evolution, infusion and real threat caused by Kemono, but we also wanted to create a game where crafting was at the core of the experience, redefining what can be possible in a beast hunting game. We have placed great care in designing our Karakuri to fit within the combat, and we’re excited for players to use these powerful mechanisms to fight giant beasts and traverse the world.”
“EA Originals is a label for those who dare to explore,” said Stuart Lang, Vice President, Global Brand, Electronic Arts. “It’s a home for studio partners – like Omega Force – forging new ways to play from bold creative visions, and for players who love to discover untold stories and unseen worlds. We are excited to follow the wonderful and critically acclaimed It Takes Two, from Hazelight Studios, with the ingenious mechanics, giant nature-infused beasts and epic battles of WILD HEARTS, the first AAA hunting experience for a new generation.”
WILD HEARTS launches on February 17, 2023, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.