'Wild Hearts' Is Monster Hunter Meets Studio Ghibli And It Is Brutal

It’s becoming increasingly clear to see the impact that the success of Ghost of Tsushima has had on the video games industry. Sucker Punch’s 2020 title has kickstarted a new era of samurai games with Assassin’s Creed Codename Red and Rise of the Ronin on the way. It looks like EA also wants in on the fun though. EA has just unveiled Wild Hearts which looks like an incredible mash-up between Monster Hunter and Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke. You’re going to want to take a look at this.

Check out the trailer for Wild Hearts below.

A joint venture between EA, Koei Tecmo and Omega Force, Wild Hearts has been in development for four years. Set in fantasy feudal Japan, players will battle against giant beasts known as Kemono. You only need to look at the boar Kemono to see where we drew the Princess Mononoke comparison. To help, players can access ancient Karakuri technology as they make their way through the land of Azuma.

Koei Techmo Games executive vice president Yosuke Hayashi said, “Wild Hearts opens up a vibrant fantasy world to players that’s as untamed as it is beautiful. 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.”

What’s very fun is that whilst you can travel through Azuma alone, you can also play in co-op with up to two friends. Crossplay will be supported across all release platforms. The game is due to release on 17 February 2023 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Origin, Steam and the Epic Games Store.