Wild Hearts is a game about building giant robots to fight giant monsters, and it knows exactly what it wants to be. The premise is simple: you are a member of a village’s construction crew, tasked with assembling mechanical beasts to defend your town from creatures that have broken through the barrier between worlds. The execution is less simple, but it is consistently confident. The game launched on PC, PS5 and Series X|S in 2023, and it has settled into a rhythm that few open-world action games manage: constant motion, constant repair, and constant satisfaction.
The core loop is a three-step process. You are given a blueprint, you gather materials from around the map, and you assemble your machine in a workshop. Then you ride out into the field, where a massive creature waits to tear your creation apart. The loop repeats until you have unlocked everything the game offers. It sounds repetitive on paper, but in practice it rarely feels like it.
Trailer, via WILD HEARTS.
Building the Machines
The construction system is the heart of Wild Hearts, and it deserves the lion’s share of credit. Blueprints come in several flavors, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Some designs are fast and agile, built for dodging attacks. Others are slow but durable, designed to absorb damage and keep fighting. You can mix and match parts from multiple blueprints, which means your final machine is rarely identical to anyone else’s.
The workshop itself is a small room where you lay down parts on a grid. You attach legs, arms, a torso, and a head, then connect joints to make the whole thing move. The system is forgiving enough for beginners and deep enough for players who want to spend hours tweaking. You can change the color scheme, add extra armor plates, and swap out weapons mid-build. The result is a sense of ownership over your creations that few games manage.
The Monsters Themselves
The creatures you face are the other half of the equation. Each one has its own attack patterns, movement types, and weaknesses. Some are fast and hit hard. Others are slow but nearly impossible to bring down. The game does not waste time explaining these differences. You learn through trial and error, and that loop is where the fun begins.
Fights typically follow a similar pattern. You approach the monster, it notices you, it attacks. You dodge, counter, and retaliate. The timing windows are generous, which is a relief for anyone who has struggled with similar systems in other games. The fights are also surprisingly varied, thanks to the way the monsters interact with their environment. One creature might smash through buildings to force you into cover. Another might call for backup, turning a solo fight into a swarm.
Riding and Flying
Once you have assembled a machine, you climb inside and start moving. This is where the game’s physics engine shows its strength. Your machines have weight, momentum, and inertia. You can push off the ground, jump, and land with a crash. You can charge forward, swerve, and stop suddenly. The controls are tight, and the feedback is immediate. It feels like driving a vehicle that actually exists, even though it is made of wood and metal.
The game also includes a flying mode for some machines. You can soar through the air, dodge enemy attacks, and land with precision. It is a welcome break from the ground-pounder fights, and it adds a layer of verticality that other games in the genre often miss. The contrast between the two modes keeps the experience fresh, even after dozens of hours.
The Open World
Between fights, you explore a large map filled with villages, forests, mountains, and rivers. The world is not dense with content, but it is well designed. Each region has its own look and feel, and the transitions between them are smooth. There is a main story thread that guides you through the early hours, but the game is mostly about wandering, finding materials, and completing optional quests.
The side content is where Wild Hearts shines. You can find shrines that grant buffs, collectibles that unlock cosmetic items, and hidden blueprints that reward exploration. The game never forces you to grind, but it encourages you to poke around. The result is a map that feels lived-in, even when you are not actively fighting.
Performance and Technical Issues
On PC, PS5 and Series X|S, Wild Hearts runs at a solid frame rate in most situations. The load times are short, and the menus are quick to navigate. There are occasional hitches during the more chaotic fights, especially when there are multiple enemies on screen, but nothing that breaks the immersion for long. The game is demanding on hardware, so players with older systems may see lower frame rates and longer waits.
The game also includes a photo mode that lets you capture your machines in action. It is a nice touch, but it is not the main draw. The focus is clearly on the combat, not the scenery. That said, the environments are rendered with care, and the lighting is generally excellent. The game looks good, even if it does not push the boundaries of the medium.
Where It Falls Short
Wild Hearts is not perfect. The difficulty curve can feel uneven, with some fights being much harder than others. The game does not always explain why a particular strategy works, which can leave players feeling lost. There is also a sense that the game could have gone further with its construction system. Some players may wish for more customization options, or for a wider range of parts to choose from.
The multiplayer mode is present but thin. You can team up with friends to take down larger creatures, but the online infrastructure is not as robust as in other games in the genre. There is no ranked play, no competitive ladders, and no dedicated arenas. The game is clearly focused on single-player progression, which limits its replay value for players who want to compete.
Final Verdict
Wild Hearts succeeds because it trusts its players. It gives you tools, sets you loose, and lets you figure out the rest. The construction system is the best part, and the combat is satisfying. The world is big enough to explore, and the rewards are generous enough to keep you coming back. It is not a revolutionary game, but it is a confident one.
The game is currently available on PC, PS5 and Series X|S. It has received an 8.2/10 IGDB critic aggregate across 8 outlets, with critics praising the construction system and the combat mechanics. It is worth playing if you enjoy building things and destroying things, and it is worth recommending to anyone who enjoys open-world action games.
Key Facts Box
- Title: Wild Hearts
- Platforms: PC, PS5, Series X|S
- Release Year: 2023
- Critical Score: 8.2/10 (IGDB aggregate)
Comparison Table
| Feature | Wild Hearts |
|---|---|
| Construction System | Blueprint-based, modifiable parts, color customization |
| Combat Focus | Machine vs. monster, dodge counters, environmental interaction |
| Exploration | Large open world, optional side quests, collectibles |
| Multiplayer | Present but limited, no ranked play |
| Visual Style | Rendered with care, excellent lighting, varied regions |
Wild Hearts is a game about balance. It balances creativity with structure, chaos with control, and destruction with construction. It is a game that respects your time and your patience. It is a game that knows what it wants to be, and it delivers on that promise.
The score is 8.2 out of 10.
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