Oh man, where do I even start with this? Nintendo’s come out with this Switch 2 thing — yeah, you probably heard, right? Two months and counting, and I kinda can’t help but keep it in my little mental box as the “I-just-want-to-play-Nintendo-stuff” machine. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a multiplatform junkie, but the Switch’s fresh feels just… lets me catch up on games that flew past me the first time. So there I was, trying out Wild Hearts S. It’s like their spin on the whole monster hunting gig from Koei Tecmo in 2023, now ported for the Switch 2.
Honestly, what’s Wild Hearts S doing? It’s flexing the Switch 2’s muscles a bit, showing it can handle third-party games that would’ve just melted the old Switch. I mean, yeah, Cyberpunk 2077 at launch kinda level stuff. Yet, side note, don’t expect the dazzle you’d see on a PS5 or those shiny PCs. We’re more in slightly buffed PS4, Xbox One territory here. So, graphics? Not the main event. But I swear, it’s not about looks. There’s substance, I promise.
Oh wait — did I tell you about the game itself yet? Picture this: you cook up your little avatar, then hit the wilds, taking down these kemono critters. Some are tiny, others are all nature-freakish huge. You got boars sprouting leaves, rabbits with vines. Some poor turtle, covered in coral — yeah, I kinda felt bad when I offed it without even a handshake. Whoopsie.
The big ones are wild. Seriously, the boar boss? Total pain but somehow oddly satisfying. They fight like their lives depend on it — well, duh, they do. Here’s the kicker: you hunt these oversized buggers, build these karakuri things — magic wooden doodads, apparently. Use towers to spot where your quarry is chillin’. Build a wall with six crates, block that boar like a dang pro. Springs, hammers, all sorts of crafty madness.
And, now that you’ve found the beasties? Oh, the adrenaline, man. Battles that drag on, soaking in the day’s light to stars twinkling above. Real sense of time, like those 20 minutes were epic hours of you versus them. Oh, I ran smack dab into a Lavaback once. Think Hulk meets Loki. It toyed with a Spineglider — didn’t even blink. Wild Hearts S? Not just alive, but mean alive.
But brace yourself, the camera’s got some issues. Ever feel like your view is right up inside a monster’s insides? Or that cliff looming behind you, blocking everything but the beast’s rear? Oh well. Still, Wild Hearts S holds up. Yeah, graphics ain’t what’s gonna wow you here, but that’s classic handheld, right? It’s about the vibe — chasing beasts and savoring the mess, even if the camera forgets you.
Anyway — oh wait, what was I saying? Yeah — the game. It’s a gem in the Switch 2’s vault. Perfect in its chaos.
