InWild HeartsKoei Tecmo and EA have tried to take on Monster Hunter with a vibrant fantasy world infused with themes and influences of feudal Japanese culture, filled with their original twists and spins on traditional mechanics and brimming with majestic and dynamic Kemono creatures.
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When it comes to games of this type, monsters are always the main attraction, and Wild Hearts goes for a compelling and intriguing design by making its giant Kemono beasts have a hybrid look of wildlife and features found in nature. But there are plenty more games out there that touch on these aesthetics.
10God Of War Ragnarok
TheGod of Warseries has never been short on mythological creatures and bosses for Kratos to brutalize, but the sequel to the Norse saga truly allows them to shine.God of War Ragnarokopens up more realm environments for you to visit from the 2018 game, and with those expanded biomes come exciting new beasts.
Drekis, Tatzelwurms, Wulvers, the mighty purple-blue dragon Nidhogg, and a whale that’s a mass of land in Svartalfheim called Lyngbakr are just some of the ones you’ll encounter. This installment also gives you plenty of opportunities to play as Atreus, who’s developing magical abilities that will aid you in combat.
9Fortnite
Where Wild Hearts puts a twist on the monster-hunting genre is its Karakuri mechanic, which allows you to build contraptions, such as springs, traps, and barricades, all while in combat with the mighty Kemono beasts. You have a Thread meter which will determine the type of Karakuri you can make, and it all sounds too familiar toFortnite.
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Fortnite is a massively popular Battle Royale game centered around gathering the proper materials and building various structures to better defend against enemies looking to eliminate you. It may be short on giant creatures, but it’s still an enjoyable co-op experience that comeswith frequent crossover charactersfrom other licensed games, shows, and movies.
8The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Another game with an excellent story where you’re hunting down mythical creatures isThe Witcher 3. Geralt of Rivia is on a mission to find his adoptive daughter, Ciri, on the run from a powerful collective known as The Wild Hunt. In your path lie many dangerous monsters inspired by Slavic folklore that range from minor to quite punishing.
Like your hunter in Wild Hearts, Geralt has a few powers of his own for you to use in the form ofspells cast as signs. One includes a trap to slow enemies down called Yrden, and then you can also unleash some flames with Igni. The narrative is massive and features some of the best questlines you’ll see in gaming.
7Kena: Bridge Of Spirits
Kena: Bridge of Spiritsis an underrated Indie gem packed with vibrant forest environments and an exquisite art style that’s a great follow-up to Wild Hearts. Its graphics, sound, and level design are just as breathtaking and magical as the game’s premise, which also contains influences of Asian cultures.
Kena’s character is a young girl who acts in a similar role as a psychopomp to guide lost souls into the afterlife. Except she also has a bow staff that can transform into a bow and arrow weapon, and collects adorable pillowy beings called Rots as her companions. The foes you face here also have a natural designs shaped by tree bark and branches.
6Elden Ring
Any of Fromsoftware’s games will have a striking resemblance to the challenging combat system in Wild Hearts. However, the equally compelling creature design and the co-op compatibility ofElden Ringmake it a perfect option to consider. It’s also an enticing treat becauseGame of Thronesauthor George R.R. Martin helped craft the lore and world-building.
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In Elden Ring, you play as the Tarnished, forced to wander the gorgeous and scenic Lands Between, where you will encounter an almost endless variety of magnificent and daunting bosses. You also have a spell-casting system, an abundance of powerful weaponsyou’re even able to dual-wield, and the potential to duel with other players.
5Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
But a Fromsoftware game closest to the fantasy aesthetics of Wild Hearts isSekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Wild Hearts is set in the fictional land of Azuma that takes its inspiration from feudal Japan, while Sekiro is set during an actual period in Japan’s feudal history, which incorporates the diverse bestiary of its bosses into it.
Whenever you go up against creatures of such a massive size, parrying becomes a helpful tactic in combat, and it’s one of the most critical aspects you need to master in Sekiro. The parry in Sekiro is reliant on a posture system, which helps break an opponent’s defense to get in a more powerful strike.
4Nioh 2
Like Sekiro, Team Ninja’sNioh 2is also set in the Sengoku period of Japan and feels like a cross between it,Devil May Cry, andGhost of Tsushima. It’s an RPG closely adhering to the Soulsbourne formula with human enemies and the more grotesque yokai, which are supernatural creaturestied to Japanese folklore.
You may see some familiar weapons in Nioh 2, including a bladed umbrella like the Wagasa in Wild Hearts called a Karakasa umbrella. And a pretty remarkable addition in the sequel is the Yokai Shift ability, where you can transform into a spirit yourself and enact powerful attacks on bosses to inflict increased damage.
3Horizon Zero Dawn & Forbidden West
Unique tech and ferocious beasts come together in yet another series calledHorizon. Here you play as the warrior Aloy and trade in your Karakuri abilities for a bow and arrow and an augmented reality Focus device. In this world, the monsters are hostile machinesdesigned after familiar animals, similar to the Kemono in Wild Hearts.
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These machines were created as part of Project Zero Dawn to help redevelop the ecology after a plague ravaged the planet in this futuristic timeline.Forbidden Westfurther expands the scope and adds even more phenomenal animal machines for you to take on, while some you can use as mounts.
2Death Stranding
Though the world-building ofDeath Strandingand Wild Hearts couldn’t be any more different, this futuristic post-apocalyptic narrative is centered around similar mechanics. Throughout the lush terrain, there roam enemies called Beached Things, or BTs, and some of them come in enormous forms made of their organic tar substance for you to engage.
As part of your mission as courier Sam Porter Bridges, you must also help construct highways, bridges, ziplines, and generators for vehicle charging that benefit you and other Porters you may meet. The science-fiction story is complex, but the environments and systems aredesigned with wonderfully rich detail.
1Monster Hunter: World, Or Monster Hunter: Rise
The ultimate fantasy game where monsters dominate the landscape isMonster Hunter. It’s evident Wild Hearts takes a lot of influence from the Monster Hunter, games while adding its own creative features, primarily that it’s also centered around objectives for hunting certain species of monsters around the map.
Monster Hunter: WorldandMonster Hunter Riseare both terrific options if you’re looking for an even bigger scale story and map, which together feature upwards of 100intricately designed beaststhat range from dragons, dinosaurs, and even Leshens from The Witcher universe. Plus, multiplayer is available as well.
