Sure, let’s dive into this. Here goes:
—
Ah, the Nintendo Switch 2 — it’s been hanging around for, what, two months now? Feels like an eternity and a blink all at once. The game library? Ever expanding. I’m a sucker for exclusives, so my Switch 2, well, it’s my trusty little portal to all things Nintendo. But hey, new tech means new chances. Suddenly, I find myself dabbling in ports that slipped through my fingers back in the day. Cue Wild Hearts S. This gem from Koei Tecmo — their monster hunting odyssey from 2023 — found its second wind on Switch 2.
Now, Wild Hearts S — it’s kind of like the Switch 2 flexing its muscles with third-party ports. The console’s got some pep, but let’s face it, it ain’t packing PlayStation 5 levels of punch. Imagine something that’s a shade better than PlayStation 4 and Xbox One — yeah, that’s the turf we’re in. Did my eyes pop at the textures? Nope, not quite. Framerates take a nosedive when stuff gets intense, but who’s counting frames when you’re knee-deep in action? Substance over style, folks, and this one’s got it in spades.
Enter your valiant character, crafted to perfection, out to bag some kemono. Picture little critters scurrying about, just minding their business. No threat there. The real buzz kicks in when you’re off chasing the big ones. These kemono — bizarre mash-ups of beast and flora, offering nature a new playbook. Rabbits with vines? Boars with bulbous bits? Slapstick comedy meets nature doc. Some kemono are quite the sight, strangely serene, like turtles with coral shells just chillin’. Sorry, turtle — didn’t mean to end your existence unprompted. Should’ve gone for a pat, huh?
Oh, and those boar bosses? They’re not exactly vying for beauty pageants as they attempt murder by trampling. Fair’s fair, you’re there to hunt them down, after all.
The core thrill is in hunting these big guns. Scouting spots, setting up towers. And those karakuri thingamajigs? Game changers. They’re these wooden wonders. Stack six crates and voilà, you’ve got a wall to rebound a charging boar. Or, frantically combine springs — bam, swinging destruction device. Three gliders make some healing mist and you’re golden-ish.
Stumble upon your target, unload your karakuri arsenal, and the brawl’s on. These showdowns? Epic. Time flies; one moment it’s daylight, next you’re fighting under a canopy of stars. Those 20-minute tussles with creatures like Kingtusk feel like cosmic hours in the game’s universe.
Came face-to-face with a Lavaback once — now that was something. Enemy-on-enemy action gives the world this authentic vibe. Watching a Lavaback manhandle a Spineglider? Mind-blowing. A whole different beast after you just one-upped the Spineglider moments ago.
Camera hiccups, though — like wrestling oversized baddies in a FromSoftware title. Picture this: intimate shots of hollow beast insides as you’re flattening under them. Hugging cliff edges? Recipe for blinding chaos. Camera’s your fickle friend here — often keeping secrets of your character’s whereabouts.
Even with its quirks, Wild Hearts S is worth it. It’s a fab little addition to Switch 2’s lineup. Sure, not winning beauty contests, but hey, with handheld gaming, we’re here for the thrill, not the frills. Chasing massive beasts is a wild ride — looking forward to more monster mayhem on the move.
