Fans of the legendaryMonster Hunterseries have reason to be very excited.Wild Hearts, from developer Omega Force (known for their work on theDynasty Warriorsfranchise), has released to high praisefrom critics and players alike.The first game to expand theMonster Hunterformula into a genre all its own - now known as “Hunting games” -Wild Heartsis attempting to capture the magic ofMonster Hunterwhile adding a few twists to make their game feel fresh.
From building structures mid-battle to weapons that stay sharp, there are lots ofnew elements that makeWild Heartsstand out.However, the most important factor in this type of game remains the giant monsters that players must hunt. They need to be imposing, memorable, and most importantly, challenging. Thankfully,Wild Heartssucceeds in this regard, with a handful of monsters (also called Kemono) pushing players to the limits of their abilities. These are the toughest monsters the game has to offer — and how players can get the upper hand.
10Gritdog
Resembling a giant tanuki, the Gritdog produces a magnetic field to manipulate ironsand in the surrounding environment, encasing itself in metallic armor and launching ranged attacks toward the player. However, once its ironsand reserves are depleted, the Gritdog will need to restock, providing an opening for players to attack.
The greatest danger posed by the Gritdog is itsability to build karakuri-like structuresakin to what the player themselves can make. It can manipulate the ground beneath the player to draw them in closer, or can summon stalactites to shoot up under their feet. Couple that with its strong defense, and the Gritdog can be a deadly enemy regardless of a player’s gear and experience.
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Weaknesses
9Venomglider
Players will encounter the Spineglider early in the game’s campaign. However, the true challenge will arrive much later when they encounter that Kemono’s cousin: the Venomglider. This beast’s behavior is similar to its weaker counterpart, but it will secrete clouds of poison from the spider lilies that cover its body.
Much like the Spineglider, the best approach for hunting the Venomglider is to attack the rocky footholds it builds for itself to climb along cliffsides. The trick with this fight is doing so while avoiding the clouds of poison the Kemono will frequently surround itself with.
8Cobalt Lavaback
Despite still being covered in magma like the standard Lavaback, the Cobalt Lavaback likes to spend its time in freezing, icy conditions, using its magma to melt the ice around it and create hot springs that it can soak in.
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The Cobalt Lavaback still employs attacks that erupt out of the ground beneath the player, and still rampages around the map hurling magma in long- and close-range variations. The most significant difference with this variation is that it simply does more damage, and resides in a more hostile environment.
7Earthbreaker
This Kemono will only be available for players to hunt during campaign quests, and will not appear during Free Hunt. That doesn’t make it any less of a challenge though. This massive beast is covered in rocky armor, making most standard weapon attacks useless against it.
The good news is that the Earthbreaker is alsocovered in small weak pointsthat make perfect targets for players to attack. Focusing on these weak points and damaging them will open up other weak points along its body, eventually allowing players to take it down.
6Sapscourge
This unassuming, beaver-like Kemono doesn’t make a strong impression upon first contact. It’s not small, but not as big as some of the other creatures found around Azuma. This beast’s biggest threat to player safety is the sap it flings from its body.
This sap can have two effects. At worst, it can knock players out cold. Otherwise, it will stick them to the ground, slowing their movement and leaving them vulnerable to attack. The best course of action is toemploy an oldMonster Huntertacticand target the Sapscourge’s tail, which is weaker than it looks and will limit its sap-flinging abilities when severed.
5Onyxshard
Another variation of a Kemono that players will encounter early on, the Onyxshard is a more robust version of the Goldshard, a porcupine-like creature that can shoot its stone-covered spines out of its back and deal heavy damage to the player.
In the case of the Onyxshard, it can also summon rocks from the ground itself. Players trying to keep their distance will find those efforts futile, as the Onyxshard can summon rocks right under their feet, or rip open the ground itself, all from a range where the Goldshard would be rendered virtually powerless.
4Pearlbeak
The Fumebeak, a Kemono that resembles a giant crow, is already an extremely challenging beast to fight. Its ability to take flight gives it a degree of mobility and range that few other Kemono can match.
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The Pearlbeak ups the ante against those who hunt it by emitting rays of light that, if a player is caught by one, will leave them blinded for a few moments. It’s a devastating ability that leaves players completely helpless to the Pearlbeak’s attacks. The only way to defend against it is to find a natural obstacle (or build a karakuri) that can block the beam’s light.
3Deathstalker
For players familiar withMonster Hunter, the Deathstalker isWild Hearts’equivalent to Nergigante. Players will encounter this beast early in the campaign but will need to wait a while before they get an opportunity to actually hunt it.
That’s because this Kemono is a force to be reckoned with. It moves with lightning-fast agility and its attacks have an absurd amount of power behind them.Once players anger it,the Deathstalker’s attack speed and range are increased, making the hardest aspects of this hunt even harder. To top it all off, the Deathstalker is clad in icy armor, blocking much of the damage players would typically dish out with their weapon attacks.
2Amaterasu
A phoenix-like Kemono, Amaterasu will be a hunt that players will take on near the end of the story campaign before they can find it out in the wilds on a Free Hunt. This beast can absorb celestial thread from its surroundings, using it to power its massive AOE attacks.
The player’s positioning and surroundings play a key role in hunting Amaterasu. Because of its ability to deal huge amounts of AOE damage, players that get over-confident or get caught on a part of the environment will face the full brunt of these attacks. It’s almost as important to carefully watch the area around the Kemono during this hunt as it is to watch the Kemono itself.
1Golden Tempest
Found far to the North along the Golden Sea, the Golden Tempest is a massive feline Kemono capable of manipulating the wind itself. It can hit players at almost any range via a combination of projectile and lunging attacks, and can manipulate the player’s position on the battlefield through its use of whirlwinds.
The Golden Tempest is so huge and so fast that trying to fight it aggressively can backfire almost instantly. The sheer size and speed of its assault makes dodging its attacks a tall order, and as such, players will find it more beneficial to bide their time and wait for the opportune moment to strike, rather than trying to engage Golden Tempest in an exchange of blows.
Wild Heartswas released on February 16th, 2023, and is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
