Fans received their first look at EA and Omega Force’s new hunting IP Wild Hearts with yesterday’s reveal trailer. As development on the game is already nearing completion, the directors sat down for an interview with IGN to reveal that Wild Hearts allows co-op for up to three players, and also discussed the “Karakuri” crafting system in detail.
Most people who watched the trailer yesterday will be curious about the spontaneous, Fortnite-like crafting system in Wild Hearts. Titled “Karakuri,” this crafting system is intended to facilitate and enhance the game’s combat, instead of letting players build massive structures. It also lends itself to the creation of weapons, like ballistas and time bombs.
Kotaro Hirata: Players hunt using a type of crafting called Karakuri, an ancient technology that allows for the creation of extremely flexible and creative hunting grounds to take on powerful beasts. Karakuri can range from types that can be built instantly during battle, to some that can be combined to create new Karakuri, and also types that are used to build hunting grounds by utilizing many different materials.
Karakuri expand the freedom and possibilities of hunting combat and exploration in this game, so it differs from the direction of crafting in Fortnite which allows for the creation of huge structures.
For those wondering why the Wild Hearts co-op is limited to three players, the directors felt that this was the most balanced solution, as the Karakuri system provides players with an unprecedented degree of power:
Originally, we considered having four players for cooperative play. However, during development, we realized that due to the power of the Karakuri, three player combat provides the best balance for maintaining a sense of tension and cooperative combat. We also took into consideration the fact that it’s easier to gather together three players.
The directors also revealed that the fast-paced combat in Wild Hearts was built with a particularly acrobatic focus. While players can dash, jump, grapple, and slide their way through the game, the idea is to use the Karakuri system wherever possible to strike enemies from the most effective angles and with tailored approaches. Players are shown examples in the form of classic scalable towers allowing aerial assault, and then ballistas and even bombs for a more destructive approach.
Wild Hearts is coming to the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC Feb. 17, 2023 for $69.99. An extended gameplay look is set to be released this October 5.
Source: IGN