Greetings all! Hope you're enjoying a Christmas with an appropriate degree of merriment. Me, I'm not. I'm angry. I'm fuming. Why? Because the RPS 2023 Advent Calendar is wrong. It's wrong, I tell you!
If all were just and right in the world, then it wouldn't have left out the following list of excellent games that came out this year! Plus a couple others that came out of early access in 2023 but which I sadly don't have time to write about in full. Trust me, The Last Spell and Against The Storm are both phenomenal games as well.
Anyway: in this handsomely decorated selection box, you'll find four of my honourable mentions for games I've enjoyed playing the most this year. If you have a hole in your Steam library, maybe these will help fill it over the Christmas break!
]]>Don't look now, but we're almost halfway through 2023. How is that even possible? I hear you cry. Well, I'm not entirely sure either. The last time I checked it was freezing cold outside and the sun went down at 3pm, but here we are with long, sunlit evenings and that sticky sheen of an early, muggy summer. Or at least it's been quite clammy in the RPS Treehouse this month, as we've all been sweating over our favourite games of the year so far.
]]>EA’s monster-hunting Wild Hearts is getting its first new Kemono species later this week as part of a post-launch update. April 6th will bring new creatures to hunt, new abilities to hunt with, and more ways to enhance your equipment - presumably to get better at hunting.
]]>There’s a touch of poetry to the way Wild Hearts carves so liberally from Monster Hunter. After all, Monster Hunter is a series about an unknown newcomer toppling ancient beasts, chopping up their best bits to create weapons and armour. Forget sleeves, Wild Hearts wears its inspirations as a complete set of clothing crafted from the bones, fur, and teeth of Capcom’s increasingly popular series. Inevitably these materials may feel lesser than the whole from which they were harvested, but they are worn proudly and with confidence nevertheless.
Besides, as a rare challenger to Monster Hunter, Wild Hearts is clearly aware of the difficulties involved in trying to pull off something new. Perhaps this is why Omega Force’s monster battler is so welcoming to newcomers. Finally, here is a game that is willing to teach a player why this long-running genre is held in such high regard. Wild Hearts is the perfect entry point for anyone who has ever dreamed of being a Monster Hunter Liker. A bombastic, brilliant good time that’s held back by frequent, frustrating performance issues on PC.
]]>A lot of folks, including our Liam, have been having a grand old time hunting Japanese fantasy beasts in Wild Hearts. Great! Less great is that it still runs like concrete on PC, even after a performance-focused patch that developers Omega Force had detailed even before the game had formally released.
]]>Wild Hearts is apparently a pretty good lower-case monster hunter game, albeit one with some substantial performance issues its developers pledged to fix. Maybe now they have: a performance patch was released earlier today, promising to address frame rates, unintentionally capped high-end CPUs, and more.
]]>How do you use the Hunter's Arm in Wild Hearts? The Hunter's Arm is an attack that you can use at specific moments during a boss fight in monster-hunting RPG Wild Hearts, and it's a very powerful one. If you're not yet using it in your fights, consider this guide a good starting point.
Below we'll walk you through what the Hunter's Arm actually does in Wild Hearts, and how to use it to gain a real advantage in a fight against any Giant Kemono, from the lowly Ragetail to the mighty Amaterasu and beyond.
]]>Looking for Ore in Wild Hearts? If you want to have a chance at toppling the strongest Kemono in Wild Hearts, then a lot of your time will need to be spent upgrading your gear. Weapons and Armour can be crafted and upgraded using a great many materials, one of which is Ore - a seemingly common but surprisingly annoying mineral to try and collect in bulk.
If you're stuck trying to find enough Ore for your needs, you'll find your answer below. On this page we'll walk you through where to find Ore in Wild Hearts, and also how to procure it through other means, from shop purchases to growing your own Ore using Dragon Karakuri.
]]>Looking for Lizard Bloom in Wild Hearts? Lizard Bloom is just one of a great many upgrade materials that you will need to gather in Wild Hearts in order to craft and upgrade new weapons and armour. Lizard Bloom is one of the earlier materials you'll need in the game, and fortunately it's fairly easy to come by if you know where to look.
In this quick guide we'll explain exactly where to go to get Lizard Bloom in Wild Hearts, so you can get to upgrading your equipment as quickly as possible for the hunts ahead.
]]>Want to learn more about Karakuri in Wild Hearts? Wild Hearts might seem similar to Monster Hunter, but the Karakuri system really sets it apart. Karakuri are structures that you can build in Wild Hearts, and they range from base-building areas such as a tent and campfire, to massive weapons that you can summon mid-fight to devastate your enemies.
While they're central to Wild Hearts, Karakuri aren't well-explained during your early hours. This might leave you feeling a bit lost, or perhaps overwhelmed, as you venture out on your first few hunts.
In this guide, we'll explain everything you need to know about Karakuri in Wild Hearts. We'll break down what they are, how to use them, and how to construct the various Karakuri that you'll need during combat.
]]>Want to know where you can find Silken Thread in Wild Hearts? Aside from completing quests and progressing through the main story, a large part of what you'll be doing in Wild Hearts is gathering materials to upgrade your equipment. One such material you'll need later on is Silken Thread, which can be cut from growths in the ground in specific areas of Asuma.
If you're struggling to find enough Silken Thread for the upgrades you're planning, you've come to the right place. Below we'll walk you through exactly where to find Silken Thread in Wild Hearts, what it looks like, and what to do with it once you've found it.
]]>Want to know where you can get Simian Yin Organ Gems in Wild Hearts? There's a dazzling, dizzying array of different weapon upgrades you can choose from in monster-hunting RPG Wild Hearts, and so you'll need to stay on top of gathering the right materials for each upgrade. Two of the more confusing materials you'll need to acquire later on are Simian Yin Organ Gems, and Simian Yang Organ Gems - two loot items which you'll need to follow some specific instructions in order to obtain.
This guide should remove any confusion, giving you some quick and clear steps to follow in order to find Simian Yin Organ Gems in Wild Hearts, and later on how to extract the rarer Simian Yang Organ Gems as well.
]]>Where can you go to find Pointed Scales in Wild Hearts? Much of what you'll be doing in Wild Hearts involves slaying monsters both large and small in order to get upgrade materials for your latest weapons and armour. One such upgrade material is the Pointed Scale, which can only be obtained by killing specific creatures in specific regions of Azuma.
If you've been wondering where you need to go to get these elusive Pointed Scales, on this page you'll find your answer. Below we'll explain exactly how to get Pointed Scales in Wild Hearts, where you need to go to find the creatures that drop them, and how far into the main story you'll need to progress before you can unlock these regions.
]]>Where can you find Lightstone in Wild Hearts? If you've played beyond the opening sequence of Wild Hearts, you'll know that there's a vast, intricate upgrade system for each of the eight weapon types in the game. Each of these upgrades costs a certain number of materials, and it won't be long before your next upgrade requires some Lightstone.
Lightstone is an ore material, just like the much more plentiful Corestone. But many a new player might be confused about where to go to find this elusive upgrade resource. The truth is that you won't be able to find any Lightstone until you've progressed beyond a certain point in the main story. Below we'll explain exactly what you need to do and where to get Lightstone in bulk for all your upgrading needs in Wild Hearts.
]]>Where can you find Mirror Stone in Wild Hearts? As you progress down the upgrade tree for your chosen weapon type in Wild Hearts, you'll find that the required materials for each upgrade get more and more difficult to procure. Soon, you won't be needing common Corestone and Small Kemono Hide any longer, but rare and perilous-to-acquire resources such as Mirror Stone and Lightstone.
If you've been searching around Asuma for a while and haven't yet come across any Mirror Stone, we feel your frustration. As it turns out, you can only find Mirror Stone in one specific region of the map, and you can only travel to that location once you've reached a certain point in the main story. Below we'll explain exactly how to get Mirror Stone in Wild Hearts, and where to go to find it once you've unlocked the region in which Mirror Stone can be found.
]]>What are the top tips and tricks for beginners in Wild Hearts? The new monster-hunting RPG from Omega Force and Koei Tecmo may be a bit more streamlined than its closest rival, but there's still an awful lot to learn in Wild Hearts. You've got weapons and combos to master, food to cook and eat, gigantic upgrade trees to navigate, and vast open-world regions filled with oversized monsters to defeat. It's easy to feel a little small and overwhelmed when you're just starting out on your Wild Hearts journey.
While Wild Hearts has various tutorials which delve into some of the important mechanics, they're also easily missed, and forego some of the most important lessons that I've learned in my first 20 or so hours hunting down giant Kemono with the help of my trusty Karakuri devices. If you want to avoid some of the major pitfalls of many early players, that's what we're here for. On this page I'll walk you through 20 essential beginner's tips for Wild Hearts, teaching you all the things that I wish I'd known from the beginning of the game.
]]>Looking for the best weapon in Wild Hearts? Wild Hearts is all about smacking big beasties with anything and everything at your disposal. Of course, to topple the toughest bosses, you'll need to use the best weapons. There are eight different weapon types at your disposal, though, so we've looked through them all to determine which takes the top spot.
]]>Want to know how to change your character's appearance in Wild Hearts? Wild Hearts allows players to customise the look of their character at the beginning of the game, using a surprisingly robust and powerful character creation system. There are no gameplay choices in character creation, no classes or weapons or perks to pick. Everything comes down to appearance.
But what if, several hours into Wild Hearts, you find yourself no longer entirely satisfied with your character's look? Is there a way to change your appearance after character creation? The answer is yes, using a particular Dragon Karakuri named the Looking Glass - and on this page, we'll explain exactly how you can do so.
]]>Looking for the best armor in Wild Hearts? Wild Hearts is a new Monster Hunter-like, which means there are plenty of big beasties to fight. Of course, big monsters mean it's a big challenge, so you'll need the best armor if you want to stay alive.
Wild Hearts' armor system can be a little confusing in the early stages, as the bombardment of new systems and tutorials gets a bit overwhelming. Fortunately, we're here to help you suit up with the best gear in those early stages.
In this guide, we'll break down the best armor in Wild Hearts that you should use early on. This doesn't include the best endgame armor for now, but these armor sets should keep you alive for some of the toughest Giant Kemono in the early game, such as Kingtusk and Spineglider.
]]>Need some tips on how to beat the Sapscourge in Wild Hearts? The second in a long line of giant hostile creatures you must defeat in Wild Hearts, the Sapscourge represents a major step up in difficulty versus the Ragetail. With hard-to-avoid roll attacks and the ability to spit sticky paralysing sap everywhere, it's a nasty time for the unprepared hunter.
Good thing you'll be very well prepared then! Read on to learn everything about your prey so you can beat the Sapscourge in Wild Hearts with ease. We'll go over the Sapscourge's strengths, weaknesses, soft spots, and counters, along with the materials it will drop for you once you've slain it.
]]>How do you unlock new weapons in Wild Hearts? If you've played an hour or so of Omega Force's new RPG Wild Hearts, you may have noticed that when crafting new weapons at the Blacksmith there are three weapon types that you can't yet create. You can't even see what they are. What gives?
All eight of the weapon types in Wild Hearts are very complex and powerful, and well-suited to certain playstyles and situations. So if you really want to give yourself the best chance against all the Kemono stalking the world of Wild Hearts, then you should unlock the remaining three weapons as quickly as possible. These weapons are the Claw Blade, the Hand Cannon, and the Karakuri Staff - and honestly, they're well worth the wait.
Below we'll walk you through exactly what you need to do to unlock the new weapons in Wild Hearts, so that you can get stuck into trying them out and finding the weapon that suits you as early on in the story as possible.
]]>Looking for tips on how to beat the Ragetail in Wild Hearts? Like its closest rival in the Monster Hunter genre, Omega Force's new RPG Wild Hearts lets players loose in a world overrun with giant monstrous creatures that need hunting and killing to protect the safety of the archipelago's inhabitants. And the first step for every play is to defeat the Ragetail, an overgrown rat with a massive bulbous maul of a tail that it loves to swing in your direction.
While the Ragetail's aggression can spell doom for players still getting to grips with Wild Hearts, once you know how to defeat it, this boss becomes quite straightforward. Read on to find out exactly how to beat the Ragetail in Wild Hearts, and what you'll earn for doing so.
]]>Like a sticky ball of regurgitated sap spat from the jaws of a giant dog, review code for Wild Hearts came in hot and fast earlier this week. So while other outlets will be delivering their final verdicts on Omega Force’s beast batterin’ simulator today, I’m afraid I haven’t had the chance to play enough of it to give it a fair shakedown yet. It’s good, though! I really like it, and as a huge Monster Hunter fan I’m pleased that there’s finally a worthy alternative to Capcom’s long-running series. Competition is good!
]]>Wild Hearts launched last week into a world of problems on PC, from dreadful overall performance to more specific issues with certain graphics cards and a bizarre bug that meant setting audio output to Stereo meant fewer frames per second. The game itself proved enough of a satisfying monster hunter (no relation) to charm Liam, but the technical mess remained.
Developers Omega Force say they’re continuing to work on Wild Heart’s PC performance, including the future addition of DLSS and FSR upscaling, and this week released a patch that claimed to fix several key snags. Did it? To find out, I returned to it with the same RTX 3070 GPU I used for our original best settings guide, and... uh, it’s still bad. Sorry.
]]>Wild Hearts developers Omega Force are looking to lower the blades of disgruntled PC players, penning a Steam news update that acknowledges performance issues with the early trial of their Monster Hunter-y RPG.
"Omega Force are working continuously to improve performance and optimise the game for a wide variety of hardware specs across future updates", the note reads. It also confirms that support for both DLSS and FSR upscalers is on the way, and asks those who’ve found their hunts scuppered by dodgy performance to report their issues to EA’s support team.
]]>When can you start playing Wild Hearts? Wild Hearts looks set to be one of the most promising Monster Hunter-esque games in recent times that wasn't released by Capcom. Set in a perilous fantasy world inspired by feudal Japan, players can band together or embark solo on monster hunting missions against gigantic Kemono, using both their weapons and the unique Karakuri - deployable buildings and traps that can help control the battlefield.
If you're raring to get stuck into a spot of hunting, don't fret. Below we'll walk you through the exact Wild Hearts release time in each region, and we'll also show you how you can get Early Access and start playing Wild Hearts right now.
]]>When will Wild Hearts release, and what do we know about it so far? If the idea of carefully tracking and hunting down massive behemoth-like monsters in gorgeous environments tickles your fancy, then you may want to keep a close eye on Wild Hearts - a soon-to-be-released action RPG with a strong taste of feudal-era Japan.
Wild Hearts will task its players with defeating massive elemental monsters called Kemono with the help of oversized weaponry and special ancient technology called Karakuri. If you're interested to know what all this means in practice - or perhaps you want to know what this monster-hunting game does differently from the venerable and much-beloved Monster Hunter series, then you've come to the right place. Read on to discover everything we know about Wild Hearts, from its release date and editions to the story, setting, and major gameplay features.
]]>Happy New Year, folks! Crikey, there are a lot of games coming out this year, aren't there? When I first asked the team to put together their most anticipated games for 2023, I was thinking we'd have a reasonably sensible number of things we were all looking forward to, you know, somewhere in the region of the 43 games we highlighted at the start of 2022. Very quickly, though, it became apparent that, actually, there are simply loads of games the RPS Treehouse is personally excited about this year, and cor, it would be rude not to include every last one of them. I'll be upfront: there are a fair number of TBA games on here that probably aren't going to come out in 2023, but as ever, we remain hopeful and optimistic all the same. So let's dive in.
]]>If you’re going to go on the hunt for giant monsters then you'll need some serious technology to back you up. Upcoming hunting game Wild Hearts is packing plenty of what devs Omega Force are calling Karakuri, the magical flat-pack wooden kit the game’s warriors use to battle the various beasties in their fantasy take on medieval Japan. You can get a glimpse of some of the Karakuri battles that Wild Hearts contains in the trailer below, including a rather awesome looking monocycle and a furious monkey with a very nasty skin condition.
]]>Wild Hearts is Koei Tecmo and EA Original's effort to muscle in on Monster Hunter's monopoly on video games where your primary goal is to make nice pants from gigantic fire geckos. I was lucky enough to go hands-on with an early build of the Wild Hearts's opening hours to see how it stacks up against its age-old competitor, and whether it has any chance of melting down Monster Hunter's trophy cabinet and forging itself a golden crown.
]]>Upcoming monster-hunting but not Monster Hunter game Wild Hearts has debuted seven minutes of gameplay, which gives us a proper look at how the game’s wooden tech can help take down its hulking prey. It also reveals some co-op hunting action for the first time. Take a look at the footage below, and try not to giggle when the sproingy hammer whacks the giant piggy.
]]>EA and Koei Tecmo's co-op beastie-botherer Wild Hearts will mix katanas, massive animals, and wacky crafted weapons when it launches in February. The Dynasty Warriors studio revealed their collaboration as part of the EA Originals label today, and it’s certainly channelling some of that there Monster Hunter energy. Watch the first trailer below and tell me you don’t want a handheld helicopter.
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