Hunting Kemono in Wild Hearts takes skill and practice, but these beasts prove the most challenging of all the game’s monsters.
Fans of the legendary Monster Hunter series have reason to be very excited. Wild Hearts, from developer Omega Force (known for their work on the Dynasty Warriors franchise), has released to high praise from critics and players alike. The first game to expand the Monster Hunter formula into a genre all its own — now known as «Hunting games» — Wild Hearts is attempting to capture the magic of Monster Hunter while adding a few twists to make their game feel fresh.
From building structures mid-battle to weapons that stay sharp, there are lots of new elements that make Wild Hearts stand 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 Hearts succeeds 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.
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 its ability to build karakuri-like structures akin 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.
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.
