For all of you who miss the great beasts of Monster Hunter, here’s Wild Hearts, a game where you use technology to battle super-powered creatures rampaging across the landscape. While playing the game, you have a wide variety of regions to explore and find different little monsters. However, how do you interact with this world? Is it a deliberate path or a wide world of freedom?
Is the world of Wild Hearts open?
picture via EA
Yes and no. The world of Wild Hearts, Azuma, is an open landscape. Somewhat similar to games like Elden Ring, however, this sprawling landscape isn’t completely open to everyone at once. The different regions of Azuma will only be accessible to you as you progress through the story. So you’ll end up having a big open world, but it won’t start out that way. However, during the end game content, you should be able to explore all of the different regions at will.
Related: How Co-op Works In Wild Hearts
How to unlock new regions in Wild Hearts?
As you play the game you get new quests and adventures through different chapters. Although it’s not an exact science, usually when you complete a chapter, a new region opens up. In Wild Hearts, inspired by feudal Japan, there are four different main areas: Fuyufusagi Fort, Harugasumi Way, Natsukodachi Isle and Akikure Canyon. Each region represents one of the seasons. Fuyufusagi is winter, Harugasumi is spring, Natsukodachi is summer, and Akikure is autumn. Each region has different monsters, called Kemono in the game, that you must hunt down and defeat. Each region’s Kemono reflect their specific area, so expect the creatures in Fort Fuyufusagi to be quite frosty.
In the middle of all these areas is Minato, your hub village for all things monster hunting, including crafting the best new weapons. It’s based on classic feudal Japanese towns, so keep an eye out for guilds, administrators, bathhouses, and beautiful traditional architecture, creating your own beautiful, monster-free place.
Source