The Wild at Heart

96%
Game Brain Score Based on 245 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
The Wild at Heart Game Cover
Moonlight Kids have a hit on their hands with The Wild at Heart. It brings a strong narrative, some clever puzzles, and enough of an endearing journey to make it one of the better releases this holiday season on the PlayStation.
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"The Wild at Heart" is a nostalgic storybook fantasy game where players collect and command a horde of magical creatures, the Spritelings, to battle enemies, build paths, and solve puzzles in a richly detailed world. Explore the Deep Woods, uncover secrets, gather resources, and craft structures and upgrades. Confront precarious wildlife and supernatural foes in thrilling battles, and beware of the dark as you unravel the mysteries of this lost realm.

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Reviews

96%
Audience ScoreBased on 245 reviews
story43 positive mentions
grinding5 negative mentions
  • The game features a beautiful art style and charming characters that create an immersive experience.
  • It offers engaging puzzles and exploration, making it a cozy and enjoyable adventure for players.
  • The story, while simple, is heartwarming and resonates with themes of childhood innocence and self-discovery.
  • The combat mechanics can feel repetitive and lack depth, making encounters less engaging.
  • The game can become too easy, especially in the late stages, leading to a lack of challenge for experienced players.
  • Some players found the story's resolution unsatisfying and wished for more depth and closure regarding character arcs.
  • story113 mentions

    The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it captivating and emotionally resonant, while others feel it lacks depth and closure. Many appreciate the charming characters and beautiful art style, which complement the whimsical narrative, though some criticize the plot for being forgettable or abruptly ending. Overall, the story is described as sweet and engaging, with a nostalgic feel, but opinions vary on its complexity and impact.

    • “The story is captivating and the characters are absolutely adorable.”
    • “If you love cozy games, beautiful art, and a touching story about self-discovery, this is for you.”
    • “The story is engrossing, the art is gorgeous, the characters are charming, and the gameplay is unique and varied.”
    • “The first big issue was that I really didn't care about the plot or characters whatsoever, and when the story was finished, I was glad that it was over.”
    • “The weakest part of the game, unfortunately, is the story.”
    • “If it means story, the story was easily forgettable, really forcing you to watch unengaging cutscenes of two kids talking around a campfire.”
  • graphics68 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning and whimsical art style, which evokes a storybook atmosphere and is reminiscent of titles like Pikmin and Stardew Valley. Players appreciate the charming characters, vibrant colors, and immersive aesthetics that enhance the overall experience, making exploration enjoyable and visually captivating. The combination of beautiful artwork, relaxing music, and engaging visuals contributes significantly to the game's appeal, often overshadowing any gameplay shortcomings.

    • “The art style makes it feel like you're inside a children's book, so each place and character immediately feels very imaginative and nostalgic at the same time.”
    • “Everything from the charming and colorful art style, the peaceful sound design, the unique characters, and the quirky humor made this whole experience a joy to witness.”
    • “The artwork is beautiful, the music is relaxing, and you can tell a lot of imagination and love went into the game.”
    • “Still has a few glitches but the art style, colors, and concept as a whole is so nice :))”
    • “The graphics, the gameplay, the idea.”
    • “☼ graphics ☼”
  • gameplay68 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by its forgiving mechanics and engaging puzzles, often drawing comparisons to the Pikmin series, which many players find enjoyable and rewarding. While some mechanics can feel clunky or tedious, the overall experience is enhanced by charming art, a captivating story, and a variety of gameplay elements that keep it interesting. Players appreciate the balance of simplicity and depth, making it accessible for all ages, though some desire more complexity in certain areas.

    • “The gameplay, puzzles, and emotional depth all are worth their weight.”
    • “Rich in lore, stunning in visuals and easy to follow gameplay, this game is endearing and charming and very enjoyable to play.”
    • “The story and gameplay is excellent and allows you to appreciate the artwork and enjoy your time playing instead of just appreciating the art and logging off.”
    • “Battles start feeling like a chore because of the fighting mechanic.”
    • “However, even though I liked those parts, the battle mechanic made it feel a little tedious for me, so much so it became boring.”
    • “The game is cute, but it is way too slow and the game mechanics are very simplistic and mostly tedious.”
  • music45 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall experience with a relaxing soundtrack that complements the beautiful artwork and engaging storyline. Many players find the music nostalgic and evocative, effectively setting the mood for exploration and adding depth to the game's whimsical yet darker themes. Overall, the combination of stunning visuals and a captivating soundtrack makes for a memorable and immersive gaming experience.

    • “The music and art are gorgeous - really great for the inner child.”
    • “The soundtrack adds a lot to the ambiance of the game and is really relaxing.”
    • “The music is calming and the map is atmospheric and fun to explore.”
    • “There is a sense of nervousness when the music changes in the afternoon to indicate that it will soon be night and the invisible creature appears, and returns to calm again in the morning.”
    • “While the game itself seems light and easygoing, the music that plays when it's nearing night time fills me with dread and gets me rushing back to the campsite ASAP, and the dreams that I have at night hint at a darker story that the main character might not be able to comprehend as of yet, as he is still a child.”
    • “The art direction and music are doing the heavy lifting here but some of the gameplay mechanics are surprisingly interesting and unique.”
  • emotional12 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its touching story of self-discovery, unique character backgrounds, and a blend of wholesome and haunting elements. Players appreciate the beautiful art and music, which evoke nostalgia and enhance the heartfelt narrative, often leading to a poignant experience. Overall, the game is described as cozy, visually stunning, and capable of eliciting strong emotional responses, making it a memorable journey.

    • “If you love cozy games, beautiful art, and a touching story about self-discovery, this is for you.”
    • “The stories behind each and every character are so unique and heart-wrenching.”
    • “I loved playing through this game with my community, the art style is gorgeous and the storyline is heartbreaking and beautiful.”
  • atmosphere6 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its charming art style, beautiful graphics, and relaxing music, creating an immersive exploration experience. While the sound design enhances the ambiance, some players found navigation challenging, leading to backtracking and reliance on walkthroughs. Overall, the combination of atmospheric elements and engaging puzzles contributes to a captivating gameplay experience.

    • “Charming arts and characters, atmospheric exploration with decent puzzles and relaxing music.”
    • “The atmosphere and art style are beautiful, and the story was quite good too.”
    • “The music is calming and the map is atmospheric and fun to explore.”
    • “The atmosphere feels empty and lifeless, making it hard to immerse myself in the game.”
    • “Despite the potential for a rich environment, the atmosphere lacks depth and fails to engage the player.”
    • “The game tries to create a mood, but the execution falls flat, leaving the world feeling bland and uninspired.”
  • humor5 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its charming and quirky writing, featuring adorable characters and amusing descriptions that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the lighthearted interactions with NPCs and the comedic elements woven into the lore, puzzles, and combat, making the game enjoyable from beginning to end.

    • “I loved all the hilarious descriptions for things.”
    • “Everything from the charming and colorful art style, the peaceful sound design, the unique characters, and the quirky humor made this whole experience a joy to witness.”
    • “I bought this mostly for the great art and cute characters, but interacting with the NPCs, the humorous writing, the lore, the puzzles, and combat kept the game fun from start to finish.”
  • grinding5 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, often leading to boredom, particularly due to simplistic mechanics and resource management. Some have opted for easier modes to alleviate the grind, suggesting that improvements like a one-click preset for resource management could enhance the experience. Overall, while the game has its charm, the grinding elements detract from enjoyment for many users.

    • “It took me about 16 hours to beat, but that was with unnecessary resource grinding.”
    • “Maybe it's just me, and others might call me a 'little baby' and 'filthy casual', but I ended up switching to adventurer mode as wanderer proved way too time-consuming and tedious.”
    • “The game is cute, but it is way too slow, and the game mechanics are very simplistic and mostly tedious.”
  • stability3 mentions

    The game has been noted for its stability issues, with users reporting bugs and glitches that detract from the experience. Despite these technical shortcomings, the overall artistic presentation and concept are well-received.

    • “It can be a little buggy.”
    • “It's too short, it couldn't decide on what it wanted for tone (dark/sad or whimsical/silly), and it's pretty buggy.”
    • “Still has a few glitches, but the art style, colors, and concept as a whole are so nice.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    Replayability is generally considered low, as the main challenge lies in creature fights while puzzles remain solved. However, the game's beautiful graphics, detailed story, and various side quests may encourage players to revisit it after some time.

    • “Beautiful graphics, surprisingly detailed story, big world, hidden objects to find, side quests, two levels of difficulty, pleasant soundtrack, good interface... not sure about the replay value yet, but I can see picking this up again after a few months.”
    • “Replayability is almost nonexistent, as only the creature fights can provide an additional challenge - the puzzles have already been solved.”
    • “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to play again since the story and puzzles remain the same.”
    • “The lack of varied outcomes or different paths makes replaying the game feel tedious and uninteresting.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Reviews indicate that while the character designs are charming and memorable, such as the humorously named "litterbox," there is a notable lack of depth in dialogue and character development among the main NPCs, leaving players wanting more engaging interactions.

    • “The character designs are charming, and I still laugh remembering that there's a character called 'Litterbox' who apparently smells really bad.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with their stories.”
    • “I was disappointed by how predictable the character arcs were; they didn't evolve in any meaningful way.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

81% average critic score

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