I’ve been playing Wild Hearts. I’m not usually a monster hunting kinda guy, but I’m insisting on giving it a red-hot go for an upcoming review. While I’m not quite at the point where I think I can give it a full review just yet, I am at a point where I can talk about the fact that Wild Hearts is a little guy game.
Just in case you’ve forgotten, “little guy games” are a subgenre that I live and die by. In little guy games, you are a big or normal-sized guy that is either followed around by, aided by, or in control of little guys, which is not to be mistaken with Daddy Simulators where you play as a stand-in papa.
There are, in my eyes, two types of little guy games: active and aesthetic. Active little guy games are games where the little guys that follow you around are of direct use to you. A classic example of this is Pikmin, where the Pikmin themselves act as the aforementioned little guys. Aesthetic little guy games are like Death’s Door, where you can have little guys follow you around but they don’t really do much else than that.
So, the headline. Yes, Wild Hearts is an active little guy game, all thanks to the Tsukumo.
great news: wild hearts is a little guy game pic.twitter.com/4a1DGewnBc
— ruby innes (@rubyinnes) February 19, 2023
Tsukumo are orb-like wooden robot creatures that are scattered around the world of Wild Hearts. They can be befriended by the player, and will fight alongside you against the kemono (monsters) you find in your travels. You may be thinking, “A little orb against a huge creature? That sounds like a recipe for disaster!”. That’s understandable, but these little guys are tough.
In combat, Tsukumo deal damage to kemono, distract them so you can attack and maybe take a breather, and use their own karakuri thread to weaken them. As well as this, upgrading Tsukumo also allow for you to hold more karakuri thread, which is used to build structures.
To really cash in on Wild Hearts’ little guy experience, you are also able to change the appearance and name of your Tsukumo. My Tsukumo’s name is Gumby, and it is my bestest friend in the whole wide world. They also can never die, so it’s comforting to know that Gumby will live forever.
Is this enough to consider Wild Hearts the best game of this year? No, not really. However, it definitely is a sweet little treat in a game that I’m already liking so far. My review will be coming soon, and it will take this into account.
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