Wild Hearts grabs its biggest update yet, now has a free trial on Xbox and PC

Wild Hearts concept art for Murakumo
(Image credit: EA)

What you need to know

  • Wild Hearts has received a new post-launch title update which adds a new Kemono called the Murakumoto hunt, a new Fusion Karakuri for players to use called the Spinning Top, and a new Limit Break to augment player gear.
  • A free trial is also available for Wild Hearts on Xbox consoles and PC which will last from Apr. 6, 2023 to Apr. 13, 2023.
  • This update is the latest in a long string of Wild Hearts patches that have been adding new content and fixing the game's performance issues that have plagued the game at launch.

Today, EA's action-hunting game Wild Hearts has just received its first post-launch update for April and it is the biggest one to date. This update adds a slew of new content to the game including a new Kemono, Fusion Karakuri, and a gear enhancement system. 

The new Kemono is a fox-like monster called the Murakumo. This cute but vicious beast has the power to control wind and generate sakura-blossom petals from its body. It attacks its prey by using its incredible speed to catch them off guard and bite them. The Murakumo also uses its innate powers to generate platforms made of blossom petals and use them as aerial stepping stones to get the drop on enemies.

To counter this speedy opponent, players are given a new Fusion Karakuri gadget to use in battle called the Spinning Top. As the name implies, this device lets you launch a giant spinning top that rams into a Kemono's hide and ricochets against the nearby environment to deal additional damage to the target.

In addition to the new Fusion Karakuri, this update brings a new gameplay system to help players survive the many threats of Wild Hearts called the Limit Break system. This system allows you to upgrade weapons and armor by augmenting them with Core Orbs, which you gain by hunting Kemono.

This update also implements a gigantic list of gameplay balance adjustments and bug fixes, which can be viewed on the official Wild Hearts website.

(Image credit: EA)

In addition to a new update, a free trial has gone live for the Xbox and PlayStation versions of Wild Hearts. This trial gives free access to the game for up to 10 hours or up until players reach the gates of Minato, Wild Heart's hub town. 

A 20% discount for the Karakuri and Standard Editions of Wild Hearts is also available for a limited time from Apr. 7, 2023, to Apr. 20, 2023, for the Xbox version. 

The discount will also be available for the PlayStation version with differing dates: The Karakuri Edition is 20% off from now until Apr. 12, 2023, and the Standard Edition is 20% off from Apr. 12, 2023, to Apr. 26, 2023.

Window Central's take

This update is the latest of many post-launch updates for Wild Hearts that has introduced new Kemono to hunt like the Grimstalker and Hellfire Laharback, gameplay balance changes, and hotfixes to repair the graphical and frame-rate performances issues that have plagued the game since it launched.

While we criticized Wild Hearts when we reviewed it for said issues, it was still a very enjoyable action-hunting game with innovative ideas that its competitor, Capcom's Monster Hunter series can learn from. With each new update, these performance problems are being fixed and soon may be erased entirely — allowing Wild Hearts to show its true potential and become one of the best Xbox games out there.

Wild Hearts

Wild Hearts

Wield the mysterious power of Karakuri and defend humanity from the wrathful Kemono in Wild Hearts. Take on these magnificent creatures alone or with friends in three-player co-op.

Buy at: Xbox | GMG

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Alexander Cope
Contributor — Gaming

Alexander Cope is a gaming veteran of 30-plus years, primarily covering PC and Xbox games here on Windows Central. Gaming since the 8-bit era, Alexander's expertise revolves around gaming guides and news, with a particular focus on Japanese titles from the likes of Elden Ring to Final Fantasy. Alexander is always on deck to help our readers conquer the industry's most difficult games — when he can pry himself away from Monster Hunter that is!