I reviewed Wild Hearts at release and really enjoyed it. However, the release was marred by terrible performance, and honestly, I was pretty lenient on it all things considered.
Since release, there have been some patches and fixes, content updates and a few other bits here and there. But Wild Hearts still doesn’t run as you’d expect. This was on all platforms, too. Although mileage seemed to vary depending on PC builds or console platforms.
I’ve dropped off Wild Hearts a bit, hoping for performance fixes, but they hadn’t really come yet. Until yesterday (16th May 2023). There’s a huge patch, with a lit of fixes and updates as long as you’d hope to see.
Is this the patch we’ve all been waiting for?
Wild Hearts Patch Notes
Improvements, Balance Adjustments
The attribute values of weapons and the resilience of armor can now be enhanced through the Limit Break system.
An option to change Inherent Skills has been added to the Limit Break system. Inherent Skills can be added and replaced by consuming materials. This option will be unlocked after completing the main storyline and after you acquire your first Core Orbs.
Upper and lower body undergarments can now be selected separately. Undergarments can now be changed in the Change Equipment menu.
Up to 3 food items with the same final effects can now be smoked simultaneously in the Smoker and Vermilion Smoker karakuri.
Added quests featuring specific Volatile Kemono. E.g., “Ruby-Blossomed Rodent – Volatile”. These quests will be added to Chapter 3 through Side Stories when the following conditions are met:
Hunted the target Volatile Kemono;
Completed post-Chapter 3 quests, including the Recondite quests, in which the original species of the volatile Kemono was the hunt target.
Players who have already completed the above criteria before the application of the update will only need to complete one of the conditions.
[For PC] Added new “DLSS” and “DLSS Quality” options that reduce the drawing load while maintaining high resolution to the Upscaling setting. These options are only available for GPU that support them.
[For PC] A warning message will now appear when attempting to play on a PC that does not meet the minimum system requirements.
Added a new “Karakuri Activation while holding the Sprint button/key” setting. When enabled, Karakuri can only be activated while holding the sprint button/key.
Added a new Central Dot Display setting.
Added the following setting items:
Subtitle Background Color
Subtitle Text Color
Color Subtitled Speaker Names
Reticule Color (On Target)
Reticule Color (Off Target)
Lock-On Marker Color
Cursor Color
Added a sample display on the right side of the screen for the following settings:
Subtitle Text Size
Tutorial Text Size
Action Guide Text Size
Acquisition Log Text Size
Chat Log Text Size
Subtitle Background Transparency
Tutorial Window Background Transparency
Guide Window Background Transparency
Added an option to listen to the volume samples when changing the Voice Volume setting.
Added VRAM status display on the right side of the screen for the following settings:
Resolution
Upscaling
Preset
Textures
Model Quality
It is now possible to select multiple items when selling goods at the store.
The chat wheel can now be used during the Final Blow.
Material details can now be viewed on screens where materials are consumed, such as during weapon forging.
Headgear can now be toggled on and off from the armor forging and cladding creation screens.
A message will now be displayed in cases where accessories cannot be displayed in combination with certain pieces of armor.
Basic Karakuri will now be saved as part of a loadout.
Flying Vine routes will now be displayed on the Detailed Map.
The remaining time and remaining life threads for the current active quest will now be displayed on the Detailed Map.
It is now possible to select multiple Karakuri simultaneously when dismantling Dragon Karakuri from the Detailed Map.
A new icon has been added to the Detailed Map to indicate Dragon Karakuri placed by other players.
An adjustment was made to the Detailed Map to make travel icons and Dragon Pit icons easier to select than Dragon Karakuri icons.
Assistance Search can now be also conducted at Campfires.
Increased visibility of destructible Giant Kemono parts that have fallen to the ground when using Hunter Vision.
Increased visibility of the critical hit effects.
Added “Critical Mode” to the Training Bear settings. This setting will allow players to choose whether critical hits will be triggered when using the Training Bear Karakuri.
It is now possible to join other players/request assistance during Serial Hunt quests. However, it is only possible while the first Kemono’s health is above a certain threshold.
Increased the speed of combo attacks using the Stake Karakuri.
Increased the transition speed from attacks using the Glider Karakuri into an Iai Slash when using the Karakuri Katana.
Fixed an issue in which the transition from an attack using the Glider Karakuri into an Iai Slash would be canceled if a movement input was entered.
Fixed an issue that caused an unexpected amount of movement when triggering Unbound: Vortex Lunge with the Karakuri Katana.
Adjusted Maul’s Wingblade Crescent Slash to make the final attack easier to hit the target.
The skill activation log will now not be displayed when activating Maul’s Extended Rap skill.
Adjusted Maul’s Pummel to make it more likely to hit the Kemono.
Fixed an issue where Karakuri could not be placed during the Fully Extended: Jumping Pummel with a Maul.
Fixed an issue where Karakuri could not be placed during the Fully Extended: Pound with a Maul.
Made the following adjustments to Maul’s Power Smash:
Adjusted the movement input during the Power Smash to match the camera focus point;
Increased the movement amount during the attack;
Fixed an issue that made it impossible to place Karakuri at the end of the attack;
Increased the rotation speed.
Pressing Attack 1 or Attack 2 during the Power Smash will trigger a Pummel attack with a large amount of forward momentum. The attack that will follow will change depending on the state of the Power Smash before it was triggered.”
Fixed an issue that made it possible to use Maul’s Aerial Pound to avoid fall damage.
Fixed an issue in which the Spinning Top Karakuri could be destroyed with Maul’s Power Smash.
Added a Bow action that allows you to release arrows with higher resonance power during the following attacks:
Attacks using 2 stacked Crates;
Attacks using 3 stacked Crates;
Attacks using the Glider Karakuri;
Attacks using the Stake Karakuri.
Holding down the fire button during an attack will cause a special effect to appear around the player. Firing when this effect is displayed will trigger a special action with increased resonance effect.
Increased the power of the Glider combo attack with the Bow.
Fixed an issue which prevented you from spin dodging when dodging three or more times in a row in the same direction with a Bow drawn.
Fixed an issue that caused an unexpected amount of movement when dodging following the Full Draw: Otoya attack with a Bow.
Fixed an issue in which damage was unintentionally decreased despite the aiming distance being within the proper range when using a Bow during the Celestial Dragon hunt.
Increased the power of Leaping Strike, Jumping Spin Slash, Forward Throw, and Nimble Lunge with Karakuri Staff.
The mutation level of the Karakuri Staff will no longer reset outside of combat.
Increased the amount of Karakuri Thread generated when attacking with a Karakuri Staff.
Fixed an issue that caused the weapon gauge of the Karakuri Staff to flicker at unintended times.
The valor gauge will no longer reset when using a Glider while charging with a Nodachi.
Adjusted Nodachi’s Downward Slash to make it easier to hit Kemono.
Increased the power of the Nodachi’s Celestial Stab using the Glider Karakuri.
Reduced the build up of the valor gauge after successfully hitting a Kemono with Flaming Slash with a Nodachi while charging.
Fixed an issue where moving while charging with a Nodachi used up more stamina than intended.
Fixed an issue where Double Spin Slash could not be performed if the connection to the Celestial Anchor Karakuri was lost during a jump when the Celestial Anchor was used while charging with a Nodachi.
Reduced the transition speed from Surprise Bombardment to dodging while using a Hand Cannon.
Surprise Bombardment when used after a Sliding Dodge will now fire three projectiles simultaneously.
Fixed an issue in which regular shots with a Hand Cannon sometimes did not hit Small Kemono or the Celestial Being correctly.
Adjusted to ensure that the Spindance Gauge is not reduced outside of combat with Giant Kemono.
Fixed an issue that caused parrying with a Bladed Wagasa to fail within the first few frames of also inputting movement commands.
Adjusted controls of the Bladed Wagasa’s Aerial Spindance 1.
Adjusted controls of the Bladed Wagasa’s Savage Dance.
Fixed an issue where the number of hits of the Bladed Wagasa’s multi-hit attacks, such as the Trey Star, could be reduced depending on the FPS setting.
Fixed an issue in which parrying during Bladed Wagasa’s Reverse Lunge would cause the player to float in the air when they were on the ground.
Fixed an issue where some of the attacks performed with a Bladed Wagasa after a parry with a full Spindance gauge failed to hit the target.
Adjusted the timing of Karakuri destruction that occurs when a Kemono enters an enraged phase.
Adjusted to make sure Healing Water can be used with no issues after getting up or using the Spring Karakuri.
Reduced camera shaking after getting grabbed by a Giant Kemono.
Made it easier to use the Shield Wall Karakuri to block Onyxshard’s spinning attack.
Adjusted an issue that sometimes caused Basic Karakuri to be unintentionally linked sideways during a battle with a Giant Kemono.
Increased the duration of the Fusion Flash for the Celestial Cannon Karakuri during the Golden Tempest hunt.
Increased the duration of the Fusion Flash for the Chain Trap Karakuri during the Deathstalker hunt.
Adjusted so that when a Stake Karakuri is stuck in a Kemono, it can be grabbed immediately by holding down the sprint button.
Adjusted so that only the first hit of the Spinning Top will now stagger Kemono.
Increased the range at which the Elemental Lantern Fusion Karakuri responds to Kemono’s elemental attacks.
Reduced the time it takes for a player to get launched when using the Launcher Karakuri.
Adjusted behavior of the Celestial Dragon.
Made it easier to target body parts when hunting the Celestial Dragon.
Adjusted aggro sensitivity of Deeply Volatile Kemono.
Adjusted the names of Deeply Volatile Kemono in all localized languages.
Increased the amounts of the following items sold in the shop:
Wheat,
Unmilled Rice,
Rice,
Red Meat,
Cubed Meat,
Sliced Meat,
Marbled Meat,
Horse Mackerel,
Prismwhelk Salmon,
Dogwood Catfish,
Bonito Fillet,
Green Vegetables,
Eggplant,
Maitake,
Pumpkin,
Brown Sugar,
Mash,
Mixed Miso,
Fruit Vinegar,
Imported Hot Spice,
Zesty Spice Mix,
Dried Golden Sesame,
Dried Azuki Beans
The numbers of items on sale will change after the item lineup is updated.
Adjusted the effects for the following food items:
The effect of the Recovery Boost skill will now be applied not only to Healing Water but also to health recovery that occurs through other skill effects.
Adjusted stage rendering and collision.
Adjusted the placement of accessories with some armor pieces.
Beards will now be displayed correctly when wearing an eye bandage.
Added a special mark to Talismans obtained from hunting Deeply Volatile Kemono.
Adjusted the contents of Talismans obtained by hunting Volatile Kemono. It is now possible to obtain Talismans with rare skills, such as those that enhance specific weapon types. The type of skills attached will depend on the hunted Kemono.
Added defense level enhancements for the following armor sets to the Limit Break system:
Hunter’s set
Fresh Fern set
Young Samurai set
Basara set
Ocean Wave set
Roaming Bard set
Grithide set
Ninja set
Long Reed set
Veteran set
All-Black set
Snowflake set
Bandit set
Argent set
Minato Guardian’s set
Blossom Trail set
Spirit Isle set
Harvest Canyon set
Frozen Fort set
Red Plum set
Great Juniper set
Jadedance set
Myōtara set
Brighteye Archer set
Cutthroat set
Sunrise Princess set
Sable Mara set
Fūma Clan set
Draconic set
Increased the amount of Giant Crystals obtained from Volatile Kemono.
Adjusted hunt rewards for the following quests:
Deathly Blossom Trail Stagnation
Bitter Spirit Isle Stagnation
Choking Harvest Canyon Stagnation
Biting Frozen Fort Stagnation
Stagnant Verdant Spikemoss
Stagnant Balmy Orange
Stagnant Russet Canopy
Stagnant Silvery Rimes
Reward adjustments:
Increased the number of Keystones dropped;
Added Core Orbs;
Removed Giant Crystals.
Added Natsukodachi Core Orb as a reward for hunting Grimstalker.
Added Harugasumi Core Orb as a reward for hunting Murakumo.
Increased the number of Core Orbs obtained by hunting Deeply Volatile Kemono.
Talismans added to Favorites will not be prioritized when sorting by anything other than acquisition order.
Adjusted the Talisman tutorial. This can be accessed through Main Menu > Information > Tutorials.
Adjusted the Life Threads tutorial. This can be accessed through Main Menu > Information > Tutorials.
Corrected an error in Murakumo’s description in the Cyclopedia.
Fixes
Fixed an issue that sometimes prevented unlocked Dragon Pits from being selected from the Detailed Map.
Fixed an issue in which other players’ health was sometimes not displayed correctly during online co-op.
[For PC] Fixed an issue where the cursor speed increase was not reflected properly when using a mouse.
Fixed an issue where some hunting rewards were not listed correctly in the Cyclopedia.
Fixed an issue in which opening the menu during auto-save would leave the “Save” option unselectable even after the auto-save was completed.
Fixed an issue in which inappropriate words could be entered during online play through certain methods.
Fixed an issue in which Inherited Skills would appear reset after using Limit Break on an unequipped weapon.
Fixed an issue in which when the claw was disconnected at the same moment as performing a Claw Plunge, the gauge would not appear on the UI until a Claw Plunge was used to hit the Kemono once more.
Fixed an issue where the length of the stagger animation differed for each weapon type.
Fixed an issue in which some attacks did not hit when processing performance is low.
Adjusted to make it easier to collect Kemono Orbs and Karakuri Thread obtained by attacking Kemono as a guest during online co-op.
Fixed an issue in which the Stake Karakuri would not be ejected correctly if it was placed by a guest and used immediately after.
Fixed an issue in which the Claw gauge did not build up when hitting the Training Bear Karakuri with Claw Blade’s Vortex Slash.
Fixed an issue in which, if a player was hit by a Kemono attack while using the Flying Vine Karakuri, they would continue to fall when attempting to use Flying Vine again afterward.
Fixed an issue that could cause the player character to freeze during the Celestial Dragon hunt.
[For PC] Fixed an issue in which the Final Blow animation would not play correctly on certain FPS Limit settings.
Fixed an issue that caused differences in player character behavior when affected by sap for different weapon types.
Fixed an issue that caused collision with stage objects after a player died in mid-air.
Fixed an issue that prevented jumping during an emote animation.
Fixed an issue where sometimes the controller would not stop vibrating after canceling the use of a Dragon Karakuri.
Fixed an issue that sometimes caused the Bow’s appearance to shift rapidly when drawing the Bow.
Fixed an issue that caused a Fusion Flash to fail in certain circumstances.
Fixed an issue in which the Slay command sometimes did not work correctly on Grassghoul Decapods.
Fixed an issue in which the number of uses of the Celestial Anchor Karakuri did not decrease if the player attacked immediately after using it.
Fixed graphical errors that occurred when creating Fusion Karakuri that required Stake Karakuri.
The Training Bear Karakuri can now only be used by one player at a time during online co-op.
Fixed an issue in which the mutation level of the Karakuri Staff was not maximized even when the weapon gauge setting was set to “Maxed” while using the Training Bear Karakuri.
Fixed an issue where the damage dealt to the Training Bear by Basic Karakuri used as projectiles with the Maul’s Power Smash were not displayed in the log.
Fixed an issue where players would float in the air when attempting to sit on a Bench Karakuri during online co-op.
Fixed an issue where the Chain Trap Karakuri sometimes was not displayed correctly when activated by a guest player during online co-op.
Fixed an issue in which the barrier effect of the Celestial Shield karakuri sometimes did not appear correctly during online co-op.
Fixed an issue in which the destruction of dragon karakuri was sometimes not displayed correctly for guests during online co-op.
Fixed an issue that sometimes caused fusion to fail when placing multiple karakuri during online co-op.
Fixed an issue where a player could remain stuck in the air if the Flying Vine Karakuri was dismantled while they were using it.
Fixed an issue with the Flying Vine Karakuri in which a player would fly off at high speed if they attempted to move backwards just before dismounting from the vine.
Fixed an issue where the Shield Wall Karakuri could be destroyed by Tsukumo attacks.
Fixed an issue that sometimes caused the Pile Driver Karakuri to disappear during a hunt.
Fixed an issue where pillars created by a Spineglider or a Venomglider could not be destroyed when the Pounder Fusion Flash occurred.
Fixed an issue in which the Spring karakuri sometimes continued to move on a loop during online play.
Fixed an issue that sometimes caused the player character to freeze during the Celestial Dragon hunt.
Fixed an issue where some Giant Kemono would not be able to move past obstacles.
Fixed an issue where some Murakumo attacks could penetrate objects and hit players.
Fixed an issue in which Goldshard’s fall animation when getting knocked down by certain Fusion Karakuri could sometimes be canceled by a follow-up attack.
Fixed an issue where Dreadclaw, Ripclaw, and Fervid Crazecomb could sometimes get stuck in the air when changing areas.
Fixed a collision issue where a player could get stuck in a stage object after a grab attack by Fumebeak, Pearlbeak, or Deathgaze Gloombeak.
Fixed an issue in which sometimes the grabbing animation would fail to reset when a player was grabbed by a Fervid Crazecomb.
Fixed an issue that caused some Kemono to become unresponsive when restarting the game by selecting “Continue” or “Load” from the title screen.
Fixed an issue where a player could become unresponsive if they died during a Giant Kemono’s grab attack.
Fixed an issue where Murakumo could become stuck in mid-air after being launched by the Spinning Top Karakuri.
Fixed an issue where some attacks by Dreadclaw, Ripclaw, and Fervid Crazecomb could penetrate the Bulwark Karakuri and hit players.
Fixed an issue where multiple players could become incapacitated when grabbed by a Giant Kemono at the same time during online co-op.
Fixed an issue in which guest players were sometimes unable to see the effects when a Kemono was enraged.
Fixed an issue that caused the positions of Kingtusk and Icetusk Kemono to suddenly change during online play.
Fixed an issue where the quest goal check icon was sometimes not displayed correctly for guests at the start of online co-op.
It will now be impossible to change the direction of the Flying Vine used during the Earthbreaker hunt.
Fixed an issue that prevented movement at the start of a hunt if free input in chat was in progress.
Fixed an issue where a guest’s story progression rate was sometimes overwritten by the host’s during online co-op.
Fixed an issue that sometimes prevented players from joining the specified quest when attempting to join other hunters online.
Fixed an issue that sometimes prevented the story progression under certain conditions.
Fixed an issue that sometimes prevented players from receiving quests after Chapter 3.
Fixed an issue where the quest objective marker was not displayed correctly during the “Go Back Home – Part 3” quest.
Fixed an issue where unexpected background music or sound effects would sometimes play during the Amaterasu hunt in Minato.
Fixed an issue in which the sky was not displayed correctly during the “Hunting Song – Reverberations” and “Hunting Encore – Old Trail Tribulations” quests.
Fixed an issue that caused in-game time to stop advancing after leaving the “Hunting Song – Reverberations” and “Hunting Encore – Old Trail Tribulations” quests.
Fixed an issue in which the “Blossoms of Oblivion” quest was sometimes not triggered correctly after the “Remnants of Reverie” request was completed.
Fixed an issue where character models would sometimes not be displayed correctly when watching conversation events as a guest during online co-op.
Fixed an issue where an event scene would play even after the network connection with the host was broken during online co-op.
Fixed an issue where the Karakuri Coordination: Remedy skill wouldn’t always trigger correctly with some Karakuri Staff and Claw Blade attacks.
Fixed an issue where, if both a weapon and a Talisman carrying the Ki Base Fortification skill were equipped, the skill attached to the weapon would be deactivated if the Talisman was unequipped.
Fixed an issue where triggering the Fusion Reaper skill prevented other skills from being activated.
Fixed an issue in which Ancient Trees were sometimes not displayed correctly when playing as a guest during online co-op.
Fixed an issue that caused some objects to appear semi-transparent.
Fixed an issue in which objects such as tree roots and rock walls were sometimes not displayed correctly to other players when destroyed during online co-op.
Fixed minor sound-related issues.
Fixed an issue where sound would stop playing after playing in the same area for a long period of time.
Fixed an issue in which the Visitor’s equipment was removed when the player removed their own equipment while using the Looking Glass Dragon Karakuri.
Fixed an issue when sometimes it was still possible to use the Looking Glass Dragon Karakuri during online co-op.
Fixed an issue in which equipping Fulgent Demon Hat sometimes reset the character creator face settings.
Fixed an issue where equipping certain head armor with certain hairstyles would result in an unintended hairstyle.
Fixed an issue that caused hair to disappear when equipping Karakuri Samurai Cladding.
Fixed an issue in which some pieces of armor were not displayed correctly when equipped in specific combinations.
Fixed an issue where arms were sometimes not displayed correctly when equipping Fulgent Torso Armor (Human-Path).
Fixed an issue with the appearance of certain pieces of armor when the chest size was set above a certain level.
Fixed an issue in which Dreadclaw weapons were not unlocked even after defeating a Dreadclaw in the main story quest.
Fixed an issue during online co-op where dirt was still displayed for other players even after using the bathhouse.
[For PC] Fixed an issue that sometimes prevented the game window from being displayed in the foreground when the game was launched.
Fixed an issue where a player character’s personality would become the same as the host’s while joining as a guest during online co-op.
Fixed an issue in which players could get stuck in an endless fall after accepting a request for assistance.
Fixed an issue that caused the game to crash during some loading screens.
Fixed an issue that could cause the game to crash unexpectedly during a hunt.
[For PS5] Fixed an issue that could cause the game to crash during a loading screen if the game was launched before the game installation was complete.
Fixed and improved miscellaneous issues.
The one?
Is this the one? Will Wild Hearts finally be at its peak performance?
I don’t know, but you can guarantee one thing. The patch is installing now, and I’ll be jumping on to Wild Hearts ASAP to find out.
Wild Hearts is a fantastic first stab at the Monster Hunter genre, doing so many cool new and innovative things. Held back by performance issues, it’s likely not seen the acclaim it deserves. Here’s hoping this monster patch goes some way to getting it where it needs to be.
Will this patch be the one to push Wild Hearts out to a broader audience? I hope so because it deserves it!
