That being said, Omega Force isn't committing to a public version of the new demo. Still, there's time yet for Koei Tecmo to right the ship, as Wild Hearts is a number of months away from launching in February 2023, and the beta build will no doubt be somewhat dated. Stuttering was rife throughout the seven-or-so hours played, and other technical hiccups like crashes and freezes left a sour taste. Unfortunately, the promising start to Wild Hearts comes in a beleaguered PC package. Battling a Kemono that's fast and furious? Consider constructing a springboard to dodge their rapid attacks. Using a heavy weapon? Build up a small tower and jump off it for a devastating plunge attack.

The devices succeed in empowering the player instead of taking over from them and dominating the battlefield, perfectly complimenting any weapon. The Karakuri, in the early hours, are an inspired design direction from Wild Hearts. It's not a case of sitting back and letting the Karakuri do all the work – you've really got to go toe-to-toe with the monsters if you want to reap the rewards of being able to construct a giant Karakuri bomb, or a comically huge hammer Karakuri that'll give the Kemono a bonk. The materials with which you construct Karakuri devices are all derived from simply attacking Kemono. There's no hard limit on the amount of Karakuri a player can construct, Edagawa tells us, meaning there's plenty of room for experimentation on the battlefield. Aside from building camping equipment, the Karakuri are rigged for battle – you can construct a wall to block a charging Kemono, for example, or a springboard with which to dive out of the way around an arena. Combat is also where the Karakuri really shine.

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