The Wild at Heart is a top-down action adventure game with Pikmin-like gameplay from Moonlight Kids, where you play as preteen best friends Wake and Kirby, who get mixed up in an eons-long struggle between a magical order of protectors, the Green Shield, and a timeless corrupting evil called The Never.
The kids have run away from home following a family tragedy and find themselves lost in the woods, only to be met by an increasingly strange cast of old wizards and magical creatures. The Spritelings, a horde of small forest spirits, take an immediate liking to both kids and become their main tools to help keep the forest safe. I enjoyed the whimsical narrative; the banter of the kids and the kooky wizards they deal with was always entertaining. The plot manages to touch on some serious topics and wraps up in a satisfying way that doesn’t feel overly cheerful.
Its main story is over after about 12 hours, but it leaves you with endearing characters and a well-fleshed-out world to spend several more hours hunting secrets in. The Wild at Heart borrows its core gameplay from one of the best in the industry but doesn’t fail to make it feel integral to its own world. The game is out now for $24.99 on PC and included on Xbox Game Pass.
Watch our full Review in 3 Minutes for The Wild at Heart.
