The Wild at Heart is an action-adventure game with some puzzle elements in it thanks to our small creature friend. The small creatures are called Twiglings and as you come across them they join you on your adventures. You can toss the Twiglings at items or enemies and depending on what’s closest they’ll collect, fight, or even build. Anyone familiar with the Pikmin or Overlord game series will understand this concept but the Twiglings act as minions and most of the puzzles have you use them to progress through various areas. I was surprised at how well the Twiglings did their job, oftentimes when games utilize minions it can be a struggle. I’ll find myself sending the minions out to do one thing and while some make it there, others latch onto other objects or get into unnecessary quarrels. The Twiglings managed to do exactly what I wanted them to do without fuss.
The other puzzle-solving method you’ll be using is Wake’s Gustbuster, which looks like a proton pack with a Super Nintendo controller fashioned into it. The Gustbuster is primarily used for sucking up nuts and bolts or “scrap” as it’s referred to in the game and used as a resource. As you progress through the game, the Gustbuster can be upgraded to allow, while sucking, to hold another button to increase its sucking power temporarily. This allowed me to pull over teetering trees to make bridges or collect scrap that was further out of reach.
I really enjoyed the overall aesthetic of The Wild at Heart. While very cartoonish, the attention to detail in the environments was awe-inspiring. Using lots of autumn colors to fill out the world made me feel like I was with Wake on a brisk fall day. Along with the flowers, pinwheels, and leaf piles, the environments had a uniqueness to them that made them both conventional and easy on the eyes. The music also fits the game very well, adding a whimsical flair to the already somewhat carefree style The Wild at Heart already has going for it.
The demo closes with Wake running towards the settlement as night falls behind him. Monsters begin appearing out of small black gusts of smoke and chasing after him. I’m hooked. Between the gameplay, the presentation, and the story, I’m ready for more. While the wait until 2021 for release is going to be a long one, I’m thoroughly excited for The Wild at Heart. This demo not only instilled me with a great sense of wonder and intrigue but excitement as well. It’s going to be a long wait, but I’m very excited to get my hands on The Wild at Heart next year.
