Well, as expected the Switch 2 is starting to get ports of more ambitious titles that the OG system couldn’t handle, and it won’t be surprising that the results will likely vary. In the case of Wild Hearts S, right out of the gate I’d say that it doesn’t take long to see evidence that some visuals were likely compromised a bit from the version released on other systems. That said, even if its hulking beasts may be more rough around the edges, thankfully the overall performance, whether handheld or docked, remains consistently playable, so I’d say the focus of the development team was in the right direction.

The simplest elevator pitch for what playing Wild Hearts S is like would be to call it an alternative version of the Monster Hunter series. The essence of play is collecting resources, crafting equipment, and then hunting down intimidating creatures with your preferred weapon of choice… and you’ll want to carefully work out which one suits you the best, since you’ll need to be heavily invested in mastering your technique and tactics with it. Of course, as is the case with Monster Hunter, if you’re able to form a hunting party with friends or some random folks online you could have even more fun, but all of that chaos can sometimes exacerbate some performance issues when things get intense.

What I actually like about Wild Hearts S is that, in my opinion, it’s a little more easily accessible than Capcom’s pretty complex franchise. While I do have the benefit of having learned Monster Hunter’s systems first, which I found a bit confusing at times, overall Wild Hearts feels more streamlined. There will still be some stumbling blocks as you get accustomed to your ability to summon boxes and other elements that can provide critical support, or simply easier access to a high place, but in general this was easier to settle into. That said, don’t expect to simply leap into quick battles with minimal turn around time to go back out for more. This is more of an investment where you’ll get out of it what you put in, and sometimes that means you’ll need to go out and grind to get what you need to make yourself more formidable, since the monsters you’ll face can be hard to bring down, especially until you’re able to get dialed into their attack patterns.

In the end, whether or not this is a game for you will come down to a few factors. If you’re looking for a game in this style at its most ambitious on a portable game system, this would fit the bill. If you love Monster Hunter and would love to spend time playing something in a similar vein, but with a style all its own, it would also be a good choice. If you’ve been frustrated by the Monster Hunter series before, or at least intimidated by it, hoping something a little more newbie-friendly would come along, this may also be a fine choice. If, however, you’ll likely get stuck on the visuals having some visible compromises, issues with pop-up with some regularity, and some dips in performance (even if they typically don’t affect play), you’ll probably want to give it a pass.