Today, EA & Koei Tecmo unveiled the first Monogatari (Narrative) Episode for their new AAA hunting game, WILD HEARTS.

The Monogatari Episode 1 sheds light on the game’s unique Karakuri system, sophisticated mechanisms crafted from a lost, ancient technology; designed to be diverse and multi-functional, Karakuri give players the upper hand in battle, as well as when gathering resources and traveling across hunting grounds.

The video showcases how Karakuri give players a creative, dynamic edge during combat – as they learn new forms and combinations, players can better prepare their hunting grounds and create advantageous conditions for their fight against giant Kemono beasts. With the persistent nature of Karakuri, players who fall in battle or receive aid from allies can continue to use their past hunting experience to set new traps and ways to travel with greater efficiency and strategy. Crafting changes the way players think about their hunt – they’ll need to learn how to adapt to new complexity as they unlock different Karakuri combinations and team up with allies to create even stronger Karakuri systems.

In WILD HEARTS, players journey through Azuma as a lone wolf or pack-hunt with up to two friends thanks to the game’s co-op and crossplay features across all platforms. Players can expand their battle plans and go on special missions while pack hunting, join other hunters in the world or take on Kemono on their own. The game will feature voice overs in English, Japanese, French, Italian, German and Spanish.

WILD HEARTS launches in retail and digital storefronts on February 18, 2023 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via the EA App, Steam and Epic Game Store for $109.99 AUD (Deluxe Edition $139.99 AUD).