As part of our series of interviews on the new Nintendo Switch 2 console (which we just reviewed here, by the way), we’ve got a new developer Q&A with Koei Tecmo about their upcoming game WILD HEARTS S.

This is a new version of Wild Hearts, the monster hunting game that Koei Tecmo’s Omega Force studio released in February 2023 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S|X. One of the main changes compared to the previous version is that the maximum player count for cooperative gameplay has been increased from three to four players. We interviewed Producer Takuto Edagawa to learn more about this version, including the studio’s first thoughts on the Nintendo Switch 2 console.

WILD HEARTS S is now available to pre-order both digitally and physically ahead of the planned launch date of July 25. The game will feature voices in Japanese, English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish, with texts in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Polish.

When did you first receive your Nintendo Switch 2 development kit?

Thank you for asking, but I am unable to provide specifics.

Fair enough! How long has WILD HEARTS S been in development, and what do you think about the new platform’s ease of development?

While I can’t disclose how long it has been in development, I think that since we have built up experience with the Switch development environment, despite this being a brand new hardware launch, I think it was pretty developer-friendly environment.

Can you share your thoughts on the new console? What is the most interesting new feature, in your opinion?

I’d have to go with the chat feature. It’s become standard practice for hardcore gamers to use tools such as Discord to communicate while they play, but having this feature incorporated into the console allows more players to enjoy it as well. It might sound exaggerated, but I think this might have an impact on gaming culture as a whole.

WILD HEARTS S is a hunting game where multiplayer is really fun, and now with the increase from three to four players in multiplayer, it’s even more important to coordinate with others, so I hope everyone will use the game chat feature to communicate with their friends and enjoy hunting together.

In terms of raw computing power, is it closer to the PlayStation 4 or the Xbox Series S?

There are a lot of characteristics when it comes to raw computing power so it’s difficult to generalize, but I think it can be thought as closer to the Series S.

Are you using NVIDIA DLSS Super Resolution for your game? Is it essentially the same as DLSS SR on PC?

We’re not using it for this game.

What resolution and frame rate options are you offering for the Switch 2 version?

Since it’s before the game’s launch, right now we’re refraining from talking about the resolution and frame rate.

Wild Hearts was originally only available for the new consoles. What were the challenges you faced when porting this game to the Nintendo Switch 2 hardware?

We were able to handle the graphics quality and performance adjustments within the scope we had imagined. Especially in portable mode, the high quality LCD makes the graphics look smoother and more precise than the actual specs, which helped a lot.

However, even though this isn’t particular to the Switch 2’s processing power, we struggled with the processing in increasing multiplayer from 3 to 4 players. For the WILD HEARTS characters, we were very particular with the character creation feature and it is very robust, so adding an additional character was a huge challenge.

What do you think about the Joy-Con 2 improvements? Are you taking advantage of the improved HD Rumble?

Yes, we are using HD Rumble. It allowed us to implement more nuanced vibration without additional costs for adjustments, so I feel that it is more powerful than the Switch.

Is there anything else you’d like to add about the Switch 2 version of your game?

In WILD HEARTS S, players can use gimmicks known as ‘karakuri’ that can be instantly created on the field for a more innovative hunting experience. I would love to see many players enjoying the game, and I think of it as a step towards our next titles, so please invite your friends and happy hunting!

Thank you for your time.