Game Rant interviewed Moonlight Kids, the studio that created The Wild at Heart. Gamers are able to play The Wild at Heart with their own horde of friendly spirits of the forest, called Spritelings, who are cute and fierce at the same time. There is a lot to do in the magically vibrant world of The Wild at Heart, which offers plenty of ways to play the game, like exploring the surroundings and be rewarded for it, crafting new exciting items to use, or even chilling by a lake in the woods.

The Wild at Heart is a refreshing game that is not afraid to tell stories of hardships at home and adoption, as well as how the adults tend to shrug off the concerns about the kids' well-being just because they will eventually get over it. The influences of the 90s as a whole are implemented into The Wild at Heart, and while this theme feels incredibly real and nostalgic, Moonlight Kids managed to create something that is also quite fun to play. In fact, there are several complex gameplay elements in The Wild at Heart, which are never as punishing as another herd-like game, Pikmin, but that doesn't mean there's not a lot to unpack.

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One of the most interesting gameplay aspects in The Wild at Heart is that players can use their Spritelings in a plethora of ways, and while they may become attached to them and worry about them, they can rest assured because the spirit friends cannot "die." This doesn't mean they can't be defeated in combat, it can happen, but they cannot be killed in a permanent way. Rather, they go back to the forest once they are struck down by opponents. The game does not revolve exclusively around combat, of course, and there are lots of characters with their own unique dialogue lines, personality, and quests to bestow upon players.

While we may have had early thoughts about character choices affecting outcomes within the game, we let those go to focus more on telling the story we wanted to tell. That said, there is dialogue that differs depending on whether you are currently controlling Wake or Kirby!

The Wild at Heart has a similar nighttime feature to that of Don't Starve, despite the fact that the latter was never one of the sources of inspiration for Moonlight Kids' brand new indie game. In Don't Starve, players are challenged by scary shadow monsters who in the best case scenario just decrease the character's sanity, while it does manage to get much worse. Night creatures in The Wild at Heart are scary too, and they can quickly become dangerous for the little Spritelings, and there is a certain degree of risk when facing these enemies.

The combat is tuned to fit with the vibe of the game which is a bit more relaxed, but there is some level of strategy involved with the types you use or approach you take to dealing with certain enemies.

With all the NPCs in the game, it's easy to form relationships with the characters and grow affectionate towards both Wake and Kirby as well. Players are also able to acquire different types of Spritelings during their journey and discover more secrets of the Willowvale Deep Woods by letting them help to craft new things that can help access and explore uncharted areas.

Firstly, we hope players enjoyed their time in the Willowvale Deep Woods. Connections made, friendships strengthened, etc. We hope that they’ve found a world that they’d love to come back to or talk to their friends about.

The Wild at Heart is a game full of charm, where interactions with the characters scattered throughout the woods matter, and can make the whole experience even more pleasant and relaxing. Characters like the weird guardians that go by the name of 'Greenshields' are important to the main plot. Players will soon find that the game's lead antagonist is seeking to destroy the balance of the woods, hence why gathering the Greenshields is key. Each of them is quirky in some way, and players will learn to like them all as the story progresses. The Wild at Heart is all this and much more.

The Wild at Heart is available on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

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