Here's Wild Hearts' new cherry blossom fox Kemono and spinning top Karakuri
Arriving next week in first of two April updates.
Developer Omega Force has given a closer look at Wild Hearts' first entirely new creature addition since launch ahead of its arrival on 6th April, alongside a peek at its fancy new spinning top Karakuri coming on the same day.
We got first details of Murakumo - Wild Hearts new "petal-manipulating fox" Kemono - last week, and now Omega Force has shared a trailer showing the eye-catcher critter in action.
Murakumo - Wild Hearts' third post-launch monster addition, following on from Kemono subspecies variants Hellfire Laharaback and Grimstalker - is able to harness the power of the wind, hopping on platforms fashioned from sakura blossoms to avoid counterattacks and unleashing a devastating tornado once enraged.
Omega Force says players will find Wild Hearts' new spinning top Karakuri useful when attempting to battle Murakumo, making use of the device's ability to gain speed and power as it connects with obstacles until its pirouettes are so violent it can topple Kemono.
Elsewhere in Wild Hearts' 6th April update, Omega Force is introducing new limit breaking weapons and armour. Essentially, players will be able to gather Core Orbs by battling late-game Volatile Kemono - with different creatures dropping different orbs - which can then be applied to weapons and armour, giving them unique enhancements.
Finally, Omega Force says it'll be including "as many fixes, improvements and adjustments as possible" in the update, which will be welcome news to players still struggling with Wild Hearts' sometimes wonky performance - which remains particularly erratic on PC.
That, though, isn't everything coming in April; Wild Hearts also gets a second content update on 20th April, adding a new Deeply Volatile Kemono variant, the Deathhaze Gloombeak. It also promises new chat stamps and emotes, plus a new special quest type known as Serial Hunts, which challenges players to battle a succession of Kemono until they become overwhelmed.
Wild Hearts, if you haven't yet taken the plunge, is a splendid take on the formula established by Capcom's Monster Hunter series, giving it a "thoughtful, incredibly energising twist", as I said in my Recommended review back in February.