Review code provided by Annapurna Interactive and Simogo.
Every once in a while you will come across a game that takes you by surprise. It will give you an experience, unlike anything you could have expected or known. For me, this happened with Sayonara Wild Hearts by Simogo. When I got my E3 2019 appointment to try out Sayonara Wild Hearts at the Annapurna Interactive booth, I went in skeptical. But, the games visuals and music instantly grabbed my attention and I was hooked for the entire demo! It has been a little over 3 months since that demo and the final version of Sayonara Wild Hearts is finally here and I couldn’t wait to dig in.
Story
Sayonara Wild Hearts tells the tale of a woman who has had her heartbroken. This heartbreak is so severe it has upset the very fabric of the universe. A diamond butterfly visits the woman and awakens her alter ego: The Fool. Now The Fool must restore balance to the universe and calm the wild hearts.
Gameplay
The story of Sayonara Wild Hearts is an interesting one and really wraps up nicely upon its conclusion. Getting to that conclusion is quite a ride! When the game begins you are chasing after the diamond butterfly on a longboard and collecting heart pieces along the way. This is a perfect introduction level that lets you figure out the basics of gameplay, collect hearts, and avoid obstacles. OK, the obstacles don’t show up for a few levels, but the progression in difficulty is handled perfectly! New things are introduced in nearly every one of the 23 included levels and by the finale of the game, you feel like a true master. If for any reason you find a particular segment too difficult, the game does have a handy skip mechanic to advance you to the next checkpoint.
Controlling the game is very simple and mostly just involves using the left thumbstick on the Switch. Depending on the section of the game you can move left, right, forward, back, up, and down. The game is on rails so positioning your character is key to getting as many points as possible, along with avoiding obstacles. During certain sequences, you will need to use the A button to fight or jump. You will be scored depending on how well you time these presses to the game's musical track. You also need to press A as fast as possible at certain scenes.
Each level in Sayonara Wild Hearts is scored on a bronze, silver, and gold scale determined by the number of points you collect in a level. Collecting hearts and the timing of any needed button presses builds up your score. There are smaller and larger hearts available worth a different amount of points, along with bonus cards that provide a nice score boost upon being collected. There is one more variation to scoring that is used in a few levels that involves a bow you use to destroy enemies. By moving the cursor over the enemies, an arrow is sent flying into them. If you can highlight multiple enemies at once you get a combo bonus.
The variety in the levels of Sayonara Wild Hearts might be what impressed me the most, considering the basic premise of each level is exactly the same. At one point you are riding a longboard, the next a motorcycle or even flying. As the game continues to progress you ride a deer or realize you are dodging giant Tetrinomes! There is also an awesome shoot-’em-up segment I absolutely loved!
Visuals
The visual style of Sayonara Wild Hearts is just gorgeous with lots of neon colors and bright effects. The cities, forests, and oceans also translate to this stylized art so perfectly. The pace of the game is represented well by how fast, or slow, things fly past you in your journey.
Audio
Audio is the driving force behind Sayonara Wild Hearts. The whole game is set to a pop album that has been custom written for the game. Normally I am not into pop but in the game, it is done so well I can’t help but be drawn in. Practically every aspect of gameplay is determined by the music playing, from button presses to dodging attacks. Each level gets its own unique track. Some levels reuse certain musical scores at places, but the arrangement is still unique and cool to hear. Annapurna Interactive is working with Iam8bit to release a physical vinyl version of the album and I am sorely tempted to pick it up, despite not being a vinyl collector.
Replayability
Even after you finish your first playthrough of Sayonara Wild Hearts, there is plenty to do in the game. First among those being getting gold ranks on all 23 of the game's levels. A continuous mode is also unlocked after your first completion that has levels flow together back to back without a return trip to the level select menu. This was the way the demo I tried at E3 played and it is really cool! Getting all golds is key to unlocking the last mode of the game, which is a nice challenge. If you like challenge hunting, Sayonara Wild Hearts has a collection of riddles for you to solve and unlock by doing certain things in each level. I have only happened to stumble across about 3 of the solutions so far; they are quite cryptic.
What It Could Have Done Better
My only complaint when it comes to Sayonara Wild Hearts is that I want more of it! You can blow through the game very quickly, and even with all the challenges and score hunting I just want more. A great problem to have in my book!
Verdict
For a $13 game, Sayonara Wild Hearts provides a tremendous amount of fun and value! Despite the shorter length of the main game, there is still plenty of challenges and goals to keep you playing for multiple hours. Add to that a good story, gorgeous visuals, and an amazing soundtrack, and you end up with a combination that can’t be beat!
