Over the past few weeks, I've finally been playing Wild Hearts. Built by Koei Tecmo's Omega Force (the team behind the Warriors series) and published by EA, it showed a lot of promise as a contender to the might of Monster Hunter. Its launch in February 2023, however, was plagued with performance woes eclipsing even the early problems faced by Monster Hunter Wilds. Three years on, I'm giving it a proper chance, and while I would recommend it to hunting enthusiasts, the whole experience has only made me more sad about the way it was seemingly left adrift.
My favorite part of the Kingdom Hearts franchise has always been the incredible diversity of all of the characters that make it up. Gaming icons such as Cloud Strife and Auron from the Final Fantasy series battle alongside Disney’s Donald and Goofy… all while exploring levels based on films featuring cinematic icons like Jack Sparrow or Tron. But this incredible mix of complicated protagonists and larger-than-life cartoon characters works because they’re all serving the same story in different ways… saving the world takes a team who understands that the things that make each of them unique and different from each other is what gives this team its strength.
We’re all called to serve the same Lord, but we will each serve Him in different ways… and the uniqueness of our calling and purpose means it will look different for every one of us. The diverse ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus meant that one of them lived off of locusts and honey in the desert while the other ate and drank with those He was sent to save… each of them served the same kingdom in different ways based on the specific calling they were given by the Father. Rather than expect every member of this team to follow Christ in an identical manner, let’s embrace the way we’ve been gifted to serve Him… as a kingdom of unique hearts joined together as one.
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He has a demon.” The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” But wisdom is justified by her children. Matthew 11:18-19
For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them. Romans 12:4-5a
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While Kingdom Hearts is a fairly linear gaming experience, it doesn’t mean that every item that our missions require or each character we are tasked with helping are easily discovered… many are only revealed when we are forced off of our preferred path and into an area that we never intended to explore. While these moments may seem like an undesired time-wasting detour at first, they are often the places where I discovered something that I didn’t even know I should be searching for. Whether it was a valuable item that changed the way I played the game or a path to helping someone I didn’t know was there, these unwanted diversions helped to push Sora to places he wouldn’t have reached any other way.
We will all face unwanted detours in life, but these inconvenient situations are often used by the Lord to advance His kingdom in ways that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. Many times, these are the paths that He uses to guide us to our destiny the same way Joseph found in his journey from prison to prince, and other times these diversions are actually a divine intersection to reach one singular soul for Christ like Paul and the repentant jailer. If we allow Him to open our eyes to the possibilities beyond our present discomfort, we will find that He truly does work out all things for good… according to His purposes, not ours.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Genesis 50:20
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Who remembers the first big decision we all had to make in Kingdom Hearts… making the choice between taking the sword, the shield, or the staff? At such an early stage of the game, I didn’t feel prepared to make a decision that could have long-lasting ramifications on how I played the game. But that wasn’t the last choice I had to make… along the way, I made decisions about how to level up my party, which items to equip, and the order I took on challenges. Some were the right call for me and my style of play, and others were choices I’d later regret. Either way, the game would reveal if these were wise or foolish choices… and I was the one who’d have to deal with the fallout. All of us play the same game, but how we get to our ending is a unique story… no two play-throughs are identical.
It’s easy to be critical of the way others play the game of life, and judging how our fellow servants follow Christ (even with the best of intentions) is far above our pay grade. How do we know what choices others felt forced to make before they fully understood that decision? And how do we know what they had to give up in exchange? We will all start in different places, serve the Lord in different ways, and follow different paths to His endgame, so let’s resist the urge to judge. That is the fatal first step into self-righteousness.
There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another? James 4:12
But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way. Romans 14:10-13
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In Kingdom Hearts, I have often found that it is the intentional choices I make BEFORE a mission to prepare for it that determines how it winds up playing out. From deciding how to invest the skill points that I’ve acquired to which items I equip before entering into battle, I either set Sora and his pals up for success or unintentionally increase the degree of difficulty. A wise explorer takes the time to thoughtfully allocate their “XP” to critical skills and equip their very best gear before entering into areas that could potentially require them, and taking on the challenges of the game poorly equipped or under-prepared always ends with reloading a previous save to try again. We don’t always know what’s coming, but we should always be prepared and equipped for anything.
All of us will face some real-world battles today, and how we choose to prepare for them BEFORE they happen is the key to experiencing victory over these challenges. Let’s start our day out by putting our armor on… intentionally absorbing the Lord’s words into our hearts ensures we are fully equipped for whatever challenges we will face, and taking time to prayerfully seek His guidance before every decision we make opens us up to applying the “XP” of His divine wisdom. Let’s suit up… the Lord wouldn’t have provided us with all of this armor if we weren’t going to need it today.
Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. Psalm 119:11
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:10-13
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I had the pleasure of interviewing the developer of Pine Hearts two years ago, after playing and thoroughly enjoying the demo. I was excited to play the game, but as it does, life caught up with me, and I ended up delaying my playthrough until just now. I'm definitely sad that I didn't play this sooner! Pine Hearts is an adorable, heartwarming, and sometimes heartbreaking romp through a small English nature reserve full of fun, quirky characters and memories for our darling protagonist.
Grief and Moving Forward
Pine Hearts follows the story of Tyke, who is determined to climb to the summit of the titular nature reserve, following the journal his father left behind cataloging their adventures in Tyke's childhood. Along the way, Tyke helps the various inhabitants of the reserve to resolve their problems, from a missing performing band to puzzles in castle ruins to shady fishermen and more. Tyke assists others while working through his own memories of his father, all in an attempt to overcome the challenge - both physically and emotionally - of conquering the summit of Pine Hearts.
I found this adventure, while brief, to be very satisfying. Tyke never talks, but he certainly feels things deeply. With every memory you uncover in this game, you're presented with a little bit more about his connection to his father, and the sometimes rocky relationship they shared. It's touching to see how young Tyke viewed the world, so full of scary things but easily faced together; at the same time, it's heartbreaking to see how much Tyke lost when he lost his father.
At the same time, Tyke doesn't let this grief overwhelm him. Every action he takes is for the benefit of others, often going well out of his way to do so. Rather than simply taking the most direct route to achieve his goals, he engages with this park that's so sentimental to him, building new memories to supplement and support the old ones, and finding closure in other people's stories. I find this deeply beautiful, and I found myself often tearing up throughout Tyke's journey.
Via Hyper Luminal Games.
Cutesy and Clever Visual Design
The aesthetics of Pine Hearts are, in a word, charming. The blobby, noodle-limbed character designs feel like they're pulled straight from a children's show, with matching bubbly background elements in bright, saturated colors that make it a delight to behold. I adored each different area of the game, which felt distinct and yet cohesive as a world, and appreciated the attention to detail that came with each space; there are distinct greens in the golf course and lush gardens in the castle! As a bonus, every animal you encounter in the game is precious, and yes, you can pet all the dogs.
The secondary setting - Tyke's memory world - has a lovely cardboard-cutout design that feels like when kids work together to put on backyard plays for their parents, which I think is entirely appropriate. The softness of the world through Little Tyke's eyes, complemented by dreamy overlays and a smaller field of view, gives a lot of weight to the fact that he hasn't been back to this park since his father's passing; all of his memories of it have been aggrandized by time and distance, leaving us with this rounded view. It's a really clever way to include the inconsistency of memory into this game that uses memory as a main plot.
Via Hyper Luminal Games.
Metered Progress and Memory-Based Movement
The actual gameplay of Pine Hearts is just as solid as the visuals. Though movement through the environment can be challenging at times - the movement controls aren't super precise, and there are brief moments where paths are obscured by the landscape - interacting with it never felt like much of a chore.
Progression through the game relies on Tyke collecting teardrops, either from the environment itself or by completing tasks for the various characters within it. When he hits certain milestones, you unlock memories that reveal a new movement mechanic like chopping through blocking logs, digging to reveal hidden items or collect quest pieces, jumping to clear gaps, and a few others. All of the different areas of the largely open world map are explorable using a combination of these abilities, so you're encouraged to return to previous areas and re-explore as you unearth new mechanics.
I found this to be both an interesting way of exploring and slightly frustrating at times. Progress was occasionally difficult when I didn't have a mechanic I sorely needed and couldn't figure out how to get around it (though there was always a way to progress without the missing mechanic, even if it wasn't obvious at first). Still, there were always more than enough drops available to ensure I unlocked what I needed eventually. In the meantime, I simply explored other areas of the map and came back to puzzles I got stuck on later.
This slow, unlocking progression meant that I was encouraged to interact with everyone and everything, which made for some fun moments I wouldn't have thought about trying otherwise. It was nice to see the interaction prompt pop up in a seemingly random area and watch Tyke do something silly like play hopscotch, roast a marshmallow, or clap at a seal. These little moments always rewarded you with drops, making them both cute and satisfying. It kept me invested and playing for long stretches without getting bored.
Via Hyper Luminal Games.
A Genuine Work of Heart
Pine Hearts was so clearly made with a great deal of heart and care that I can't really find any fault in it. It's a wonderful experience to curl up with, especially if you're someone who's experienced a similar grief or shares a similar level of love and respect for a childhood vacation spot. These memories aren't perfect, and they can be difficult to relive, especially if we've lost the person we made them with, but that doesn't mean we have to give up on them, even when things get hard. Helping Tyke to find closure through kindness to others was rewarding in its own right; I genuinely felt like the world had the potential to be a little nicer after finishing the game.
You can find Pine Hearts on Steam, Nintendo Switch, Google Play, and the Apple Store.
While I was provided with a free press review key for Pine Hearts by the developers, my thoughts and opinions about the game are my own. This is not a paid or sponsored review.
Square Enix will release Kingdom Hearts necklaces in gold and silver, with the charms resembling common motifs and items from the series. These necklaces are available via the Japanese Square Enix store and although the North American store has necklaces for other series by the company, it does not, as of the time of writing, carry these particular necklaces.
Each necklace costs 41,800 JPY ($272.45), and pre-orders are open. Square Enix will ship these items out on April 18, 2026. The gold necklace has two charms: a heart and the Keyblade. The heart represents Kingdom Hearts, which appears as a heart-shaped moon in the game. A keyhole is on the back of the heart charm, too.
Images via Square Enix
As for the silver necklace, there’s a bit more room for customization. The main charm resembles a coat of arms. Keyblades act as the supporters, and you can choose a design to appear in the top right corner of the shield. There are six options to choose from: Sora, Riku, Kairi, Roxas, Axel, and a Thalassa Shell. A symbol represents each character. For instance, Sora’s symbol is the crown, Riku’s is the Heartless symbol, and Kairi’s is a Paopu fruit.
Both Kingdom Hearts necklaces are available to order from the Japanese Square Enix store. Other jewellery based on Kingdom Hearts that is coming out soon includes Keyblade-like earrings from Mayla.
