Sayonara Wild Hearts E3 2019 Preview
While visiting a booth at E3 this year, I met a fellow journalist who told me I absolutely had to check out Sayonara Wild Hearts from Annapurna Interactive. Since I’ve never been one to turn down a solid recommendation, I sought out the booth immediately and booked an appointment to check out a game with which I was completely unfamiliar. I am so glad I took that advice! The game put a smile on my face for the entire fifteen minutes I had the pleasure of playing it. It’s a game that needs to be seen and felt to truly understand its brilliance. It might not rival some of the triple-A titles out there, but this is definitely one that you should keep an eye out for.
A Treat for the Eyes and Ears
As I sat down to play Sayonara Wild Hearts, I literally had no idea what to expect. The rep handed me a set of headphones and told me that music was a huge factor to the gameplay. As a fan of the interaction between gameplay and music, I was immediately intrigued.
The game starts out with the player taking the role of a male character on a skateboard. The gameplay reminded me right away of Temple Run. I moved my character from left to right attempting to gather neon-colored hearts while a pop/synth soundtrack blasting in my ears. My first thought was this is what that journalist was so excited to play?
More Than Meets the Eye
After finishing the first level, I was certain I had been played for a fool, but I pressed onward. What transpired as I pressed on was simply a delightful experience. It turns out the first level was merely a way to introduce the basic mechanics of Sayonara Wild Hearts. The gameplay expanded from there.
The next level had me riding a motorcycle through a city, much like the previous level. but then something extraordinary happened. My character (now a female character) encountered three other women who challenged me to battle. The game suddenly shifted to a Street Fighter II style view where I took on these challengers. But instead of inputting complicated move sets, I was treated to a mini rhythm game. Each button press felt satisfying, and I found myself bummed when this mode ended.
This wasn’t the only time the gameplay shifted. At one point, my character was flying horizontally from left to right in a pseudo schmup-style game. Much like the fighting portion, simple button presses caused the character to dodge and attack. Although it never reached a high level of difficulty, the satisfaction of seeing my character defeat an enemy in beat with the music was incredible.
Say Goodbye to Your Doubts
Sayonara Wild Hearts may be smaller title, but it’s definitely worth your attention. The neon-inspired art style is beautiful to see, and the music fits perfectly with the gameplay. No other game from the show floor made me feel as happy inside as this game. There’s plenty of replay value as well with three tiers of scoring medals to achieve. Keep an eye out for this one, and don’t let it slip under your radar.
Be sure to check out our E3 2019 Day 3 Recap episode at the 1:13:55 mark to hear my audio discussion about the game.
