Sayonara Wild Hearts

It’s an experience unlike many others; magical, memorable, and full of heart.

My skills at rhythm games are middling at best. Whether or not I get better at a given title is entirely dependent on how compelled I feel to press on. With Wild Hearts, I’m eager to keep moving forward. Even the simple tones of success, the spacey glitters and tinkling synths of token acquisition, are a deep, bone-written impetus to continue. Between the infectious music and the gorgeous graphics, I’m going to have this experimental album on repeat for quite a while yet. Aside from its length, Sayonara Wild Hearts is basically a perfect rhythm game.

An adrenaline trip full of emotion, broken hearts and beautiful visual effects. This crazy mix of ideas coalesces into one of the best music games in living memory.

From the hyperkinetic pop soundtrack to the breakneck gameplay speed, Sayonara Wild Hearts is one hell of a rollercoaster ride. The undeniable visual flare, immense style and uncompromising frame rate hides a clear message underneath it all that many can relate to. Wild Hearts never die and Sayonara Wild Hearts should stand for years to come as a shining example of how to bring music alive into the gaming medium. It’s nothing short of fantastic.

A beautifully made score chaser which has that rarest of things - a soul. Sayonara Wild Hearts isn't just a game, it's an emotional band aid that feels like a warm phantom embrace. Absolutely essential stuff.

If you're looking at Sayonara Wild Hearts as a game, then it'll remind you of a very forgiving arcade game. There are some extra modes designed to challenge those who are chasing high scores, and the zodiac wheel is good for those who want to earn some Trophies for solving brain teasers, but the game's forgiving nature and short length mean that it is easy to reach the game's ending. Instead, the game wants you to look at it as a catchy pop album that you'll want to return to, time and again. With the gameplay, graphical presentation, and music coming together so well, that's exactly what you'll be doing.

Sayonara Wild Hearts is a joy to play. It's a visual thrill ride and the music will have you bopping in place while you zip through the levels. The scope might be small, but the action is big and ridiculous. And while the story isn't its strongest aspect, the themes of heartbreak, anger, and forgiveness give the game an emotional center.

Sayonara is an experience first and game second, so it is not one that should be played if you are only interested in the high scores, but if you take the game as a whole, then it can be deeply rewarding.

Sayonara Wild Hearts is a wonderful half music album half video game, which leaves us wanting much more thanks to its great approach and execution. If you like video games, give it a chance.

Sayonara Wild Hearts is really difficult to describe: it's an unique audiovisive experience and we believe that any fan of pop culture should try it out.

It’s obvious why the developers dubbed in a “video game pop album.’ It goes down easy and begs to be played repeatedly.

As an interactive album, Sayonara Wild Hearts excels. Simplistic gameplay, paired with the amazing music from Daniel Olsén Jonathan Eng, creates a memorable experience. As a game, though, the story didn't resonate with me, and the sometimes overly busy visuals bring it down a notch.

Wild Hearts is a game with a ton of charm, but it left me wanting more. It feels like it could have made the leap from good to great with some relatively minor additions and tweaks.

If you have only 30 minutes for gaming, but still want to feel that wonderful sense of exhaustion and eye strain, this is the right game for you. Jokes aside, Sayonara Wild Hearts is dynamic, short, stylish, flashy and definitely not for everyone. It is an experience, more than an actual game, hence surely not for everyone. But if you want to test your ocular gaming stamina, do give it a try.

Despite the frantic nature of the game suggesting pushing you forward is its main motivation, some sections do have a death mechanic that sets you back to a checkpoint. It’s a fun ride full of spectacle, but messy to the point where you can struggle to connect, never really committing to pursuing either experience or gameplay. [Issue@168, p86]