Sayonara Wild Hearts

 Switch
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 81 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 61 out of 81
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 81
  3. Negative: 6 out of 81
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  1. B3R3AL2020
    Sep 19, 2019
    10
    Mesmerizing work! A whole buffet of comfort food gameplay that's like taking multi-vitamins for the third eye with its imagination and music. What a wonderful debut from these developers. I'm excited to see what's next from them.
  2. hazsch
    Jun 21, 2020
    7
    The music is great, and that's what this game is centred around. The art style is compelling and gorgeous, and I loved seeing what each new level would bring in terms of style and gameplay. Each level has varying styles of play and it's a lot of fun, but it's trying to be a rhythm game and it succeeds around 80% of the time. In some sections, you need to press A when a circle comes in lineThe music is great, and that's what this game is centred around. The art style is compelling and gorgeous, and I loved seeing what each new level would bring in terms of style and gameplay. Each level has varying styles of play and it's a lot of fun, but it's trying to be a rhythm game and it succeeds around 80% of the time. In some sections, you need to press A when a circle comes in line with another circle, and they're kind of sporadic. They'll be on beat half the time and offbeat the other half, and it kinda makes the flow feel weird. This certainly isn't enough to ruin a whole game though. It's so much fun and the aesthetic and general feel of the game is wonderful, and that title theme is just so catchy. You can beat the whole game in less than 5 hours though.… Expand
  3. ShoujoWitch
    Jun 19, 2020
    10
    A rare gem of a game that I'm glad to have a physical copy of. It's so damn unique, charming graphics and music, and just a joy to play through. It's like a psychedelic pop music video. I'm not sure I've ever seen a game quite like this. It's a bit short (you can play through all the stages in an hour), but very replayable and fun. I'd definitely recommend picking this one up.
  4. TruckHeck
    Sep 23, 2019
    3
    Super compelling visuals and sound...then boof, the game is over in around a hour with little post game play. That's actually fine as an experience for something like Apple arcade, but when paying $13 USD for it on Switch...the lack of replayability + time to completion has to be factored in.
  5. broodwich666
    Sep 23, 2019
    10
    Amazing game and genuine work of art! It’s a masterpiece! Please make more and make a VR version!
  6. Moojl
    Sep 23, 2019
    10
    Sayonara Wild Hearts is approximately one hour long and costs $15. Every minute of this game is absolutely worth the 25 cents you pay for it. The devs hit it out of the park. The visuals, the audio, the narrative were all just brilliant. I can see why this took them almost five years to make; the polish is astounding. This is absolutely my Game of the Year 2019, and I don't think anyoneSayonara Wild Hearts is approximately one hour long and costs $15. Every minute of this game is absolutely worth the 25 cents you pay for it. The devs hit it out of the park. The visuals, the audio, the narrative were all just brilliant. I can see why this took them almost five years to make; the polish is astounding. This is absolutely my Game of the Year 2019, and I don't think anyone even anticipated its release.… Expand
  7. EmCza
    Sep 9, 2020
    0
    The graphics are great, but the music is scary like from a mall store (castrated of all style, oblong and expressionless) - made me sick. Gameplay is practically non-existent here. I definitely do not recommend it.
  8. Jamejarrs
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    Short and sweet (You'll finish the game in a little over an hour), with great music, incredibly stylish visuals, and constantly-changing gameplay that ensures there's never a dull moment.

    While it's absolutely a breeze to make it to the end, there is a decent amount of challenge if you decide to gold all the levels. The zodiac challenges try to add some replayability to the game, but I    Short and sweet (You'll finish the game in a little over an hour), with great music, incredibly stylish visuals, and constantly-changing gameplay that ensures there's never a dull moment.

    While it's absolutely a breeze to make it to the end, there is a decent amount of challenge if you decide to gold all the levels. The zodiac challenges try to add some replayability to the game, but I don't feel like they're very compelling.

    For the price it goes for, it's absolutely worth a try.    … Expand
  9. monkey_spice
    Sep 20, 2019
    9
    This game is amazing!!! It's very psychedelic and gives you an amazing natural high! But the damn game gives me coughing fits and cotton mouth so I'm going to have to dock it a point.
  10. BICUDOLABRADA
    Oct 4, 2019
    8
    It's exciting, dynamic, very different graphics, interesting mood. It's hard to explain what it is. Its an action dynamic game where you get to basically move!
  11. ConsoleArgonaut
    Oct 13, 2020
    9
    I'm in love with this game.
    It's a one-hour-long interactive pop album, so don't expect too much interactivity.
    But for what it is, it's everything I could have wanted and more. There's also a lot to dig your teeth in if you like to analyze lyrics and imagery. Verdict: An unforgettable experience. Please make more of this Simogo! Rating: Gameplay: 4/5 - Not deep or challenging at    I'm in love with this game.
    It's a one-hour-long interactive pop album, so don't expect too much interactivity.
    But for what it is, it's everything I could have wanted and more.
    There's also a lot to dig your teeth in if you like to analyze lyrics and imagery.

    Verdict: An unforgettable experience. Please make more of this Simogo!

    Rating:
    Gameplay: 4/5 - Not deep or challenging at all. But it works magnificently in the context of this album.
    Level Design: 5/5 - Loads of variety.
    Soundtrack: 5/5 - I still listen to this daily even 7 months after playing this for the first time.
    Story: 4/5 - Absolutely beautiful, but needs some analysis and interpretation to fully understand.
    Graphics: 5/5 - Very pleasing.
    Length: 3/5 - Very short sadly. But it gets its point across in that time span.
    Replay Value: 4/5 - Different modes and highscore challenges.
    Enjoyment: 5/5 - GREAT!

    Overall rating: 35/40 => 8.75/10 => 9/10    … Expand
  12. nusco
    Oct 20, 2019
    8
    A playable pop album with ecstatic music. As a game, Sayonara Wild Hearts is simple to a default–but it's the exciting soundtrack that keeps you going and injects emotion even in the most barebone levels. You'll breeze through all the very short levels in an hour or so, but that's the point of it: like a music album, this game is made to be played multiple times, every time you're lookingA playable pop album with ecstatic music. As a game, Sayonara Wild Hearts is simple to a default–but it's the exciting soundtrack that keeps you going and injects emotion even in the most barebone levels. You'll breeze through all the very short levels in an hour or so, but that's the point of it: like a music album, this game is made to be played multiple times, every time you're looking for some aural delight.

    Sayonara Wild Hearts isn't for everybody, but people who like it will *really* like it.    … Expand
  13. B-Bog
    Jan 6, 2020
    10
    This might seriously be one of my favourite games ever.

    In a world full of overlong, tedious, and unnecessarily convoluted open world games, SWH is the antidote. It's a simple, direct, stylish and compact arcade-like experience that doesn't overstay its welcome or gets boring at any point. It's essentially a rail racer/shooter where you move left and right and sometimes press the A    This might seriously be one of my favourite games ever.

    In a world full of overlong, tedious, and unnecessarily convoluted open world games, SWH is the antidote. It's a simple, direct, stylish and compact arcade-like experience that doesn't overstay its welcome or gets boring at any point. It's essentially a rail racer/shooter where you move left and right and sometimes press the A button. That's it. That's all this game needs to deliver a ton of fun and, thanks to the great variety between levels, it gets great mileage out of this very simple concept. The gameplay and stylized visuals are fused with an amazing feel-good synth-pop soundtrack that I've been playing on repeat for days now.

    Now, as alluded to, if you only want to finish it, the game is very short, maybe 60-90 mins. But the purpose of Arcade games was never to just finish them, but to get the highscore. You can get a lot more out of this game if you're going to strive for 100% completion. IMO, the replay value is immense because the gameplay is just so much fun and the soundtrack is so good. It's basically an interactive album.

    So, in conclusion, if you like stylish music-driven games, get SWH asap!    … Expand
  14. vodkaffee
    Dec 26, 2019
    8
    excelent execution, great and innovative way to tell a compelling short feel good story, looks gorgeous, plays great.
    Remind me of interstella 5555 in terms of presentation.
    But it wouldnt kill it to have some different game modes to stretch the run time of the game
  15. iMustang
    Dec 29, 2019
    7
    If you like music games or auto-scrollers, Sayonara Wild Hearts is a fantastic way to spend an hour and a half. This isn't a rhythm game as much as it is moving along with the beat of some fantastic music, with pretty visuals and a subtle story to follow, with occasional narration by Queen Latifah. I will say this game should be priced at less than $10 due to how short it is, so perhapsIf you like music games or auto-scrollers, Sayonara Wild Hearts is a fantastic way to spend an hour and a half. This isn't a rhythm game as much as it is moving along with the beat of some fantastic music, with pretty visuals and a subtle story to follow, with occasional narration by Queen Latifah. I will say this game should be priced at less than $10 due to how short it is, so perhaps wait for a sale of $5-8 to get your money's worth, but it was a fun experience and is one that will be easy to run through several times.… Expand
  16. NikobelLowlight
    Sep 21, 2019
    10
    Amazing Game!
    Perfect Art-Desing.
    Very Beautiful Music.
    One of the Best Games i Ever Played.
  17. Teneesh
    Jan 20, 2021
    8
    It is basically a collection of playable music videos. The gameplay itself is pretty simplistic. But it is in service to the fantastic visuals and music. That is what makes this game great. But it may be worth $10 maybe with how short it is. Definitly not worth the $59 I paid for the physical. Get it on sale if you can on the digital store you choose
  18. KalZynn
    Dec 19, 2019
    10
    Sayonara Wild Hearts is the best gameplay in a singular game experience in terms of immersion and variety. It covers different genres stereotypes of gameplay while keeping a unique fingerprint and art style perfect for the switch and mobile platforms.
  19. jens76
    Jun 14, 2023
    9
    Trainiere. Sprich deine Gebete. Nimm deine Vitamine und lass los. Begib dich auf eine einmalige Abschiedsreise ... für mich schließt Sayonara Wild Hearts eine Brücke.
  20. GabFire
    Aug 9, 2020
    8
    Jogo muito básico, porém muito lindo, eu curti demais o design e me amarrei jogando, espero que a Annapurna continue trazendo mais jogos assim. Não vejo a hora de jogar ''The Pathless''!
  21. PawlyElDemonio
    Apr 15, 2020
    7
    Strange but attractive. I love rhythm games, but Sayonara Wild Hearts is too simple in comparison with others. There isn´t any dialogue in the whole adventure, so players can pay attention to the wonderful staging and imagine their own story. Art is wonderful and it's one of the most beautiful games I've ever played, but you don't need more than 1 hour to finish it and it's very easy toStrange but attractive. I love rhythm games, but Sayonara Wild Hearts is too simple in comparison with others. There isn´t any dialogue in the whole adventure, so players can pay attention to the wonderful staging and imagine their own story. Art is wonderful and it's one of the most beautiful games I've ever played, but you don't need more than 1 hour to finish it and it's very easy to complete all the challenges. It has around 23 mission levels and comfortable gameplay. I'm not sure, but I think the developers have been inspired by some movies or comics to create some details. To be honest, there is no difference between trying it out or watching a full hike on the internet. Maybe it works better as a short movie.… Expand
  22. Chicane
    Jan 23, 2021
    10
    amazing adventure through space and time. incredible private and cozy moment for yourself. loved it
  23. Fnerd
    Aug 17, 2020
    9
    The game is amazing, with fantastic music, incredible visuals and a really long replayability even if the game is very short.
    The only problem is the price, 12$ for this game are sure well spend, but a little bit overpriced.
    In the end, Sayonara Wild Hearts is probably one of the best indie game I played in 2020, you don't have to miss this hidden gem that is an estaunding tribute to pop music.
  24. MikeyOrlando
    Sep 11, 2020
    10
    Perfect, no tutorials just fun. If you haven't played it I highly recommend that you do. I had no idea what happened but I loved it.
  25. Rich45682
    Nov 9, 2022
    10
    Amazing soundtrack and gameplay, every level left me speechless, one of the most satisfying games ever made, replayed it like 20 times
  26. scorae
    Dec 23, 2020
    9
    The gameplay combined with the banger OST makes this game an amazing experience to play, only wish it was longer.
  27. T_leaf
    Jan 4, 2021
    6
    This was an interesting experience, but it is not for me. It was a very short arcadey experience with very interesting visuals and music. I could see this game really hitting hard for some people, but it did not for me. Also be advised that this is a very short experience and as such I do not recommend buying a physical copy like I did as you will not get your money's worth unless you playThis was an interesting experience, but it is not for me. It was a very short arcadey experience with very interesting visuals and music. I could see this game really hitting hard for some people, but it did not for me. Also be advised that this is a very short experience and as such I do not recommend buying a physical copy like I did as you will not get your money's worth unless you play it several times. This game felt like an interactive music video, and I give the devs credit for trying something different.… Expand
  28. wateralmond
    May 24, 2021
    5
    I went into this game with high expectations which may have contributed to my disappointment with the game. To its credit, the game is every bit as stylish as it seems.

    This is a game where 100%ing each level requires a high degree of familiarity with it, but when playing the game this can become tedious because at its core gameplay is not all that fun.

Awards & Rankings

30
#30 Best Switch Game of 2019
58
#58 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. Nintendo Insider
    Aug 13, 2020
    100
    It’s tough to review a game that is generally regarded as unarguably excellent, but to any of the people still holding back on Sayonara Wild Hearts, I urge you to jump in. There isn’t a single element of it that hasn’t been crafted with love and care, and its pop-centric soundtrack is brought together by some really fun gameplay. It is absolutely essential.
    Read full review
  2. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Apr 29, 2020
    90
    This colorful escape couldn't have come at a better time. [Issue #43 – November/December 2019, p. 23SW]
  3. GameSkinny
    Apr 10, 2020
    100
    Sayonara Wild Hearts is more than a game for me. It's a catharsis vessel. It's a story of self-love. It's a reminder that some things break but that doesn't make us broken. It was once a dream and now forever a memory. It's transcendent and undying, but, of course, it is. Wild Hearts Never Die.
    Read full review
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