Wild Hearts is a monster-hunting game where health is a crucial resource. While players cannot see the Kemono’s health, they can monitor their own. At the beginning of the game, players may experience some discomfort when hit by Kemono attacks, but only those with significant wind-ups pose a significant danger. However, as the game progresses, a single hit can be dangerous, making proper preparation essential.
Players have various options to increase armor, elemental resistance, and evasion options. They can also gain temporary health. However, it is easy for newer players to overlook the importance of permanently increasing health. Therefore, it is vital to understand how players can achieve this in Wild Hearts.
The Bathhouse method:
The primary way to increase a player’s maximum health in Wild Hearts is through Tamakazura’s Bathhouse. Unfortunately, the bathhouse is closed when players first reach Minato, and Tamakazura is upset about it. Players need to defeat the Earthbreaker, a sentient bear-mountain, to rebuild the Karakuri that operates the Bathhouse and give Tamakazura her job back.
In addition to its primary function, the Bathhouse also has a secondary role in cleaning the hunter and their armor. Although players leave their armor with Tamakazura before entering the bath, it comes out shiny and clean. There is a dirt and grime system in the game, and players may not have noticed that it builds up from hunting without bathing in between or fighting specific Kemono.
As soon as the Bathhouse becomes accessible, players can use it to develop new restorative baths. Each bath requires different materials or components to craft, and there are different garnishes added to the water, such as tropical fruits or Tsukumo. After developing the new restorative bath, a cutscene will play, and players will relax. This relaxation results in an increase in the player’s maximum health. After the initial bath for each option, players can use each individual bath as often as they want, but it will not increase their health anymore.
It is essential to note that players need different materials to craft each bath. Some will require basic minerals found around the maps, some will require items harvested from or gifted by Creatures or Small Kemono, and some will require Giant Kemono item drops. Once players have restored all six baths, they will receive the “Bewitched by Bathing” achievement/trophy.
Other methods to increase Max Health:
In addition to the Bathhouse, players can also increase their max health temporarily through skills and food. Skills are “permanent” max HP upgrades that last as long as the player wears the armor with the Health Boost Skill. This Skill can stack with itself as well as with other boosts that come from food. Eating is only temporary, but it makes a significant difference before a Kemono battle. In the late-game, forgetting to eat food with Health Boost before a Kemono battle is risky and can result in almost instant KO.
In conclusion, health is a crucial resource in Wild Hearts. While newer players may overlook the importance of permanently increasing health, it is essential to understand how players can achieve this. The primary way to increase a player’s maximum health is through Tamakazura’s Bathhouse. Players can also temporarily increase their max health through skills and food. By understanding how to permanently increase health in Wild Hearts, players can better prepare for the challenges ahead and enjoy the game to its fullest.
