Sayonara Wild Hearts (Switch - 2019)

Sayonara Wild Hearts is difficult to explain. It's described as a "pop album video game" but that's not something we've really had before. I didn't know what to expect when I scooped it up from the Nintendo Switch e-Shop when it was a new release. I kind of want you to play it without knowing what to expect, because I think either way, you'll be very pleased.

"I have tried to forget

All the pain and regret

It's the last time"

~Sayonara Wild Hearts

[wps_icon icon="gamepad" background="#3366cc" color="#fff" size="32" padding="10" radius="0"]Gameplay: 7.5/10

You can sort of think of Sayonara Wild Hearts as a rhythm game - sort of an on-rails shooter similar to Rez. Each stage is a track from the album, and you play as a heartbroken young woman who is careening forward through a surreal purple world. You guide her, collecting hearts and dodging obstacles and occasionally fighting enemies.

Some stages add additional mechanics. One level will have you racing through a surreal city on a motorcycle, and the next will put you on the back of a wild stag racing through a forest. Stages play out to the track, and if you run into an obstacle, it sets you back a measure or two.

It's simple and enjoyable. It has a very arcade-like feel to it, racking up your points based on the hearts you collect in each stage.

[wps_icon icon="book" background="#3366cc" color="#fff" size="32" padding="10" radius="0"]Story: 9/10

You might ask yourself how a rhythm game could earn such a high rank for it's storytelling. This is actually one of Sayonara's strongest points. I won't spoil it for you, but let me try to explain what I mean.

First of all, it's established that this happy young woman had her heart broken, and "her sorrow echoed through space and time." This is narrated to us by Queen Latifah. We also learn about some divine arcanum and astral highways and... well, our heartbroken heroine is the chosen one to save the world. And thus you are thrown into your adventure on a longboard on a space highway.

As you progress, our heroine starts to realize her power, gaining confidence and determination. Her realization and actions in the third-act are heavy and soaked in morals, and it's all done while blasting through neon wormholes.

[wps_icon icon="picture-o" background="#3366cc" color="#fff" size="32" padding="10" radius="0"]Visuals: 8.5/10

Sayonara Wild Hearts is beautiful to play and watch. It's very stylistic, with neon scenery strobing past you to the rhythm of the music. Often, the camera work will dart around to convey tension and show off the fun stunts the heroine is doing. It's a game that makes you feel like a badass, even if you aren't really doing great. I love sequences like this in other games.