In 2018, Capcom struck gold with Monster Hunter: World. It was the fifth mainline entry in the action RPG franchise but also the most approachable, smoothing out many of the rough edges from previous titles and adding countless quality-of-life features to entice those who might have bounced off the games previously. After following World up with Rise in 2021, Capcom is back with its biggest entry yet: Monster Hunter Wilds.
If you’ve never played a Monster Hunter game before, the core loop is deceptively simple. You start by accepting a mission to hunt down a monster. When you find the monster out in the wild, a lengthy, challenging battle begins, oftentimes lasting upwards of 15 minutes. If you succeed in killing it, you can carve parts off the monster and use the materials to craft more powerful armor and weapons back at base camp.
Losing the plot
There are many ways in which Wilds separates itself from Worlds, but two stand out. The most obvious is the dynamic open world, which I’ll discuss in greater detail below. But the other is the game’s story-driven nature. Monster Hunter games are usually more concerned with pitting you against massive, angry creatures than pulling at your heartstrings or making you think. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the story here is relatively underwhelming as a result.
The game kicks off in exciting fashion, though, as the Forbidden Lands Research Commission heads east to explore uncharted territory. Moments after crossing into a desert region, you spot a girl riding upon a two-legged bird-like creature as sandworms swarm around her. After saving her, you learn that she hails from one of the villages scattered throughout the Forbidden Lands. Over the course of your adventure, you’ll encounter several small communities, each with their own unique traditions and problems — problems mostly involving monsters.
Every plot development and cutscene is a thinly veiled excuse to funnel you into another battle. That’s neither surprising nor problematic, but the story is often delivered through short cinematic cutscenes that take control away from the player or while you’re on the back of your Seikret (the two-legged bird from the opening scene), which travels to the intended destination automatically. I appreciate the effort that Capcom put into the cutscenes and creating a more fleshed-out world than we’ve seen in previous titles, but the story never quite drew me in.
Ready to rumble
Thankfully, you rarely spend more than a few minutes listening to characters yammer on before getting thrown into the ring with another existentially horrifying monster. As always, that is where Monster Hunter shines, and there are several smart innovations in Wilds to freshen up a formula longtime fans of the series have become familiar with over the years.
One of the reasons I’ve become such a fan of the series is the manageable learning curve when it comes to hunting and killing monsters. There are 14 weapon types to choose from in Wilds, all of which have appeared in previous Monster Hunter games. Some are easier to use than others, but fight a monster or two with any of them, and you’ll start to get a feel for it quickly.
Each weapon has strengths and weaknesses. For instance, I like using the speedy Dual Blades even though they don’t allow me to guard or counter. Some players prefer the power and heft of a Great Sword, the adaptability of a Switch Axe, or the simplicity of a Sword & Shield. Whatever weapon you choose, there are new actions in Wilds that change the way you use them.
My favorite is Focus Mode, letting me aim to target wounds and initiate Focus Strikes. If I hit the monster’s glowing red wound with a Focus Strike, my hunter launches into a spinning attack that slices the monster from head to toe, doing tons of damage.
Best of all, I didn’t have to learn a new combo or master a new mechanic, and yet Focus Strikes bring an entirely new flavor to battles. And speaking of new flavors, Wilds gives you the ability to bring a second weapon with you. At any point while out in the open world, you can call over your Seikret to hop on and swap to a secondary weapon. In previous games, you’d have to return to camp and start a new mission in order to switch weapons.
These changes, along with Sneak Attacks (slashing monsters from behind before they see you), Offset Attacks (countering monster attacks), and Power Clashes (overpowering a monster while guarding), make fights feel more dynamic than ever.
A whole new world
That same dynamism is present in the open world, as a changing climate impacts the ecology throughout the land. In the Fallow period, hungry predators desperate for food roam the plains, caves, and forests, fighting and scrapping for resources. But when the season of Plenty arrives, previously barren regions are suddenly full of flora and fauna. Not only do locales look different, but new creatures appear and behave differently between seasons.
Getting around this massive, interconnected world would be overwhelming without the help of your Seikret. This useful mount is not only the best way to reach a monster in a timely fashion (especially with its ability to auto-move to a destination with a single button press), but it’s also one of your most valuable combat tools. You can call a mount at any time, in or out of battle, to get out of a tight spot. From the back of your Seikret, you can drink potions, sharpen your blade, switch weapons, evade attacks, leap off to mount an opponent, and forage for items or activate environmental hazards from a distance with your Hook Slinger.
You also, of course, have your Palico companion along for the ride — a walking, talking cat-like warrior that will fight alongside you, set traps, and heal you in a pinch.
Monster Hunter is always better with friends, and if a Palico isn’t cutting it against an especially gnarly wyvern, you can shoot out an SOS Flare to call on up to three NPCs or human hunters to join the fight. Because Wilds isn’t nearly as segmented as previous entries, it’s a much smoother process to jump in or out of a party. Despite going through much of World solo, I’d say more than half of my fights in Wilds so far have involved other hunters.
More than meets the eye
Monster Hunter Wilds is more iterative than evolutionary, but that’s a common refrain for this franchise. New mechanics and a faster pace make Wilds a worthy successor, but I should say that the Forbidden Lands aren’t as unique or eye-catching as the environments of Worlds. Part of that is probably due to the dynamic weather system, which allows each area to change with the seasons. The game’s living world is impressive and makes fights more unpredictable, but I wasn’t quite as anxious to explore these forests, deserts, mountains, and caves over and over again as I was in Worlds. That said, there’s still plenty more for me to see.
I’ll refrain from spoiling anything, but finishing the story is just the beginning of your time in the Forbidden Lands. It’s basically a 10-15 hour tutorial before the game sets you loose in the world, free to level up your Hunter Rank, craft more powerful gear, take on a variety of side quests, and fight the monsters you want in the order you want.
It’s also worth noting that the launch of a Monster Hunter game is really the first step. Capcom has already announced that the first major update is coming this spring, adding a new monster to the world along with new event quests. Another update is set for the summer, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see a full expansion in a year or two.
I don’t think Monster Hunter Wilds is as big of a leap forward for the franchise as World was in 2018, but it does take meaningful steps forward. Existing fans are going to find a lot to like, and while World might still be a better entry point, I think new players will be able to find a foothold if this is where they want to start.
Most importantly, slaying giant monsters is as thrilling as ever, and once Monster Hunter gets its hooks in you, it’s nearly impossible to put it down.
Capcom provided us with a code for Monster Hunter Wilds for this review.
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Monster Hunter Wilds teaches old hunters new tricks originally appeared on BGR.com on Mon, 24 Feb 2025 at 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.