Monster Hunter Wilds
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Platforms: Xbox Series X (Reviewed), PC, PlayStation 5
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $69.99 USD – Available Here $119.95 – Available Here
Overview
Throughout their last few Monster Hunter titles Capcom has been trying to evolve the games in different ways. Monster Hunter World began with telling a more involved storyline and grander scale battles while its expansion, Iceborne, saw a pseudo-open style map that allowed for more open exploration. Following this, Monster Hunter Rise introduced a riding Canyne ally to zip through locations while limiting the size of areas greatly. Now Capcom has returned with Monster Hunter Wilds, seeking to combine a little bit of both past titles and expand upon them even further in a way that not only takes this long running franchise and masters the addictive gameplay loop it is known for but creates an addictive open-world style capable of really letting the hunting and monster mechanics shine when the story isn’t getting in the way.
Story
Out as part of an expedition team into the “Forbidden Lands” that have been rumored to be uninhabited by humans for thousands of years, a group of hunters from the hunters guild led by Fabius is tasked with investigating this uncharted region of the Old World with the player’s created character and Palico along for the ride. Upon reaching the edge of the Forbidden Lands, they make the shocking discovery that a young boy has been horribly wounded by a mysterious monster called the “White Wraith.” With no way to track down his home, the hunters take in Nata and continue to investigate only to find out that numerous tribes have settled into the Forbidden Lands’ various locations, each having their own customs to coexist with the land and its unique properties.
After finally making some headway with the initial tribe of locals, the player’s hunter and the rest of the hunters are given Seikrets, raptor-like creatures that are fearless mounts in battle, to assist in their journey for finding Nata’s home only to discover along the way that a mass outbreak throughout the Forbidden Lands and incredibly extreme weather patterns seem to tie into the very thing they are searching for. This is proven as during one hunt, the target of their hunt is slain not by the player’s hunters and allies, but by the powerful chains of the White Wraith itself, showing that this dangerous creature is far more than an apex predator, it is something capable of destroying entire ecosystems if left unchecked, making it the guilds duty to not only track down Nata’s family, but put a stop to this menace once and for all.
Monster Hunter Wilds takes a fairly hardline stance towards making players follow its storyline which is unfortunately a bit too predictable and formulaic to really stand out for how long it drags on. The story itself is serviceable enough and the characters that make up the hunter’s guild are a bit more fleshed out than one would expect, including everyone’s favorite blacksmith Gemma that might be a bit familiar for longtime fans and the new handler Alma, but many of the new characters players meet along the way are a bit lacking, even if players try to interact with them in-between quests. The only real character of note is Nata, who goes from a boy tormented by the horrors of the monsters into learning the truth behind them and the strength that it takes to stand against them. Well, him and a horribly underutilized Wudwud that talks in metaphors. This wouldn’t be too much of an issue, storyline wise, if it wasn’t for the countless sections that saw players forced into slow walking sections as characters talk, walking into the predictable monster appearance or ambush that will kick off that monster’s introduction and subsequent hunt.
This level of basic, relatively simple storytelling remains true through the first set of credits and big “reveals” to even the second major finale as well. There are a few little interesting side-quests here and there but mostly players will find the story rather lacking especially since it was actually attempted to try and show growth here compared to past Monster Hunter games. Perhaps this is a sign that these characters can shine in the future, but for now, Monster Hunter Wilds storyline remains only a slightly dressed-up curtain to the main meal that is, of course, hunting monsters.
Gameplay
The greatest part of Monster Hunter Wilds, even during the hand-holding storyline, is whenever the player is out in the field tracking down and hunting their target monster or, in the case of free roaming, deciding to target one that is roaming around and beat it up enough to trigger the hunt order. The standard gameplay loop of hunting a monster down and using its parts to create new weaponry and armor to hunt the next bigger monster down is as entertaining as ever and faster than ever before. It is interesting to note that Monster Hunter Wilds has not added any new weapons to the fourteen current weapons but they have all been given some tweaks in various ways, both to make them feel more fluid in use and to work with a few extra systems implemented into the title.
The first of these systems happens to be “Perfect Guards” that can be pulled off by weaponry that allows for blocking such as the Great Sword that can then follow-up with a powerful counterattack, “Power Clash” that sees the player’s hunter enter a clash with the monster using their weapon and, if victorious in the clash, send the monster sprawling and a personal favorite of mine, the “Offset Attack.” An offset attack is triggered when a large weapon such as a hammer or hunting horn lands just at the same moment as a monster’s strike, sending the enemy monster reeling and giving the player plenty of time to capitalize on their opening. Nothing feels as satisfying as nailing a electric-shooting Rey Dau with a rising uppercut using the hammer and snapping one of its horns off as it goes sprawling into the sands only to get slammed down by a full big bang combo.
It is interesting to note that a lot of weapons also feel as if they have been tweaked to be a bit more mobile than before, giving players a little extra movement with some of the stiffer heavier hitting weapons, though this is also thanks to the “Focus” mechanic. The Focus mode allows players to not only pull up a targeting reticle that allows them to aim at specific parts of the monster, but also highlight another new mechanic in the game, wounds. As players attack a monster, it is hit by environmental traps, or even other monsters, they can begin to see damage appearing on its body that can eventually burst open into a bleeding wound. When the player targets a wound they will be able to perform a special attack that, in many weapons’ cases was a unique combo finisher in the past, and dish out not only a ton of damage as well as stagger and knockdown damage, potentially sending the monster sprawling while also obtaining a drop item from the creature as well, such as a scale, fang, claw, etc.
These wound breaks work hand in hand with breaking or slicing off monster parts as well, giving players even more opportunities to earn drops from their target monsters while making some fights easier to handle, though the title itself remains mostly the same difficulty as before especially once players reach the endgame and begin targeting tempered monsters, alpha monsters, and other harder versions of previously hunted creatures. In many ways, Monster Hunter Wilds will still play similar to past versions of the entry, with players being accompanied by their Palico on solo hunts who will help them with a variety of abilities, that can be expanded upon with side-quests, but a new ally is also at the player’s side almost all the time, their Seikret. As mentioned before, the Seikret is a raptor-like mount that players can summon to ride to any monster location automatically, sharpening their weapon and preparing items along the way, or even in the midst of battle. Proper timing of calling in the Seikret for help can see players dodge large attacks from enemies or give them distance to heal up and even use them as a launching point to try and mount the monster, making them the player’s second best friend behind their Palico. They can even have a second weapon kept in the saddle, allowing players to either swap to a different weapon type entirely mid-fight or a different element if they find themselves at a disadvantage.
It is interesting to note that while players will generally use the fast travel system to simply skip around the five major locations to hunt monsters, utilizing both the primary camp and pop up camps that players can set in predetermined locations, the title is in fact completely open world. Players, if they choose, can freely roam through to all major locations without fast traveling at all, though this is hardly the most effective way to travel. In fact, players will find that they will mostly be popping out their own portable barbecue to cook stat boosting meals between fights as there is no main hub this time around to serve as a starting location for every hunter. This means that, should players wish, they could ride out of their camp on their Seikret, hunt down a Rathalos then immediately go and target the Quematrice they saw during the fight without breaking stride other than to carve up rewards, no longer requiring any return to base between free-roam hunts.
As for hunting with others, players will find that they no longer need to create special rooms to invite players to join them, they can straight up invite up to three other hunters to fight alongside them, bringing up to four players hunting at once. Of course, an SOS flare can be fired during hunts to put out an online open request that anyone can answer and join the hunt. For those who prefer to keep things a bit more simple or reclusive, there is even an option to turn on “support” hunters only where NPC hunters from the game’s story will only appear to SOS calls, giving players mostly free control of the hunt’s flow while still having some backup.
Audio & Visuals
Monster Hunter Wilds features a wide array of locations for players to hunt monsters in and, depending on the timing and the location, these locales can have even more differences at any given moment. Fighting against a large scale monster in a desert may seem plain but battling it again, only this time in the midst of a sandstorm and dodging lightning bolts makes the fight feel all the more intense. Along these same lines there are lush forests to venture through, freezing depths that can frost the player’s character, and of course a sludge-filled fire region as well. All of these locations can have various events happening to them that can change up the way monsters act and how players might need to equip themselves, and fighting through these locations is rather impressive, though it must be said that the Scarlet Forest is perhaps the best amongst these sprawling multi-layer locales. The monster designs, ranging from small to the large scale monsters are as superb as ever, with returning monsters looking as impressive ass ever, especially in some cases where a few have been given significant improvements since their last appearance, while a few newcomers are instant winners. Alongside this players will have plenty of their own equipment to work with and the designs are as familiar as they are varied, with almost every piece of armor having two cosmetic variants though even then players can choose to aim for “style” over protection by using layered armor that simply changes the appearance of the equipped gear.
The voice work throughout Monster Hunter Wilds is handled quite well, with the English voice actors portraying their characters solidly, though Nata can be a bit annoying at times. It is interesting to note that this is the first game in the franchise that allows the Palicos to have English voice acting rather than the Felyne meows that they always have before. Players can choose to change this option at any time if they want, but it is a nice touch to actually have the Palico chime up about what they are doing without relying on subtitles in the middle of a fight. As for background music, the game features a solid soundtrack and sound effects that helps make fights feel impactful and intense, especially when it comes to utilizing some of the heavier hitting weapons in the game or pulling off a properly offset attack.
Overall
Monster Hunter Wilds proves that Capcom can still find new and interesting ways to make an already addictive game all the more enjoyable. With new hunting mechanics in the form of the wound system and various clashes that vary depending on the weapon type, never mind the tweaks many weapons have received themselves, players will find the gameplay loop of hunting monsters, upgrading their gear, and hunting even more just as enjoyable and addicting as before, especially with this new open-style exploration available. It is just a shame that it takes quite a lot of handholding to get there and a storyline that feels like it could have been so much better at the same time.
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