With Monster Hunter World, Capcom finally found a sweet spot between challenge and convenience, making the action-RPG a tremendous success. The follow-up, Monster Hunter Wilds ($69.99), is poised to take the addictive monster-hunting gameplay to greater heights with an expansive and highly dynamic world, refined weapon abilities, and new context-sensitive special attacks. Capcom gave me extensive time with a late-build demo to experience the game's first chapter and a few advanced hunts from later in the story. Monster Hunter Wilds is still being polished before its February 28 launch on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, but it's shaping up to be one of the best releases in the series.
A Breath of the Wild
My extensive look at Monster Hunter Wilds took me through the first chapter. I won't spoil the story beats. Suffice it to say, you and the Hunter’s Guild have set up operations in a dangerous new realm, and monsters are afoot. As with other Monster Hunter titles, you lead the charge against the rampaging beasts that haunt the wilderness.
Wilds expands your hunter's persona by giving it a distinct voice and dialogue. The character was a blank slate in previous games, so this is a welcome addition. This doesn't alter the moment-to-moment gameplay or story beats, but it's a notable change from the silent protagonist theme Monster Hunter employed. Your kitty companion, the Palico, can also speak, though you can change this in the settings menu if a talking cat is a bit too jarring.
The explorable zones are a notable improvement over both Monster Hunter World and Monster Hunter Rise, but share elements from both games. The map comprises expansive interconnected areas with distinct landmarks and features, similar to World. However, the regions have a greater verticality. You can reach those areas using the mount system, which is similar to the one featured in Rise.
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The Seikret, a bird-like dinosaur, serves as your mount, letting you scale walls, gallop across dunes, or glide over chasms with a fluidity wholly unique to Wilds. You can swap between manual or automatic controls, letting your mount's pathfinding take you to your next objective if you choose. However, the Seikret's pathfinding is sometimes wonky, easily getting caught behind geometry and requiring your input to right. Still, the system is still a marked improvement over previous releases.
Extreme weather change is a new feature, and means the environment can radically change as you explore. In some instances, this change is scripted. For example, the weather changed midway through when hunting the Alpha Doshaguma, a hulking, bulldog-like bear. A massive, turbulent sandstorm blew into the desert, summoning lightning strikes and limiting visibility. Lightning is a double-edged sword; it introduces a new hazard, but can also strike the monster, adding a dynamic wrinkle to gameplay. Other examples of weather events include a deluge in the Scarlet Forest region and a volcanic reaction during Oilwell Basin hunts.
I played through the chapter solo, but the game encouraged me to enter co-op hunts. After you deal enough damage to a monster in solo play, Wilds notifies you that SOS flares are available. These let you open the world to other hunters eager to score a kill on your current quarry. When selecting a mission from the quest board, you and fellow hunters can queue up on the same mission, letting the party depart on a hunt together. Both systems are identical to how they worked in Monster Hunter World.
There were a handful of performance hitches, particularly when the weather soured. I played in frame rate mode to get the smoothest possible experience, but Wilds occasionally dipped below the 60-frames-per-second target. The build I played was a work in progress, so I hope those drops are eliminated before launch.
Old Hunter and New Tricks
Monster Hunter Wilds expands and refines core gameplay systems without changing integral mechanics fans have come to expect from the series. Weapons are similar to those in previous games, with a few new moves or modified mechanics. One such addition is the Focus Strike. You enter Focus Mode by holding R1, which highlights enemy weak points. Attacking while in this mode triggers a Focus Strike. If this blow connects with a beast's weak point, your hunter performs a powerful finishing attack that knocks the monster down, giving you a sizable opening.
This should sound familiar if you’re familiar with the Clutch Claw introduced in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. The Focus system is essentially an evolution of that game's weak point and grappling systems, except you no longer need to use the Clutch Claw to mount the monster and trigger these special attacks. The handy Focus Mode also highlights weaknesses much more clearly than in Monster Hunter World, where it could be tricky to identify when your target was injured in some instances. There are even new weapon mechanics tied to this system. The Great Sword, for example, can go straight into a true charge slash directly after a successful Focus Strike, giving you a prime opening to unleash your most powerful attack.
Of course, each weapon gets buffs and adjustments beyond the Focus system. I played extensively with the Dual Blades and noticed the changes during the demo's first hunt. Dual Blades now have a perfect dodge mechanic, so dodging just before you get hit gives you extended invincibility and a potent temporary buff that increases your attack and defense. This weapon's combos are enhanced to weave into one another more seamlessly. You can also cancel combos more easily with evasion, making Dual Blades monstrously powerful. All weapons have received enhancements in some way, shape, or form, making exploring and mastering these new systems exciting.
Monsters Old and New
One striking thing Wilds is how thoughtfully you're introduced to each monster and mechanic. You start off fighting Chatacabra, an ape-like toad creature with slow, winding attacks that hit hard but are relatively easy to read. Quematrice, a fire-slinging rooster-wyvern, attacks with sweeping flame attacks, forcing you to consider positioning and area-of-effect attacks. Lala Barina is a massive, paralyzing floral spider that pirouettes around its lair, adding a layer of unpredictability to the battle. Each new hunt throws a curveball to keep things challenging while teaching you basic controls and combat skills. It is tremendously rewarding, as every victory feels earned.
That said, later hunts stop holding your hand. Uth Duna, an eel-like leviathan, hits like a truck and moves erratically within its watery lair. It also takes reduced damage when its wing-like mantles are active, making it a hard-earned victory. Veteran hunters may recognize Nerscylla, a massive and hyper-aggressive spider that web-swings across the zone to attack you or retreat. She is just as dangerous in Wilds, with the added threat of now being able to summon lesser spiders to aid her during battle. Rompopolo, a mosquito-faced bird-wyvern, inflates itself with poisonous, flammable gas, which it deploys to defend itself when engaged.
I was impressed by the variety of new monsters introduced during Wilds' opening hours. Only two of the monsters you fight, Nerscylla and the ape Congalala, are returning, and even these have new abilities that veteran hunters should enjoy. This, plus the new weapon mechanics, Focus attacks, and traversal system, make for a fresh and exciting new entry in the series.
Why You Should Game on a PC
Verdict: A Promising New Monster Hunter
As a fan of Monster Hunter since 3 Ultimate, I've enjoyed seeing the series evolve over the years. Monster Hunter World was a zenith for the franchise, delivering a superb and accessible action experience enjoyed by millions. Monster Hunter Wilds is poised to top that by improving everything that made World great and introducing systems from side games like Monster Hunter Rise. Wilds could be a new series pinnacle, and I'm looking forward to seeing more when the full game launches on February 28. Check back then for a full review.
Monster Hunter Wilds' superb polish and gameplay refinements have the potential to elevate the iconic action-RPG series to new heights.
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