On a personal level, Monster Hunter The series has always been more of a failure than a success. The premise, which is fully reflected in its name, has a steep learning curve and the reward-based gameplay may be frustrating for some. It's blasphemous, some might cry, and they wouldn't be wrong – with over 100 million units sold worldwide (as of May 2024) and a passionate and loyal following, the impact of Capcom's beloved series cannot be understated.
A lot of the magic stems from the core gameplay loop, but the rinse-and-repeat process doesn't resonate with everyone, requiring time and effort to understand and keep up the pace of things. Imagine the surprise at a 20-minute or so demo Monster Hunter Wilds in Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2024 It proves to be more fun than expected, making a compelling and powerful case for finally joining the chase.
After its predecessor, 2018 Monster Hunter: Worldthe long-awaited sequel draws on many familiar elements and takes place in the Forbidden Lands, an uninhabited area filled with monsters that must be killed. There seems to be more narrative involvement here, if the opening of the preview is anything to go by, revealing a long cutscene that highlights two things: a new area of the map is now accessible, and a team of explorers begin an expedition to hunt down a monster that was thought to have been It has long been extinct (in fact Monster Hunter fashion).
It transitions seamlessly into the tutorial part, where players stumble upon a young girl who is being pursued by several worm-like creatures and helps fend off the threat. The launcher makes a welcome return here, allowing crafted or collected pods to be thrown at enemies, while the included grapple hook unlocks the ability to chop down items from a distance. All of this is done atop a Seikret mount, which can be manually controlled or automatically directed toward the current target.
After a chase scene, the girl introduces herself as Noona and asks for their help to locate her missing brother Y'sai, with voice acting – a series first for the player character and Palico's companions – making it easy to immerse yourself in the story. . Before starting a rescue mission, you must equip your weapon and… Monster Hunter Wilds It offers the same 14 types of weapons as before, from spears to insect swords. A nice touch in the selection process is the ability to ask for recommendations, which is useful for newcomers.
With dual blades in hand, it's time to slay some monsters. Traveling through the sand-filled landscape brought a sense of freedom, cementing the game's first foray into the open-world genre. There aren't many unique scenes to see, but the enhanced visual fidelity is notable, conveyed through swirling dust and other effects.
In fact, the next fun is a graphic spectacle. As expected from a title developed on the RE Engine, Capcom's in-house game engine used in Street fighter 6, Rise of the Monster HunterWhat's more, it delivers crisp cinematics and more complex environmental design amid occasional frame rate dips, both during and outside of exploration.
Soon players will find the Chatacabra, a powerful, spiky monster with a huge tongue standing in the way and attacking the injured Y'sai. Unleashing the dual blades in combat brought great satisfaction, with each strike featuring a smooth and dynamic touch. Demon and Archdemon modes also return, giving a boost to damage output and showcasing some nifty whirlwind-style combo attacks.
The biggest change in Monster Hunter WildsHowever, it is the Focus Strike moveset, which highlights the monster's weaknesses and allows them to be exploited. Damage them enough to create wounds, and a red glow will appear, opening a window of opportunity to land more hits and trigger a short cinematic attack that knocks the enemy to the ground. From here on out, it's all about following up with a few extra hits, getting drops, and chasing down the Chatacabra when it flees to its next chase.
Depending on where the creature is located, there may be other ways to deal damage without directly attacking it. For example, the cave setting allows Bowgun wielders (sorry, melee fighters) to shoot stalactites from the ceiling, causing them to fall onto enemies and bringing more gameplay variety into the mix. Fortunately, the quick and fast Seikret makes it easy to hunt down targets, and the auto-navigation feature is another point in its favor.
While riding the mountain, players will be able to sharpen their weapons, use items, attack creatures, and launch aerial attacks along the way, providing a welcome touch of relief. Using the sling proved to be smooth and fuss-free, with the transition between exploration and combat feeling more natural and fluid.
Monster Hunter Wilds It also inherits the SOS glow system from its predecessor, but its effectiveness was difficult to gauge in preview. Activating the feature brings three support hunters, either live or computer-controlled, into the middle of the hunt, providing a neat line of help for solo players who need extra help for stronger creatures. However, the prompt did not appear until near the end of the boss battle, which was actually controllable as part of the tutorial, raising questions about NPC behavior such as coordination efficiency or how long they were present.
Due to the limited play time and demo periods, there was no opportunity to try out the other beta, which would have introduced Alpha Doshaguma, a massive bison-like beast, the ability to use a second weapon while mounted, and its dynamic weather conditions. And the ecosystem. However, the short twenty minutes provided an exciting hint at a world that never impressed in the way it did others, showcasing enthralling combat and an engaging open world. Maybe it's time to finally become one Monster Hunter It turns.
Monster Hunter Wilds releases on February 28, 2025 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart — or as casual as someone who has a Sephiroth theme on her Spotify playlist. A fan of Japanese movies, games, and culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any sale on Steam, really.
