Monster Hunter Wilds – 15 More New Things You Should Know

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The closing phase of the second beta test for “Monster Hunter Wilds” has occurred, and as its official release date of February 28th approaches (on Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC), anticipation is building. Luckily, there’s plenty to learn about in preparation, including a major new monster and post-launch strategies. Here are 15 essential facts you should familiarize yourself with before its release!

Jin Dahaad

Excited fans went wild upon seeing the debut trailer due to the unveiling of an unprecedented creature named Jin Dahaad. This colossal Leviathan monster resides in the Iceshard Cliffs and appears to inflict Ice damage, either through mist released from its formidable body or ferocious claw attacks. Its size bears a striking resemblance to Kulve Taroth, but it exudes a significantly more ominous and stylish presence.

Mysteriously Energized Monsters

In the trailer, Rathalos was shown but seemed different somehow. A peculiar, flowing blue energy enveloped it. It’s intriguing to note that this same energy was present near Arkveld towards the end as well. Could it be that these two monsters have been upgraded with this energy source? If that’s the case, let’s hope they offer an exciting battle!

Pop-up Camp Customization

In your travels, you’ll find that each location has established bases for you to return to, but when exploring the wilderness, the pop-up camp will be an invaluable companion. The developer seems to have provided extensive customization options, allowing you to tweak everything from the flysheet and tent designs to colors, as well as adding furniture like chairs, flowerpots, and even a makeshift grill. If you fancy changing the music within your tent, feel free! Alternatively, you could choose to unwind around an outdoor campfire with friends.

Photo Mode

In today’s video games, Photo Mode is almost essential, and Monster Hunter Wilds’ rendition isn’t bad as per the recent showcase. You can adjust camera angles, zoom levels, rotation, depth of field, depth of focus, and focal ratio. However, there are no visible filters available at this point. But who knows what the future might bring? At least you can pause and take screenshots during Online Single Player.

Custom Text in Stickers

Ah, stickers! They offer an engaging way to express your feelings towards fellow gamers, whether it’s joy, frustration, or pride. You can even take it a step further by adding personalized text messages. If you feel compelled to apologize or share your thoughts like “Sword and Shield is the best,” go for it!

Climbing on Monster Corpses

In simpler terms during the beta stage, this feature isn’t expected to revolutionize gameplay, but it certainly offers an interesting twist. Instead of vanishing after a while like in previous games, defeated monsters’ remains won’t decompose completely but will stay put until they’re fully gone. Unlike before when you could walk through their bodies and carve them, in this game you can actually climb on the corpses found in Wilds. While it may seem trivial, it does make the experience feel more authentic.

Glowing Scars

For individuals who’ve spent an ample amount of time exploring the beta version, they would be well aware of the intricate detailing in the character creation process. You can customize a wide array of attributes such as hairstyles, heights, hair colors (with adjustable saturation, brightness, and gradient options), and many other features. As expected, you can add scars to lend a battle-hardened appearance to your Hunter. However, what sets it apart is the unique feature that allows you to make these scars glow.

Map Improvements

In my gaming adventures, I recall the separate screen needed for the map in Monster Hunter World. But in Rise, the map is always visible at the lower left corner, which was a nice change. Although smaller locales made it easier to navigate, they didn’t offer the same level of detail. What truly stood out in Monster Hunter Wilds, however, was its fully 3D map. This allowed for a more efficient view of elevations. But the best feature? It functions as an overlay, enabling me to keep my focus on immediate happenings around me.

Environmental Overview

One alternative expression for the new feature on the map, “Environment Overview,” is “Detailed Local Condition Summary.” This function doesn’t just display all the monsters in the area, but also offers comprehensive information about outbreaks, spikes, current weather conditions, the time remaining until a change in weather or the current time of day, and various other details. Since some monsters and resources only appear during specific weather, this is an effective tool for tracking them down.

Choose Your Weapon Quiz

At the beginning of your adventure in the Wilds, you’ll need to select a weapon from among 14 options. You aren’t bound to this selection, but Alma, your guide, will assist you in finding the best fit through a quick questionnaire. Experienced players can skip this part if they prefer, but for those who are undecided about their choice, it could be useful to know that (spoiler alert:) the recommended starting weapons are Sword and Shield.

Perfectly Balanced, As All Weapons Should Be

Initially, during the first open beta, certain weapons such as the Bow and Longsword were noticeably powerful, while others like the Lance, Insect Glaive, and Switchaxe seemed less effective. However, the development team has made numerous improvements and adjustments, albeit these weren’t incorporated for the second open beta. Despite this imbalance, director Yuya Tokuda from GamesRadar emphasized that the difference between weapons isn’t about one being stronger than the other, but rather how each weapon interacts with monsters will influence your choice on which to use at any given moment.

Tokuda shares the viewpoint that all weapons should be “approximately equally effective for players as a foundation.” However, he acknowledges that it’s “beyond my control” and encourages fans to “let me know if we managed to accomplish that or not!” Therefore, he is optimistic, but not overconfident. He plans to monitor the player’s reactions, and he is prepared to make necessary adjustments in the future.

No Siege Quests at Launch

If you either cherished or despised the Siege quests in Monster Hunter World, here’s some information for you. In a recent conversation with MP1st, producers Ryozo Tsujimoto and director Yuya Tokuda revealed that there won’t be any Siege quests at the game’s launch. Moreover, they have no current plans to include them. However, since there are no technical obstacles preventing them, things might change in the future. On a positive note, they haven’t confirmed the return of the Rampage either.

Mizutsune

After the launch, here’s what you can anticipate: The popular game, Monster Hunter, is renowned for introducing new monsters to hunt. In the Wilds, Mizutsune will be the first to debut this Spring. While the exact battlefield and its evolution are yet to be revealed, you can look forward to discovering new weapons and armor sets crafted from its materials.

New Event Quests and Additional Updates

The developer has remained cryptic regarding further details of Title Update 1, only mentioning the inclusion of new Event Quests and additional updates. It’s already been verified that other Event Quests will become active a week after the release of Wilds, offering “special armor” as rewards. Therefore, it’s possible that similar content might be introduced in the future.

Title Update 2

In the upcoming summer season, you’ll get a chance to encounter the next free monster with Title Update 2. This update will also introduce new Event Quests. However, no other specifics have been revealed yet. If there’s another developer showcase in June, it might disclose more details and update its roadmap. Let’s wait and see!

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2025-02-23 21:11