Monster Hunter Wilds Review — Difficulty and Accessibility Hand in Hand

As a dedicated fan, let me share my excitement about Monster Hunter World – the groundbreaking open-world adaptation of the legendary Monster Hunter franchise. No other gaming studio has been able to replicate its unique charm, which lies in the intricate monster-player dynamics and internal motivators that spur you onward as you delve deeper into the Monster Hunter universe. Over 40 hours of battling colossal beasts and enhancing my gear, I can attest that Monster Hunter World is the most expansive installment in the series yet!

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The assertion isn’t merely due to the extensive excitement and buzz surrounding the game, but because Monster Hunter Rise has made the series and its time-tested formula more approachable than before. For instance, Monster Tracking is no longer necessary as you’ll always know where your next target resides. Furthermore, your reliable companion Palamute (Seikrat) can be set on autopilot to any target or waypoint, simplifying navigation through the expansive open-world landscapes.

In Monster Hunter Wilds, the Hook Slinger is another exciting accessibility feature added to the game. This tool allows you to fire your hook and collect materials, resources, or even ammunition while moving, whether walking, running, jumping, or riding on your faithful Seikrat. The Hook Slinger significantly improves the gaming experience by reducing tedium associated with a crucial aspect of gameplay. Additionally, it can be used tactically during combat to gather ammo, trigger environmental attacks, or summon Flashflies. Although I do miss the Wirebug’s mobility from Monster Hunter Rise, the Hook Slinger is an excellent trade-off that makes the gameplay experience even more enjoyable.

In addition to the main improvements, you’ll also enjoy various enhancements to your gameplay experience. To begin with, your companion, the Handler, will be by your side at all times, allowing for on-the-spot quest management without the need to journey back to base camp first. Your Palico has become even more helpful this time and often provides healing, curing, and setting traps, in addition to drawing enemies’ attention. Travel between locations is now smoother, with shorter loading times. Furthermore, you can now prepare meals and set up temporary camps for quick gear changes and restocking, reducing the need for long treks to your base camp. While these changes may seem minor, they significantly streamline and simplify many of the tedious aspects from previous games, enabling you to concentrate more on hunting monsters.

As a gamer, I’m thrilled about the SOS Flares feature. It allows me to call for backup from other players even when I’m not online, which is incredibly helpful for those of us who enjoy a more laid-back gaming experience. The developers have done an excellent job of refining and simplifying the gameplay, making it easier than ever for beginners like myself to dive into this series that can sometimes feel intimidating.

Here are some unaddressed minor issues that affect quality of life:
1. Resources for crafting aren’t shared between your item box and pouch.
2. The Photo Mode could use some enhancements, given the game’s stunning visuals.
3. For the initial 20 hours or so, the game directs you towards campaign quests. This helps familiarize you with the mechanics and gameplay cycles, but it might be frustrating for seasoned players who are eager to jump into the action without going through all of it first to access the full open-world experience.

1. It’s a hassle that items can’t be crafted from both your item box and pouch.
2. The Photo Mode needs improvements, considering how beautiful this game is.
3. You’re forced to do campaign quests for the first 20 hours before you can access the full open-world experience. This helps new players learn, but experienced ones might find it annoying.

On my RTX 3070 graphics card, the game consistently ran at a steady 60 frames per second in 2k resolution with only minor hiccups on medium settings. The game’s environments were particularly vibrant and lifelike in brighter areas, but I found the darker regions to be somewhat dull and monotonous. Occasionally, polygonal textures would pop up, expand, and spin around before disappearing quickly. These occurrences were infrequent. With the official release, it’s expected that these issues will be addressed. Overall, you can anticipate smooth and reliable gameplay as long as your system meets the minimum requirements.

In Monster Hunter Wilds, the narrative takes center stage more than ever before in the series. Compared to Monster Hunter Rise, there are significantly more cutscenes and story moments within the first chapter of Wilds. Personally, I appreciate this shift. The plot effectively establishes the setting, characters, monsters, and your character’s reasons for being there in each region. You embark on an expedition to the Forbidden Lands, where you encounter unusual natural occurrences and seek their origin. Along the way, you interact with locals and learn about the delicate balance within each unique ecosystem in a realistic manner. While the story may not be groundbreaking, it doesn’t linger too long and performs its role well.

Upon completing the primary storyline, Monster Hunter Wilds opens up to its true open-world format, and it performs exceptionally well. The game is broken down into seven distinct areas, seamlessly connected by short travel passages that allow for quick fast-travel. Approximately three to six monsters inhabit these regions at any given time, and you no longer need to accept quests to access these environments; instead, you can explore them freely. You might gather resources, complete side missions, or simply wait for tougher, newly appearing monsters. The game’s dynamic weather system significantly changes the landscapes and specific monsters appear during different weather conditions. This also means you could witness stunning, cinematic events like a three-way fight between monsters during a thunderstorm.

In any Monster Hunter game, including this one, the true essence is found in the extra missions and monster interactions that come after the main story. There’s an abundance of innovative design and diversity when it comes to the freshly introduced monsters as well as familiar favorites. Among the new additions, you’ll find wyverns powered by lightning, sea creatures that emerge, massive spiders, enraged flame-wielding apes, and many other intriguing creatures. Each monster seamlessly blends into its respective environment, making it feel like a genuine part of it.

During my 40-hour gameplay, I came across approximately 35 diverse and intricately designed monsters in total. Although the variety was satisfying, I found myself craving even more of these creatures. Nevertheless, the current designs are top-notch, featuring their individual animations and combat styles. As you advance through the tougher stages, you’ll begin to face stronger versions of previously encountered monsters like the Frenzied, Tempered, and Apex monsters. These variants boast increased stats and more aggressive movesets, putting your mastery over each monster battle to the test and demanding that you utilize all available resources.

As a dedicated hunter, I’ve found myself facing Tempered versions of the Apex monsters in Monster Hunter World. These beasts, only encountered at higher ranks, offer some of the most exhilarating challenges within the game. The rewards are top-tier: Decorations with multiple skills that allow for finely tuned builds, and Artisan parts essential for crafting the game’s most powerful weapons. Brace yourself, as the game presents numerous difficulty spikes and barriers to overcome!

Proper preparation significantly impacts the outcome of a hunt, deciding between 14 different weapon types, consuming food for an advantage, selecting appropriate armor, and understanding a monster’s vulnerabilities before embarking. Armed with this knowledge, you’ll find yourself drawn into the cycle of seeking superior armor and equipment to conquer challenging monsters. To acquire these materials, you must harvest them from other formidable creatures, transforming them into protective gear and lethal weapons. Battling powerful monsters to obtain better equipment to face even stronger ones is the continuous loop you can anticipate, just as you have before.

The weapons in this game have undergone some modifications, featuring both enhancements (buffs) and reductions (nerfs), making them all generally useful. However, I find myself yearning for the Wirebugs and the extra mobility they offered in Rise. The Monster Riding feels less dynamic now, focusing more on attacking the monster instead of navigating the environment as a rider. While not all changes are negative, there are exciting new elements like power struggles with monsters and counterattacks that create a rhythmic back-and-forth battle dynamic.

In my gaming experience, nothing beats the Focus Strike system they’ve incorporated into combat. This feature allows me to inflict wounds on monsters, then zero in on those weak spots for devastating critical strikes and explosive damage. As I deal damage, vulnerable areas light up, giving me the chance to strike with pinpoint precision, causing stuns and triggering incredible critical attack sequences. It’s a gruesome yet exhilarating process that makes me feel like I’m dissecting and defeating the colossal beasts before me. There aren’t many games out there that let you stage fights and dismember terrifying giant creatures quite like this one does.

Monster Hunter Wilds establishes a robust foundation for its innovative open-world design and executes it exceptionally well. Currently, it serves as an excellent starting point for the game, and upcoming updates and expansions, offering fresh territories and beasts, will undoubtedly enhance this engaging experience, enticing players to invest hundreds of hours once more. For those looking to introduce their friends to Monster Hunter, Wilds is the ideal introduction.





Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds pulls off the ambitious foray into the open world genre with near perfection. The quality of life is better than ever before, and it’s more of the same with improvements upon all existing systems. If you want to get your friends into the franchise, this is the game.
Pros
  • Beautiful and varied open world seamlessly integrated with the Monster Hunter formula
  • The combat system is brutal and more empowering than ever before
  • Quality of life upgrades make this the most accessible Monster Hunter yet
Cons
  • Monster variety doesn’t feel overwhelming

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2025-02-24 20:39