Monster Hunter Wilds Review – Thrill of the Hunt

Key Takeaways

Monster Hunter Wilds features a fully-voiced, cinematic campaign centered around finding a lost expedition team in the dangerous Forbidden Lands.
Players can easily navigate the world with the help of mounts called Seikrets, which offer an auto-navigation feature and allow players to bring extra weapons.
Overall, Monster Hunter Wilds is highly recommended for its engaging storyline, detailed world, and challenge of multi-stage hunts, despite some difficulty for solo players.

In terms of unit sales, the Monster Hunter series by Capcom stands as their most successful franchise. A new mainline release always generates a lot of anticipation, given the high standards it must meet. One might wonder if Capcom can maintain the excitement with their latest installment. Our Monster Hunter Wilds review may not come as a shock to you.

An Epic Narrative

Monster Hunter Wilds offers a fully-voiced, cinematic storyline that many will find engaging. In this game, you assume the role of a Hunter, whose mission is to locate an exploration team presumed lost within the Forbidden Lands – a region believed to be devoid of human inhabitants but teeming with monsters. As expected, events take an unexpected turn, and soon you and your comrades find yourself entangled in the affairs of unforeseen parties. Your duties expand as you lend aid to those who seek your help.

The quality of the voice acting in this game’s campaign is quite impressive. The length of cutscenes ranges from brief instances to extended sequences, showcasing some truly bizarre moments like gigantic monsters, chatty felines, furious sandstorms, and other dramatic situations where you feel immersed while battling through them. From the very start, with a ship navigating through sand and a daring jump from that ship onto a creature called a Seikret (resembling Chocobo but more like a feathered dinosaur than an oversized chicken) to rescue a child from sandworms and a colossal sinkhole, it’s clear you’re in for an exhilarating adventure.

In Monster Hunter World, there are humorous and absurd instances mixed among grand battle scenes. You’ll have a smart, sentient cat companion known as a Palico, which you can name and customize with various weapons and armor. This feline friend is more than just a source of humor; they function as an additional team member. They collect materials as you explore open areas, assisting in tasks such as distracting your current target or healing you when needed. Unlike other games, these Palicos never become a burden during combat since the game’s programming seems to ensure they remain active, even if stunned temporarily. You can choose to have them speak in English instead of their native language, which adds a touch of humor with punny expressions like “catch the latest mews here!”. Additionally, the audio in Monster Hunter World is as grandiose as you’d expect from an international adventure. The music not only serves as background noise but intensifies during battle and quietens when the target flees, creating a dynamic soundtrack that enhances the overall gaming experience.

Looking Quite Good

The RE Engine powers Monster Hunter Wilds, and it generally performs well. The environments and character models are highly detailed, and when played on my ASUS TUF F17 gaming laptop (equipped with a Core i7-13620H CPU, 16 GB of DDR5 RAM, and an RTX 4070 8GB GPU), the game typically ran at about 40 frames per second with the Ultra graphics setting, using DLSS in Balanced mode, and Ray tracing set to Low. However, there was a problem in the Azuz area where textures didn’t load properly in the main town, which made the game look like it was running on a PlayStation 3 during an in-game cutscene with lost detail. This issue appeared to be isolated, but other reviewers also experienced this problem in their reviews of Monster Hunter Wilds. Since there are many different types of hardware for PC gaming, you’ll want to spend some time adjusting the graphics settings to find a balance between performance and quality that suits your needs.

In essence, Monster Hunter Wilds boasts an impressive visual quality, with its diverse landscapes teeming with wildlife that adds a sense of realism. If you’re not actively hunting, you can observe these creatures going about their day. The game provides a comprehensive guide on every monster, which can be explored and gradually unlocked. For multi-stage monsters, you’ll need to adapt strategies to reveal hidden information, like setting up a shock trap against a fire-breathing beast, even though it might not work, the data will update to show this exception for future reference. The world of Monster Hunter Wilds is meticulously designed by Capcom.

Indeed, as suggested by its title, the most captivating aspect of Monster Hunter Wilds lies within the chase itself. Although there are optional hunts and missions available, the main storyline hunts offer a more dramatic atmosphere because they progress the narrative. The creatures you encounter during these expeditions are formidable foes: from towering spiders with countless offspring, to fire-spewing, near-dragonlike monstrosities, and other terrifying beings, including those that fly. Each monster demands unique strategies for efficient slaying or capture, although a straight-up brawl is always an option if preferred. Regardless of your approach, the outcome is a rewarding battle reminiscent of a multi-stage boss encounter, with the intensity waxing and waning as you initially grapple with the monster due to its peak strength. However, if you persist, you’ll eventually weaken your target, providing an opportunity for strategic strikes or attempting to ride the creature, initiating a climbing mechanic where significant damage can be dealt in one swift move. Once you master the gameplay, the exhilaration of the hunt becomes truly tangible.

Calling for Help Is Fine

A useful strategy in this game is asking for assistance from other players. This can be done by using what’s called an SOS flare right from the beginning of your adventure. When activated, other gamers might jump into your game to collaboratively defeat the monster you’re currently chasing. If no one else joins, the game will instead provide computer-controlled characters to assist you. All loot is shared among everyone in the mission, although you’ll still need to gather resources yourself or have your helper do it for you. If a teammate has already collected some gemstones, you can extract from the same location as if they hadn’t been there before. Many of the tougher enemies encountered later in the game can be quite challenging, and some players might find the difficulty too steep for solo missions. However, with three attempts per mission and no penalty except earning less money upon completion, most missions shouldn’t pose a significant problem when it comes to advancing the storyline.

In Monster Hunter World, players have an array of 14 unique weapons to customize and enhance, not counting the various armor sets, talismans, and additional upgrades available. As you vanquish progressively stronger monsters, you’ll gather valuable resources such as dropped parts, rewards after a successful hunt, or materials harvested from defeated beasts. These materials can then be utilized to create even more potent weapons, armors, and accessories for both you and your Palico companion. For those new to the series or returning players, the game includes numerous tutorials that appear as you learn each mechanic for the first time. Moreover, when overwhelmed by crafting choices after completing main missions, a smithy at each camp site will suggest what to create next. In essence, Monster Hunter World is designed to be accessible for newcomers while still offering a challenge for veteran players who prefer to explore the mechanics on their own.

In Monster Hunter Wilds, though the map offers open-world exploration, players who prefer a more narrative-focused experience can easily follow a linear path. The Seikrats function as mounts upon completing certain early missions. Notably, these creatures possess an automatic navigation system; when you’re not controlling movement with the left analog stick or character buttons, the Seikrat will navigate to your next destination for you, even through intricate terrains that include routes around, over, and through challenging terrain. However, their usefulness doesn’t end there: Seikrats also allow you to carry two weapons during each hunt, allowing you to switch between them on-the-go, and use ranged weapons while riding the Seikrat’s back.

Verdict

Monster Hunter Wilds stands out in the terrific Monster Hunter series, offering an engaging experience even with its complex mechanics. Novice players should find it easy to adapt thanks to helpful tutorials, quickly climbing the hunter ranks. This game offers a rich, cinematic journey that takes you across various landscapes, from one biome to another. The main story alone provides around 40-50 hours of playtime, and achieving 100% completion could require hundreds more, ensuring ample content to keep players hooked for quite some time. In summary, Monster Hunter Wilds is a must-play for gamers across the board, particularly RPG enthusiasts or fans of the franchise.

Score: 9/10

Pros:

Well thought-out world, with great attention to detail.
Tons of weapons and armor to craft and combine.
A cinematic, meaty campaign which can be played together.
Rewarding, multi-stage hunts represent a good challenge.

Cons:

Odd texture issues being reported, though not for most of the game.
Difficulty might put off some solo players.

2025-02-24 18:02