If you’d asked me how CAPCOM was going to follow up on the mammoth success of Monster Hunter World before Wilds was revealed, I would’ve told you that I had no idea. Monster Hunter has been constantly looking for breakout success in the West. Something that they seemed to get close to with the 3DS releases but it always stayed just out of reach. World will forever be recognised as the moment Monster Hunter became mainstream.
How do you follow that up, though? The burden that saddles Monster Hunter Wilds is a heavy one, made even weightier by its position as a true sequel to Monster Hunter World. As is typical with modern CAPCOM, they have risen to the challenge with fervour, delivering one of their most comprehensive and well-realised hunting experiences thus far.
Monster Hunter Wilds takes place in the Forbidden Lands, a locale filled with various biomes and ecosystems that regularly change in climate. These unforgiving conditions have led to life that is constantly adapting to these harsh environments, developing unique ecosystems and food chains that regularly intersect with human culture and life in each area.
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Your journey begins after the discovery of Nata – a young boy from the distant reaches of the Forbidden Lands, seemingly confirming the existence of human life despite what the Hunters Guild’s other research suggests. You embark into the Forbidden Lands with a research team and Nata in hopes of finding his village and returning him to his people.
Things aren’t as they should be in the Forbidden Lands, though. A mysterious monster known only as the White Wraith is wreaking havoc throughout the lands, fundamentally altering the natural order of things and damaging ecosystems as a result. The White Wraith is also tied to Nata’s past as the monster that forced him to flee from his people when it attacked his village.
While this narrative isn’t one that’ll blow the socks off of anyone who isn’t familiar with the history of Monster Hunter’s world, it’s a story with some very rewarding reveals for long-time fans. Without spoiling too much, it pulls from the most intriguing corners of Monster Hunter’s lore. The White Wraith’s positioning in all of this is similarly engaging and explores ideas ripe with potential that the franchise has previously never touched.
The human side of it all is also a thoughtful inclusion. Instead of throwing countless characters at you, Wilds opts for a more intimate and tight-knit cast that results in characters that are more fleshed out and defined than previously. Nata is a real highlight in particular, who’s relationship with the Hunter feels real as it develops through camaraderie and contention. The new handler, Alma, and smithy, Gemma, are also welcome additions.
The most refreshing aspect about the narrative is undoubtedly that it pulls its focus away from just monsters to the broader ecosystem. How do the people of the Forbidden Lands and their traditions impact local monsters and vice-versa. Monster Hunter has always been about how some new monster poses a threat to the environment and a local village and its inhabitants, but Wilds explores the question of what kind of effect the inverse has.
The focus on ecosystems, environments, and natural orders found in Monster Hunter World is doubly present in Monster Hunter Wilds. Each biome goes through the different climate stages of Fallow, Inclemency, and Plenty.Where the Windswept Plains might start as dormant, dry, and desolate in its Fallow stage, the Sandtide will eventually sweep through with roaring storms and harsh weather as its Inclemency stage. This will then give way to the stage of Plenty, where life flourishes in abundance before slowly descending back into Fallow. If that sounds comprehensive, imagine the same cycle for three other major environments.
Exploring these environments is also made all too easy through the use of your Seikret. A bipedal bird wyvern that can speedily clamber and cross terrain. It allows you to take shortcuts through what are otherwise massive maps. Your Seikret also holds extra items for you to pull from for a hunt, as well as a secondary weapon if you feel the need to change up strategies. It’s a different take on the Palamute from Rise, one that is more suited the environments of Wilds.
The Scarlet Forest, Oilwell Basin, and Iceshard Cliffs all go through their own stages of Fallow, Inclemency, and Plenty. The Oilwell Basin’s Firespring Inclemency sets its vast pools of oil alight, with the ash and soot feeding local wildlife for the stage of Plenty. The Scarlet Forest floods with water during the Downpour, giving way vibrant greenery and aquatic critters.
If that doesn’t sound dynamic enough, these different stages also impact the kinds of monsters you’ll run into. The Oilwell Basin, for example will be abundant with Rompopolo during Fallow, who camouflage in oil and use it as a defence mechanism. Once the Firespring starts, monsters more fond of the heat like Ajarakan, Gravios, and Nu Udra come out to play.
It’s incredible how a concept like this can lend so much believability and dynamism to the world. My favourite part of all of this is that each major region also has its own apex monster. One that sits at the top of the food chain and makes use of certain climate conditions to hunt its prey.
The apex of the Windswept Plains, Rey Dau, is a flying wyvern empowered by the raging thunder of the Sandtide, enhancing its electrifying abilities. Uth Duna, the apex of the Scarlet Forest, makes use of the flooded forest during Downpour to hunt prey on its home turf, which also lends it the ability to create a defensive water veil around itself. Monster Hunter has always justified the weird and wacky designs of its monsters, but here in Wilds they feel almost real due to how thoughtful they’re put together.
It also really helps that this is a killer roster of monsters. While not the biggest, it’s perhaps the most diverse, touting many different monster archetypes with a new one thrown in for good measure. From series favourites like Rathian, Ratholos, and Gore Magala to unforgettable newcomers like Rey Dau and Nu Udra, Monster Hunter Wilds has something for everyone. The return of other monsters like Yian Kut Ku and Nerscylla are also welcome and are a joy to hunt.
Speaking of which, the act of hunting itself is once again fantastic. It stay true to the series identity as a sort of greatest hits boss collection. These impossibly strong and menacing monsters going up against a few or even a single hunter is a core concept that simply hasn’t lost its appeal, but there’s a few new things in Wilds that keep it feeling fresh.
The big ticket item comes in the form of Focus Mode. Focus Mode is best described as stance that you go into when holding the left trigger, allowing you to target different parts of the monster with your attacks and even position yourself mid-strike. It provides a fluidity and flexibility to combat that takes Monster Hunter’s trademark rigidity out of the equation.
With sharp enough reflexes and a good bit of foresight, you can reposition to make sure you don’t miss your biggest hits in a hunt with Focus Mode. Attacking the same area of a monster will eventually tenderise the sight, leaving a Wound in place for you to take advantage of. Marked by red Scoutflies, directly attacking Wounds deals increased damage to the monster, but they only last for so long. You can also immediately pop them with flashy new Focus Strikes that can only be activated when damaging a Wound with them.
CAPCOM has compensated this newfound fluidity in hunting by making monsters quite aggressive. The relatively low difficulty of base Monster Hunter Rise isn’t to be found here – especially in the tail-end of High Rank. Some of Wilds’ most lethal monsters are ferocious if you let them overwhelm you, making for some truly exhilarating fights and spectacle.
Another tool in your arsenal to help you contend with Monster Hunter Wilds’ big hitters are Clashes and Offset Attacks. The former are as they sound, a clash between steel and claw if you successfully block a heavy hit with certain weapons. The indomitable will of the Hunter is pit against the raw power, weight, and aggression of the monster as you mash your way to success, creating a brief window of opportunity for you to follow up.
The latter, Offset Attacks, are where the real sauce is. These attacks are only present on some weapons, but function as a counter if timed appropriately. Pulling one off will send a monster careening back after colliding with your attack. Sparks fly, the sound of steel clashing rings throughout the battlefield, and the camera pulls in tight behind the hunter as you rush in to lay the smackdown on a beast still trying to get its bearings.
They’re both things that seem like they would be completely out of place in Monster Hunter, but their contextual nature means that it is always satisfying to pull one off. It’s another example of how Monster Hunter rewards you for understanding each monster and how to exploit their weaknesses and attacks to turn the tide in your favour. It simply never gets old to smack a lunging Doshaguma on the chin with an upswing of your Switch Axe.
In regards to weapons, there’s quite a bit that has changed here. Regardless of what your familiar with, every weapon type has had some new additions to its kit or inclusions from Monster Hunter Rise’s Switch Skills and Silkbind attacks. While I haven’t played with every weapon in Wilds, the ones that I have messed around with have been ridiculously fun to play and rewarding to master.
The Switch Axe and Bow have been real highlights for me. Switch Axe brings back the Compressed Finishing Discharge from Rise as the Full Release Slash, imploring you to keep sword mode uptime as high as possible with a focus on building around elemental damage to get the most bang for your buck. The Bow is infused with all kinds of new movement options, from running jumps to perfect dodges that recharge your stamina as you rain down fire in style.
The weapons I frequent feel familiar but different here in Wilds. Not in a bad way but in a way that is forcing me to approach how I play them differently, leading to new skill ceilings, builds, and combo ideas to explore during hunts. I can’t wait to see what other weapon classes hold as I get deeper into the endgame.
The other key part of hunts and Monster Hunter Wilds as a whole is the world itself. Much like World and Rise, Wilds makes ample use of Endemic Life. These are creatures, creatures, and other forms of wildlife that aid you in your hunt. From health restoring Vigorwasps to elemental beetles that can be used to load your Slinger. There’s also some fun new inclusions here like bugs that can make you heat or cold resistant or increase your maximum stamina during a hunt.
The Slinger in general has been much improved here. The ability to snatch Endemic Life and resources from a distance is both a big timesaver and the occasional lifesaver in a hunt. You can also use it to interact with environmental objects to lure monsters into falling rocks or vine traps that leave them vulnerable for a short time. It all feels so frictionless and flexible in the moment, allowing you to bring the environment into your hunts in ways you previously couldn’t.
Of course, all of this hunting is done so that you can craft new weapons and armour to fight the next big threat. There are plenty of slick looking sets and weapons on offer here. It feels like the team listened to the criticism regarding the recycled weapon designs of World and Iceborne, opting for more unique looks depending on the monster. It’s also great to see some returning armour sets brought to life with the full power of the RE Engine.
Once credits roll on Monster Hunter Wilds, there’s a meaty postgame to tackle with Wilds’ hardest challenges with more to come on the way. While I can’t speak much to how that post-game looks, fans of World will feel right at home with what’s going to be available at launch. There’s so much to chase after in terms of weapons, armour, and builds. Layered Armour is also here from the get-go, automatically unlocking for you when you craft any High Rank armour piece.
Despite Monster Hunter Rise being available on PS5, its initial development as a timed Switch exclusive meant that CAPCOM were limited in how they could bring Monster Hunter to current generation hardware. Monster Hunter Wilds, on the other hand, is developed from the ground-up for more powerful hardware, and it shows.
If you thought Monster Hunter World was a looker, Wilds is a whole different ball game. It’s a real showcase for the hardware – not just in sheer visual fidelity. The particle effects during storms, the lapping waves of the Scarlet Forest when it’s in Downpour, the smouldering flames of the Oilwell Basin. Even the way that monsters herd together and move about the world, the number of them that can be on screen at any given time. It feels like a technological evolution of the franchise in the same way that Monster Hunter World was in 2018.
The game also runs very smoothly, doubly so on performance mode if you’re wanting those higher framerates. I did find that some areas on performance mode, the Scarlet Forest in particular, are subject to some heavy resolution scaling. The only reason it’s so noticeable is because other areas don’t suffer from the same issue. I can’t comment as to whether this is an issue on the PS5 Pro, so you might get some more mileage out of performance mode there.
It’s a mammoth task to follow up not just Monster Hunter World, but also Monster Hunter Rise and its fantastic expansion, Sunbreak. Against all odds, CAPCOM continues to defy by delivering a worthy successor to both of those games. Monster Hunter Wilds is a fascinating evolution of Monster Hunter. It’s a different yet familiar experience in a uniquely intangible way that’s positioned it as one of my favourite entries in the franchise. Between some fresh new ideas, a killer roster of monsters, and a sharp focus on unexplored corners of Monster Hunter, Wilds cements itself as an all-timer in the gilded halls of CAPCOM’s monstrous series.
