Monster Hunter: Wilds | Review

Initial release date: February 28, 2025

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, GeForce Now, Microsoft Windows

Developer: Capcom

Nominations: The Game Award for Most Anticipated Game

License: proprietary license

Genres: Adventure game, Fighting game, Hack and slash

Publishers: Capcom, Capcom U.S.A., Inc.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Probably the best overall Monster Hunter game I played
• Interconnected open world hub maps
• Less challenging than World or Rise
• Nata was annoying
• Get in and out of hunts fast
• Not as much grinding
• Great visuals
• Gameplay fun
• Dozens of fun monsters to hunt
• Get in and out of coop fast
• Coop fun
• Enjoyed the various main base camps locales
• Overall more welcoming to new players to the franchise
• 5 Star hunts weren’t challenging
• Weapon movesets improved
• Loved my Greatsword and Dual Blades
• Focus Attacks easy to pull off
• Seikrets are great
• Lots of customizable options for almost everything
• Gathering and mining simplistic
• World felt alive with atmosphere
• Music was decent
• Writing was eww
• Great cooking eating sequences

Introduction

My history with Monster Hunter boils down to two games being Monster Hunter World for the Playstation 4 and Monster Hunter Rise for the Nintendo Switch. Prior to the latter I played that one demo on the Nintendo Wii the name eludes me. Monster Hunter Wilds Video playlist

My background isn’t extensive by any means yet I had a good grasp on the essence of what Monster Hunter is prior to beating Monster Hunter: Wilds. With that typed, I believe Minster Hunter: Wilds took one step back in difficulty but two steps forward with it’s presentation.

Presentation

Monster Hunter: Wilds’ presentation shifts from a “take a job eat a meal, hunt, craft armor and weapons” to a more open world that’s seamless centered around a tighter story with more cutscenes. The difficulty was also ramped down to make it easier for new players to the franchise to have success early on.

I actually enjoyed Wilds’ presentation and overall structure. I loved the lived-in organic open world interconnected hubs. I appreciated the focus on story although the writing was cringy as fuck. Visually stunning during large monster action set-piece sequences.

Story

I did not like the story and thought the writing was terrible. It’s too cheery and emotional. Anyhoo. Let me recap some story beats. The story revolves around Nata who’s ancient village is attacked by an extinct monster called Arkveld.

Nata comes from a clan called the Gatekeepers who watch over the world’s greatest weapon in the Dragontorch which has been transmogrifying monsters into virus stricken guardian creatures.

Gameplay

Monster Hunter: Wilds is a third person action adventure video game predicated on hunting monsters. You create a customized hunter who partakes in story beats as well taking down all kinds of monsters. Your hunter is upgraded by killing monsters for materials which in turn gives you the ability to create better weapons and armor.

I loved the gameplay loop even moreso here than Rise and Worlds due to the seamless interconnected open world where you can fast travel from various base camps that house important NPCs and important HUB benefits.

I built my Hunter around heavy armor with a Great Sword and Dual Blades. Yes you can carry two weapons now. Seikrets are mobile winged mounts that house your weapons and other useful items which can easily be switched to while riding in the hunt.

So many epic monsters featuring fun action set pieces are to had in Wilds. Difficulty was too easy for me when comparing Rise and Worlds to Wilds regardless the fun factor is there as I loved the open world design in Wilds so much.

Coop gameplay is fast, fun and seamless via talking with Alma, eating a meal inside your hunter’s Pop-up tent which can be placed at various locations throughout the open hub spaces.

Visuals

I played Monster Hunter: Wilds on my base Playstation 5. It’s the best looking Monster Hunter game I played. Just sayin. Capcom with Monster Hunter always had a fun pleasant art style when dealing with character NPCs and some of the coolest of mean looking monster designs along with it.

Sound

Music kept my mind in the hunts so to speak with it’s fantasy based rock & roll mixed in tribal beats was good stuff. NPCs have voiced dialogue which were okay save for Nata. I hated that kid for always crying in cutscenes until the end.