A new Monster Hunter game is cause for celebration, especially given the trajectory the series has been on over the last several years. After having enjoyed one spectacular success after another, Capcom’s beloved action RPG franchise is promising yet more exciting evolutions with its upcoming next entry, Monster Hunter Wilds. Changes big and small are being made with the promise of continued improvements on what’s already a winning formula, and frankly, we can’t wait to get our hands on the game and experience for ourselves if those changes work out as well as it’s looking like they will. With the game’s release around the corner, then, here, we’re going to talk about some of the things that we can’t wait to dive into the moment we have Monster Hunter Wilds in our hands.
EXPLORE THE NEW MAPS
Monster Hunter Wilds is once again taking players to an entirely new setting in the Forbidden Lands, and so far, what we’ve seen of this new region is looking promising. There’s a lot of environmental diversity on offer across the four different maps that Capcom has revealed so far, from icy cliffs and desert plains to dense forests and vibrant grasslands, which should keep exploration rom getting monotonous. On top of that, Monster Hunter Wilds is also removing a lot of the restrictions on traversal and quest structuring of its predecessors. For the first time in the series, players will be able to begin quests directly in the field, will finishing a quest will also no longer force you to return to your hub. Meanwhile, travelling from a map to a village (or vice versa) will also now be seamless. With all of that, exploration, traversal, and undertaking quests should all ideally be much snappier and more seamless than ever before.
GALLOP AROUND ON A SEIKRET
Monster Hunter Rise’s Palamutes evolved the series’ formula in tangible ways, and though Palamutes themselves aren’t returning, Monster Hunter Wilds isn’t simply throwing all of those learnings out the window. This time, players will have access to the raptor-like mounts known as Seikrets, which will shake up both traversal and combat in several ways. Navigating environments while galloping around on a Seikret is, in particular, something that we’re quite looking forward to, in fact, because we’re hoping the inclusion of quick and agile mounts will mean maps will also have been designed around them.
MESS ABOUT WITH THE SLINGER
The Slinger is going to take on an expanded role in Monster Hunter Wilds, this time with the added capabilities of Monster Hunter Rise’s Wirebugs, among other things. From swinging around to gathering items from afar to even using the tool in combat to get the upper hand against your foes, the Slinger is shaping up to be quite the versatile item. We’re curious to see just how far that will go, and how much it will change the moment-to-moment action.
GET IMMERSED IN THE ECOSYSTEMS
This is something that Monster Hunter has always prided itself on, but with Wilds, Capcom is promising even more authentic and immersive ecosystems than ever before. And as is ever the case with new Monster Hunter games, that’s something that we can’t wait to experience for ourselves. Simply existing in the richly detailed and wonderfully dynamic environments of Monster Hunter games is a usually a joy, and with Wilds promising greater improvements in this department than ever, our expectations are certainly high.
ENJOY THE NEW WEATHER MECHANICS
New weather events and changing seasons are going to be one of Monster Hunter WIlds’ biggest focal points, and based on all that we’ve seen so far, it’s looking like a fascinating addition. The idea of having to deal with dramatically exaggerated sandstorms or blizzards or what have you while out on a hunt is an exciting one as it is, but add to that the many ways such a system could impact the other systemic parts of a typical Monster Hunter experience – like carnivores and herbivores being more or less likely to be found out in the wild depending on the weather – and it becomes even more of a headliner.
WATCH MONSTERS FIGHT AND HUNT EACH OTHER
Well, this is always fun, and we bet that won’t change with Wilds. In fact, there’s every chance that watching monsters interact with each other is going to be more engaging than ever. We’ve spoken plenty already about how Monster Hunter Wilds will try and bring its ecosystems to life like never before, while on top of that, Capcom is also touting more believable and complex behaviour for the game’s entire roster of monsters. With all that said, it’s easy to imagine how much fun it could be (if the game works as intended, at least) to just watch from the sidelines as different species of monsters interact with each other in different ways (violent or otherwise).
FIGHT NEW MONSTERS
Of course, as fun as it can be to watch monsters socialize with each other (or tear each other to shreds), that’s not any of us comes to Monster Hunter for primarily. No, we’re here to fight monsters, and that’s something that we obviously can’t wait to dive into in Wilds as well. The upcoming title is promising a vast and varied roster of monsters that will include not only plenty of familiar fan favourites, but also a host of entirely new creations. Meeting new monsters for the first time, observing and fighting them to learn their behaviours, and taking them on in repeated encounters- that has ever been the backbone of Monster Hunter, and we’re more than a little excited to see how that part of the experience evolves in Wilds.
FORGE NEW ARMOUR
Another obvious one, but one that we can’t not mention. As important as fighting the monsters themselves in any Monster Hunter game is what you do with the bits and pieces of those monsters that you hack of and take with yourself- because that’s how you make all of your gear and weapons. That is what drives the core loop of Monster Hunter, and we have little doubt in our minds that once again, that same addictive loop of beating monsters and then using their parts to make stronger gear with which to beat more powerful monsters is going to keep us hooked for an unreasonable amount of time.
USE ALL THE WEAPONS
All fourteen weapon types that Monster Hunter fans have now become familiar with are returning in Monster Hunter Wilds, but as usually tends to be the case, all fourteen won’t be exactly the way they were in, say, Rise or World. Every new Monster Hunter game makes some tweaks and alterations to how weapons work, and we’re curious to see just what changes Wilds will make in this department. We’re sure there will be some that won’t be popular – you’re never going to make everyone happy – but hopefully, the pros will outweigh the cons.
DIVE INTO CO-OP
Playing Monster Hunter entirely solo is a perfectly fine way to play it, something that the many who have clocked in multiple hundreds of single-player hours across many Monster Hunter titles will attest to. Then again, you can’t deny that co-op is the best way to play this series, and that only gets truer with time. Monster Hunter Wilds is also promising plenty of improvements as far as the co-op side of things is concerned, especially for those who want to play through the story with another friend. How effective those changes will be remains to be seen, but we’re certainly excited to give them a whirl.