Having played every iteration of Monster Hunter to date (yes, including MH Go), I was wondering if any innovation could come from the upcoming Monster Hunter Wilds release. The latest installment in the beloved Monster Hunter franchise, Monster Hunter Wilds has generated considerable buzz in the gaming community following its demo release, taunted to be the second, better iteration of Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. Does it live up to its legacy and hype?
There is no way you can avoid the graphical juggernaut that is this game. From the moment you step into the world of Monster Hunter Wilds, its stunning visual presentation assaults your entire vision with the vibrant art style vividly bringing its diverse ecosystems to life. Locations range from the dense, towering trees of the Scarlet Forest to the murky oil wells of the Oilwell Basin, each locale meticulously crafted to suit the ecology of the various monsters that live there. Dynamic weather changes such as the Sandtide and the Firespring keep hunters on their toes as well as creating a visually appealing world ripe for exploration.
I managed to play the Dual Blades (not great), Long Sword (excellent), and Bowguns (overpowered) during the demo and some controls and combos have been reworked from previous Monster Hunter games. While not all weapons are great to play with just yet, the game offers a mix of melee and ranged weapons including lances, bows, and hammers, catering to varied playstyles for different type of players. Weapon choices and controls aside, combat feels extra fluid and responsive, with a learning curve that balances accessibility for newcomers while presenting strategic depth for veterans.
Exploration is a key aspect of Monster Hunter Wilds, delivering both rewards and challenges, as you traverse the landscape with your new mount, the Seikret. Players can scout expansive areas to gather resources, discover hidden pathways, and observe the behaviors of various monsters and how they move in herds. Also turf wars return in a huge way, with full blown territorial wars erupting between monsters and their packs. It really is WILD to say the very least.
Multiplayer cross-play is a huge feature of Monster Hunter Wilds, allowing friends to team up for cooperative hunts across multiple platforms. The matchmaking system is generally efficient, enabling quick group formation but this is still only the demo and the real server stress test will come during day 1 of the launch of the game. If CAPCOM manages to front load the stress from the immense player base, this will be a resounding success and will be a hallmark case study on how to do multiplayer cross-play live service games properly.
Despite its strengths, balancing issues with certain weapons have emerged, with some players finding specific setups significantly more effective. For instance, the bow appears to have a higher damage output compared to melee weapons, leading to calls for adjustments. Community feedback has been massive and let us see if CAPCOM will demonstrate their commitment to refining the game before the full release.
Without a shadow of doubt, Monster Hunter Wilds offers a captivating experience, showcasing stunning visuals and engaging gameplay mechanics. While there are notable challenges to address and tweaks to engineer, the base product has already addressed multiple longstanding issues within the game itself, with a large amount of quality of life improvements being implemented into this latest iteration of Monster Hunter.
Overall, Monster Hunter Wilds is a worthy adventure for fans and newcomers alike and it is the only game title that I personally am looking forward to for 2025 and beyond (besides the FF7 Remake conclusion and whatever FromSoftware has up their sleeves next). If you make only one informed purchase for 2025, let it be Monster Hunter Wilds!
