An Accessible, Breathtaking Hunt Through the Forbidden Lands
Craft, eat, hunt – repeat. This is the Monster Hunter play cycle that has generated a worldwide phenomenon over almost two decades of releases. While the early Monster Hunter games were high on challenge and difficult to approach, each new entry has become increasingly accessible for new gamers interested in tackling gigantic monsters in diverse ecosystems. Monster Hunter Wilds is the most accessible title in the series to date, offering a full campaign that teaches players about all the many in-depth mechanics one by one. Despite being on the easier side during this campaign, veteran hunters are aware that the grind truly begins after the campaign. This is when the shackles are off and the difficult versions of those monsters run free, destroying all in their path including our colourfully decked-out hunter. Is Wilds the best version of Monster Hunter yet? Read on.
While Monster Hunter Worlds is not the most recent title before Wilds, this very much feels and plays like a sequel to the 2018 release. Rise was more of a handheld-style title for all systems, built on speed and not as lengthy (or open) as World. The series has been a staple on handheld devices since the PSP days, but Wilds pushes all boundaries for current gen hunting. The general gameplay loop has always remained the same, often being either too repetitive or cumbersome to attract new players. Wilds adapts like any good predator, becoming more of a familiar action RPG that walks hunters through the range of weapons to choose from, how to build armour, how to collect items/ingredients/parts and how to hunt with success while feeling powerful. The cinematic cut-scenes are epic and draw the player into both the narrative and action. While the story overall is nothing groundbreaking, the effort in connecting this to the learning process is well applied. The NPCs are rounded, emotive and enhance the ‘company’ feel. Each mechanic is given time to understand and breathe, making the many menus easier to navigate before and during an intense battle. Once credits roll on the story (approximately 15 hours) the real hunt begins.
In terms of gameplay, Monster Hunter Wilds is top of the class. Each of the 14 returning weapons feel unique and request distinct playing styles of the user. Dual blades? Speed. Great Sword? Precision. Light Bow Gun? Distance and accuracy. Some weapons are quicker to master and handle than others. Sword and Shield – my main – provides excellent attack and defence in all scenarios. Its ceiling may be lower than choices such as Charge Blade and Switch Axe, but these are often the selections of veterans that have been using them for many titles. The progression system is all about upgrading your chosen weapons (you can have a primary and secondary) and armour pieces, usually after defeating a large monster (using their parts and often mimicking their fashion). This is different to many RPGs that are more focused on player stats and growth – there is still a rank, but improvement is derived from better armour and weaponry. The fights are the highlight of the game, as they should be. All monsters have different movement, attacks, dangers and elements. Their size makes them quite easy to hit, but getting too close without the right equipment can spell disaster when the difficulty ramps up. The player needs to manage the fight alongside sharpening their weapon to keep damage high, healing, using elemental supports, riding the mount to keep up with an escaping monster, listening to advice from your little cat companion, setting traps and gathering supplies. At first, this is like a waiter on their first shift juggling a table full of plates. Soon enough, the controller mapping clicks and all functions become manageable. This is why the difficulty is quite low early, allowing players to get their bearings while gigantic beasts fill the screen.
Monster fights generally take between 10-25 minutes. This will depend on the environment, the player’s loadout and attack style (aggressive, defensive or patient). The time extends further when tackling the more difficult versions of these monsters or exploring the area, but success or failure should be decided in this time. Outside of fights, there are many side-quests to undertake – fishing, search for certain items, help NPCs, re-hunt monsters for gear, venture out into the world and set up camp to truly immerse yourself in absorbing locales. This isn’t really required during the campaign, but once all mechanics are learnt it can be addictive just roaming the wide Forbidden Lands as a hunter without the distractions of an on-rails narrative or side-characters. These characters are highly useful, fighting alongside your hunter or providing wider support, but this is where the co-op gameplay is best. While the story can mean co-op isn’t as seamless as other multiplayer titles, the fights in teams are thrilling. Getting through lobbies can be a chore at times, but once together there is so much fun to be had with friends. Using different methods in a fight – heavy, nimble and ranged – can down a monster with greater satisfaction than alone. But be assured, this title is a joy in single-player goodness as well.
In terms of performance, this is currently the only area really needing improvement. Playing on the base PS5, three graphical choices were presented – fidelity, performance and balanced. While I usually go to performance for high action games to utilise those extra frames (60fps over 30fps is a big difference when ducking and weaving) the middle-ground balanced mode of 40fps appeared to be a sweet spot. I tried all three – fidelity’s frames seemed too low, balanced frames were still quite low but offered better visuals, and performance’s frames were perfect but the hit on textures impacted my play. I settled for balanced, but note that the colouring (despite tweaking HDR and a few other settings) never really hit the mark, and the pop-ins or stuttering characters did break immersion at times. Most, if not all of this was forgotten during the large-scale monster hunts. The graphical output was more noticeable in camps or riding through environments, providing more time for analysis. Capcom will likely patch up this performance ongoing, ensuring their best-selling series is a sight to behold for years to come. Because the environments offer so much beauty as the hacking and slashing takes place.
Games often have ‘moments’ that define your experience or click as a package. Mine arrived when battling a bird resembling Zapdos from the Pokemon series (Rey Dau) that is all thunder and grace. While the battle did not take too long, the addition of other monsters brawling before my very eyes allowed me to sit back, heal, use my whetstone and enjoy the show. As lightning lit up the sky and these monsters shook the land, I charged in between them and landed a blow right into the glowing red wound of the bird-beast. This sent both monsters sprawling in pain with me in between the stunned creatures, damaging them with sword and shield. All the controls blended perfectly, and the epic levels of the fight seemed a step up from before. From that moment, the game’s boss battles do not reduce in scale. This is some of the most awe-inspiring action available this generation, and the monsters that arrive should not be spoiled.
Monster Hunter Wilds is selling like the proverbial hotcake and is another stellar entry into a longstanding series. Being the most accessible version yet ensures new players will jump on the Seikret and tell tales of their adventures for years to come. Veterans will be thrilled with the current gen offerings, improved monsters and swathe of mechanics, but may initially feel held back by the extensive tutorial and low difficulty (which will no doubt evaporate as Capcom add new challenges and updates). With 2025 already producing multiple Game of the Year contenders, Monster Hunter Wilds deserves a seat at the table and may yet sit at the head. Despite some graphical bugs and glitches, the gameplay polish and addictive loop allows hours upon hours of time to be lost in the Forbidden Lands. How deep will you go, fellow hunters?
Pros:
- Epic monster fights and variety
- Great entry point for new players
- Accessible, strong tutorial to learn mechanics
- Weapons are all unique and well-weighted
Cons:
- Story is serviceable but not groundbreaking
- Performance can break immersion
- Light on difficulty until endgame (this can also be a pro, depending on veteran vs newcomer!)
