Monster Hunter Wilds has arrived, promising to build upon the legacy of its predecessors. With an impressive 70 hours of gameplay and 152 successful hunts under my belt, I’ve explored the depths of this game extensively. It meets the high expectations from its previews for veterans, and offers a welcoming experience for newcomers. Moreover, it combines innovation with classic elements. The overall experience feels balanced and rewarding. It has never felt better to dive into Monster Hunter than with Monster Hunter Wilds, as long as you are equipped for the challenges you’ll face.

Monster Hunter Wilds, the latest entry in the long-running action-RPG series developed and published by Capcom, features dynamic ecosystems, seamless open environments, and evolved combat mechanics. It also introduces new monsters, mounts, and weather systems that impact gameplay. And unlike previous games like 2021’s Rise, the world is more alive and reactive, with monsters behaving differently based on changing environmental conditions.

Refining the Hunt

At its core, Monster Hunter is about you the hunter, finding monsters to take on in boss fights until you can use the materials and resources from a given monster to create newer, stronger, and more capable equipment to help you as you face even stronger monsters. The hunts you embark on in Monster Hunter Wilds remain as engaging as ever. With 14 weapon types, each offering distinct playstyles, players can choose between slow powerful great sword swings or rapid dual blade slashes, and everything in between.

While core mechanics remain unchanged, minor refinements enhance the experience. The game provides input guides to assist combos, making combat more fluid. Each weapon has it’s own move sets for various attacks and ultimate maneuvers. Movement feels fantastic, and while less vertical than Monster Hunter Rise, the streamlined navigation system improves accessibility.

The introduction of an avian mount for carrying extra gear and auto-pathing to monsters is a welcome quality-of-life improvement. Seikrets, the mountable birds who help you traverse the many regions, give players the ability to swap between two weapons mid-hunt adds depth, allowing strategic shifts during battles. Being able to focus on a weapon that is advantageous for breaking a monster’s horns then switching to a slashing style weapon to break apart its tail allows the player to feel versatile and powerful more than ever before.

Living, Breathing Worlds

Monster Hunter Wilds takes immersion to new heights. Each ecosystem is uniquely detailed, with shifting times of day and weather conditions influencing encounters. The attention to detail ensures no two hunts feel the same, reinforcing the thrill of exploration.

The monster designs in Wilds are breathtaking. Each creature feels like a living, breathing apex predator with distinct behaviors and attack patterns. From rampaging bear-like beasts to electrifying wyverns, every encounter feels like a cinematic battle. With most of the game’s story featuring brand-new monsters, veterans and newcomers alike will find fresh challenges.

A notable addition is the monster wounding mechanic, which introduces new layers of strategy. Players can now target specific weak points, inflicting wounds that expose vulnerabilities and increase damage potential. Breaking these wounds stuns the monster for a short time, and will drop materials for crafting. It’s imperative to focus on wounds when you get to the end game.

A Challenge for All

The Monster Hunter series has long been synonymous with a steep learning curve—an intricate tapestry of mechanics that requires players to really understand the many interconnected systems in order to progress. Yet, for those willing to dedicate their time to understanding these systems, the game rewards you with one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences. Every lesson absorbed, every technique refined is met with tangible rewards, making the journey as fulfilling as the destination. Wilds asks a lot of its players, but rewards them well for their time invested.

This complexity has been both a hallmark and a hurdle since the franchise’s inception. Monster Hunter: World took significant strides in accessibility, welcoming a wave of new players through thoughtful refinements. Wilds builds upon those advancements but refrains from introducing an overhaul of similar magnitude. As a result, while the game continues to evolve, it has yet to dismantle some of the longstanding barriers to entry that have defined the series.

That being said, few gaming communities rival Monster Hunter’s in camaraderie and mentorship. It’s a space where seasoned hunters take pride in guiding newcomers, demystifying convoluted mechanics, and forging bonds over titanic battles. Whether through meticulously crafted guides, cooperative hunts, or sheer enthusiasm, veterans ensure that those stepping into this world are never truly alone. It is one of the reasons I feel a strong connection with the series and why Monster Hunter has been such a positive influence on me personally.

Note: We at Temple of Geek have a community for you to find players to play with welcome to all experience levels. Please do not hesitate to join!

A Hunter’s Paradise

Monster Hunter Wilds shines best in multiplayer. The ability to request assistance from NPCs via the SOS system is a fantastic addition, ensuring players never feel alone on a hunt. The system seamlessly replaces NPCs with real players when matchmaking, making the multiplayer experience smoother than ever.

Lobbies now support up to 100 players, encouraging community engagement. Players can join random hunts, form squads, and coordinate missions efficiently. However, navigating these features can be cumbersome at first, requiring some trial and error. The first time I tried setting up an organized hunt with someone, it was quite an involved process. This also can be challenging with story missions as you cannot join someone else’s story mission if you yourself are not at the same mission so it creates this weird experience of starting the cutscene and then leaving to join up so you can both do the same mission for the campaign. It works eventually but some of these aspects left much to be desired in streamlining.

While multiplayer remains a major focus, Monster Hunter Wilds also takes strides in enhancing the single-player experience. The game integrates a more structured narrative, making story progression feel more meaningful. While not groundbreaking in storytelling, it’s a step forward for the franchise.

Rewarding the Grind

Monster Hunter Wilds excels in gear progression more than ever before. Every hunt rewards players with materials to craft unique armor sets and weapons. The game does an amazing job making progression feel satisfying and encourages you to find new armors or variations of weapons to fit your playstyle. Armor sets for you and your palico, your sidekick cat, are tailored to have specific sets of skills so as you explore new playstyles or lean into certain skills, you can mix and match what you enjoy to further enhance those experiences. Transmogrification is also available in the game to also allow you to keep the skills you like from specific armors while looking like whatever you prefer style wise.

The endgame loop is highly satisfying, featuring high-difficulty tempered and frenzied monsters. You can face more difficult versions of monsters in these states for additional challenges and rewards only available at those levels. These encounters allow you to have access to a Artian relics which allow you to build exciting new weapons. Much of the end game is this reward loop of chasing those more difficult fights in order to further expand on the Artian Weapons.

Leaning into the living ecosystem as well is the return of Investigations, which allow you to find monsters on the map, saving those hunts as Investigation quests. These added systems and levels of challenge have made Wilds’ endgame a wonderful experience that rewards you no matter what you are chasing and who you are hunting with.

A Must-Play for Monster Hunter Fans

Monster Hunter Wilds excels in both innovation and tradition. The refined gameplay loops, engaging environments, and deep endgame mechanics make it an expectedly addictive new entry in the series. However, the complexity remains a hurdle for newcomers, and certain multiplayer systems could be streamlined further.

Monster Hunter Wilds blends the best elements from past titles into a definitive experience. It may not completely revolutionize the series, but it refines it to near perfection. With its thrilling combat, breathtaking environments, and rewarding progression, Monster Hunter Wilds is a must-play for fans and newcomers willing to embrace its challenges. If you’re looking for the ultimate Monster Hunter experience, this is it.

Title: Monster Hunter Wilds
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Kurosh’s Verdict: 9/10

Reviewed code provided by the publisher. Reviewed on PS5.

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