As a newcomer to the Monster Hunter franchise, I approached Monster Hunter Wilds with fresh eyes and an eagerness to understand the phenomenon that has captivated players for two decades.
While the game didn’t disappoint in delivering epic battles and immersive lore, some aspects kept it from achieving true perfection. I couldn’t help but feel the Minecraft-esque style of hunt, craft, eat, return home, repeat, which I was not expecting from this game. That being said, it was still an incredibly satisfying experience.
It was also both an easy way into the franchise for me and an easy concept to grab onto, managing to merge some truly terrifying creatures to hunt with some exceptional gameplay and satisfying mechanics.
A Solid Gateway to the Monster Hunter Universe
Monster Hunter Wilds should be praised as the most accessible entry in the series, making it an ideal starting point for newcomers. The game’s 20-hour narrative-driven campaign serves as an excellent tutorial of sorts, gradually introducing players to the diverse arsenal of weapons and unique playstyles available. However, after speaking with some seasoned veterans of the franchise, I can ultimately understand how existing fans might find this approach a bit tedious, as it covers a lot of familiar ground.
Watching my friends play previous titles in the franchise on handheld systems like the PSP and Nintendo Switch, it’s easy to assume it’s a Pokémon- style game for adults, rather than cutesy collecting. That being said, these more recent iterations are much more focused on a realistic tone that is ultimately based on finding and slaying various monsters. Wilds feels like an overhaul of this system, expanding the world with a narrative story. If you are curious about this franchise and haven’t taken the leap before, it’s pretty much the perfect entry point.
The game unapologetically takes you through the motions and fills you in on how to collect and build armour, upgrade your weapons and collect various ingredients for crafting recipes.
A Hunting We Will Go
At its core, Monster Hunter Wilds’ gameplay loop sees you hunting, crafting, eating, and returning home; regardless of how that sounds, it is extremely addictive. You’ll track and defeat massive monsters to protect villages and their inhabitants and gather materials for upgrading weapons and armor. The attention to detail in monster design and environmental diversity is commendable, and the fights are both challenging and rewarding. Each of the 14 weapon types offers a unique playstyle, with my personal favorite being the Sword and Shield for its balanced offense and defense.
I did, however, play around with different weapon types and overall playstyles. The bow and arrow, unfortunately, felt a little sluggish, and it was not my preferred gameplay style. I am more of a charge-in, all-guns-a-blazing kind of player, and I was happy to see that this play style was also accommodated. This was the point where it was really important to make sure you had different team members with different abilities in your group who could counteract your abilities and provide you time to recover when a particular monster beat you down.
There is a progression system here for your weapons, which allows you to upgrade your primary and secondary choices, along with your armour pieces. While there are no traditional stats, your overall rank will increase in tandem with your armour and weapons.
Each monster has specific elements that make taking them down a challenge. Figuring out their main attack, how they move and their weak spots is crucial to being successful in taking them down. Some will move around so you will need your mount nearby to chase after them to keep the fight going. If you truly get stuck taking a monster down, your cat companion can often steer you in the right direction.
A World of Endless Possibilities
After completing the story, the game opens up into a virtually endless online experience where the true test of skill (and patience) begins. This post-campaign grind is where veteran players are sure to thrive, battling more formidable monsters and refining both their strategies and gear. The cooperative gameplay adds another layer of excitement, though navigating lobbies can be a bit cumbersome at times. Lobbies can hold up to 100 players, while private lobbies can hold up to 16 for fierneds to jump on board.
Once you reach this level, monster fights can last between 10 and 15 minutes, depending on your loadout and the kind of beast. The fights and exploration feel less transactional and more of what the game is all about. If you are low on rank or just need a break from monster smashing, there are a lot of side quests with villagers to help retrieve items. Beyond this, you can also engage in fishing, which gives a spark difference in intensity, providing balance if fighting becomes too tedious.
Visual Splendor with Performance Hiccups
Visually, Monster Hunter Wilds is undoubtedly stunning, with expansive environments and epic monster designs. However, performance issues on the PlayStation 5 Pro did detract from the overall experience. The three graphical modes—fidelity, performance, and balanced—offer different trade-offs between frame rate and visual quality. I settled on the balanced mode for its 40fps compromise, but pop-ins and frame rate drops still broke that feeling of immersion at times.
There is some upscaling using the PSSR technology and this did work well. It did depend on how many characters were on the screen, and in the crowded marketplace with a buzzing online community, these were the moments things took a dip.
One standout moment was battling Uth Duna, a water-dwelling Titan. It is the first monster that lives up to its name. As the monster creates tidal waves that push you away, you need to use your grapple to find something to hold onto. These cinematic encounters showcase the game’s potential for awe-inspiring action and make up for some of the technical shortcomings.
This was the first time that I truly saw and felt the power of the PS5 Pro in this title. Teaming up with other players online is a huge part of what makes this game work so well. There is so much fun to be had here with friends or strangers, particularly if you all have different play styles and can use this to your advantage. The story portion of this game works best in single-player and I found online co-op worked best when things got tough.
Final Thoughts
A truly impressive follow-up to Monster Hunter: World, Monster Hunter Wilds successfully bridges the gap between accessibility and depth. It caters to both newcomers and veterans, though the extensive tutorials and lower initial difficulty through the game’s 20-hour campaign may test the patience of long-time fans.
With some performance patches and additional content along the way, this game has the potential to be a true masterpiece. It’s packing in some truly memorable experiences that have cemented my newfound love for this franchise.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Incredible and satisfying gameplay; Solid world building; A variety of monsters to hunt and ways to play
Lowlights: Consistent performance issues can feel a little jarring at times
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom, Capcom U.S.A., Inc.
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC
Available: Now
Review conducted on PlayStation 5 Pro with a pre-release code provided by the publisher.
