Monster Hunter Wilds

Monster Hunter: Wilds represents the natural evolution of the franchise, introducing a series of improvements and, above all, quality-of-life features that make it more accessible to all kinds of players. It's a title that notably changes the traditional structure of separate missions and hunting zones, opting instead for an open world featuring distinct ecosystems and areas filled with a vast number of monsters to hunt. These enhancements don't stray far from the series' original formula, although they do make playing Monster Hunter somewhat easier and less frustrating.

Endlessly ambitious and full of detail, Monster Hunter: Wilds manages to deliver on everything that it sets out to do and then some. I have complete faith in Capcom to keep building off of this launch as one of their strongest foundations yet. Putting the game down genuinely seems like an impossibility with just how much there is to do. The wait has been long and tense, but Capcom haven't missed the mark with their latest and arguably, greatest.

Monster Hunter Wilds doesn't just rest on the laurels of its predecessors; it boldly elevates the series' foundational monster-hunting experience. Every core mechanic has been meticulously refined, demonstrating a clear commitment to player satisfaction, while a wealth of ambitious new features promises to redefine the genre. This is set within a sprawling, meticulously crafted world, teeming with life and secrets, inviting players to embark on an unforgettable adventure.

Monster Hunter Wilds is a bold and bustling continuation of its predecessor’s approach to streamlining the once-niche series. By stripping away some of the more frustrating elements of the past, and focusing on getting players into hunts as quickly as possible, Monster Hunter Wilds has the potential to launch the series to new heights. Aside from some head-scratching omissions, Monster Hunter Wilds is a collection of the greatest hits from past games, one that finally delivers on the promise of a truly vibrant and living open world.

Monster Hunter Wilds delivers a ton of incredible new content, buried underneath the usual UI nightmare plus a long, interminable campaign. The new features of the game are fun and exciting once the game opens up, and there are a ton of awesome new monsters to battle. The graphics, as always, are stunning. But wading through the mud of this story for 15-20 hours is downright painful, and the franchise's tradition of not explaining itself is getting extremely old. There is a fabulous Monster Hunter game here, but sooner or later this franchise is going to have to wake up to the need to wipe the slate clean and open the doors for new players. Instead, Monster Hunter Wilds feels like it is going in the other direction.

As great as its action may be, the game’s secret sauce is expectedly its fascinating creatures.

The problem when reviewing a game of this scale, part of a series with more than ten entries, is that personal attachment and nostalgia inevitably play a crucial role. It’s clear that the franchise no longer offers the same experience as it did years ago. The rough, unwelcoming, and flamboyant feel of the past has given way to unwavering accessibility, a clear pursuit of simplicity, and a deliberate openness to newcomers. While the game’s addictive foundations are still present, they are nonetheless hindered by an at times excessive simplification of its mechanics. However, Monster Hunter Wilds remains a thrilling experience, even for veterans—provided they accept that it is no longer the game they once knew.

The game has been significantly optimized and expanded through updates; creating the best end-game gear will take over 300 hours.

The best combat system in the series, but everything else is inferior to the previous chapters and the game has lost the soul of Monster Hunter, including the concept of "hunting." There are large, lively maps that are pointless to explore because as soon as you enter, by pressing a button, you are taken to the monster within seconds. It is gradually improving with updates, I hope the DLC will address the issues because it has great potential.

The Artier weapons obtainable early on are so overpowered that you don't need to use equipment made from other monster materials, causing the game's appeal to fade too quickly.

The map in this game was somehow far worse and irritating than in world. I really disliked using it and didn't understand why they didn't use the old one. Making the cutscenes all unskippable is totally taboo for me who likes to stay in control of the game. Making any cutscenes that were fixed on rails like an amusement park completely removes control from the game and feels like it robs all exploration at the same time. Please don't add any quicktime events, afterall it's a game not a movie. As of now I feel like the game direction is moving away from gameplay and toward film. It has always been way too formulaic, but if the formula is less control, you are going to get worse reviews from everyone. It seems the exploration of these games is tied to the story. If you want to explore without quests, you instead have to go back and give up your control and do a story quest instead, or else the monsters you want to find will never appear. So the story robs the exploration.

Poor performance with frequent fps dips is one issues that can be forgiven. However Capcom has streamlined the entire game so much it's lost all of its DNA, to the point it's no longer monster hunter and now simply monster fighter. There's no point having a large map to explore when there are no rewards for exploring, no need to memorise shortcuts when the seikret delivers you right to the boss. Gone is farming and sending palicos on missions, no need to prepare for quests as the box gives you everything you need and if you run out the AI companion will cure you of poison, stun or any ailment the moment you get afflicted. I built one low and one high rank armour and they carried me through without needing any armour spheres, the enemy damage is abysmal. Will be skipping the next few entries in the series until I know they can undo this mess.