Summary
When any game in a longstanding franchise attempts to innovate, it presents itself with the challenge of introducing those innovations without compromising the tradition the franchise is built on. In a series with a dedicated fan base, likeMonster Hunter, this balance is even more delicate, but once a franchise has gone on for so long, it needs innovation if it hopes to survive. Prior toMonster Hunter: World, the series largely played it safe, choosing to iterate rather than innovate. However, evenMonster Hunter: Worlddidn’t reinvent the formula in the same way thatMonster Hunter Wildshas, but it has also managed to find the balance betweeninnovation and traditionmore than any entry before it.
Since its reveal,Monster Hunter Wildshas been recognized for its willingness to push the boundaries ofMonster Huntertradition and deliver an original experience. With new innovations in its open world, monster AI, and accessibility,Monster Hunter Wildsis one of the most ambitious titles in the series to date. Despite that ambition, though, it hasn’t forgotten who and what it is, effectively bridging the gap betweenMonster Hunter’s past and the impending future thatMonster Hunter Wildshas now paved the way for.
How Monster Hunter Wilds Balances the New With the Old
Monster Hunter Wilds' Open World Is Seamless Without Compromising the Hunt
The coreelement ofMonster Hunterhas always been its gameplay — in particular, hunting monsters. Without emphasizing its narrative, characters, and lore,Monster Hunterhas effectively gripped fans with its rewarding progression loop and larger-than-life battles. To accomplish this, with the exception of more recent entries,Monster Hunterhas consistently featured linear worlds meant to streamline the experience and get players into the action as quickly as possible.Monster Hunter Wilds, on the other hand, puts players in the middle of a massive, seamless open world, though it does so without compromising the hunt.
With new innovations in its open world, monster AI, and accessibility,Monster Hunter Wildsis one of the most ambitious titles in the series to date.
It is possible to venture off the beaten path inMonster Hunter Wildsand simply take in the surrounding world, but the story and the gameplay overall still manages to maintain the series' iconic structured monster-hunting loop. This is primarily accomplished throughMonster Hunter Wilds' Seikret mount, which is designed to take players directly to their target, thereby doubling as the game’s monster tracking system.
Monster Hunter Wilds' Monsters Are Unscripted and Yet Can Still Be Learned
Monster Hunter Wildshas also advanced its monster AIby designing them to behave in unscripted ways. This might have been a rather significant departure forMonster Hunter Wilds, as each game’s combat has been designed to be predictable after a while and therefore learnable. However,Monster Hunter Wildsstrikes a balance here by featuring monsters that walk the line between unpredictable and predictable, having unscripted behavior that even adapts to the player’s actions and yet somehow still being predictable enough for fights to feel familiar after a while.
Monster Hunter Wilds Is More Accessible But Still Requires Preparation
Finally, it’s no secret thatMonster Hunter Wildsmay be the most accessible entry in the franchise yet, offering players what feels like a much less challenging experience than any entry has before it. With its new Seikret mount, the newFocus Mode and Wound system, and monster fights that often don’t go longer than 15 minutes,Monster Hunter Wildsis highly accessible, offering the series potential to grow beyond even whereMonster Hunter: Worldtook it. At the same time,Monster Hunter Wildsstill requires players to adequately prepare for hunts by keeping their gear up to date, eating meals before they depart, and using helpful consumables to boost their odds of victory.
In the end,Monster Hunter Wildsproves that innovationdoesn’t have to come at the cost of tradition. By refining its mechanics, enhancing its world, and making smart adjustments to difficulty and accessibility, it expands the series' potential without alienating its core audience. Rather than reinventingMonster Hunter, it takes it to new heights, showing that even a series with such a well-established formula can still surprise players.
Monster Hunter Wilds
WHERE TO PLAY
The unbridled force of nature runs wild and relentless, with environments transforming drastically from one moment to the next. This is a story of monsters and humans and their struggles to live in harmony in a world of duality.Fulfill your duty as a Hunter by tracking and defeating powerful monsters and forging strong new weapons and armor from the materials you harvest from your hunt as you uncover the connection between the people of the Forbidden Lands and the locales they inhabit.The ultimate hunting experience awaits you in Monster Hunter Wilds.
