Monster Hunter Wildsmanages to start on the right foot in a way thatMonster Hunter Worldsdid not. The opening section of a game is always important, because that’s the first chance to truly grab the player’s attention and get them excited for what’s to come. Unfortunately, this is an area whereMonster Hunter Worldmissed the mark. However,Monster Hunter Wildsseems to have learned from that mistake, arguably offering one of the best openers that the series has seen. This can largely be credited to one decision that shaped the opening minutes of the game.
It’s clear fromMonster Hunter World’s recent salesthat, despite its age, the game is still very relevant. It gives players exactly what they would want from aMonster Huntertitle, as it lives up to the series' namesake by providing players with a wide variety of exciting monsters to fight, and it helped raise the series' profile to its current status. It set an excellent standard forMonster Hunter Wildsto match up to, which explains why fans are still playing it to this day. However,Monster Hunter Worldwasn’t perfect, and its mistakes - like a tedious intro - should be noted alongside all its successes.
Monster Hunter Wilds' Opening Sequence Delivers the Action That World’s Did Not
Monster Hunter World’s Slow-Paced Opening Started On the Wrong Foot
One of the biggestmistakes ofMonster Hunter Worldcomes in its intro sequence. It starts with an impressive spectacle in the form of the player’s first encounter with Zorah Magdaros. However, in terms of gameplay, the opening sequences fell significantly short. Players had to trek across Zorah Madgaros, then go through the Ancient Forest to reach Astera, then take a tour around Astera. All of these sequences involve little more than walking, and are long and, unfortunately, somewhat boring. As a result, it takes quite a while for players inMonster Hunter Worldsto pick up a weapon, let alone hunt.
Monster Hunter Wilds' First Hunt Comes Very Quickly
On a completely different note, a chase atopMonster Hunter Wilds' Seikretsis that game’s first playable segment, giving players a look at one of the game’s most prominent new mechanics. Once that scene is over, players have one cutscene to sit through before they are sent straight to their first hunt with the weapon of their choice. With this approach, it’s not long at all before the player gets to experience the game’s main elements. This first hunt is appropriately easy, as a tutorial should be. At the same time, it does a great job of showcasing what a hunt feels like.
BothMonster Hunter WildsandWorldalso feature multiple cutscenes before the first hunt, butWorldincludes more.
Monster Hunter Wilds' Intro Gets the Player Ready For Future Hunts
A more action-packed opening has obvious advantages. While the manybuilds inMonster Hunterare just the surface of the game’s strategy, that shouldn’t make it hard for players to jump in and play. The relatively simple hunt against the Chatacabra introduces players to the core aspects ofMonster Hunter. They’ll learn how to dodge attacks, use openings to strike, and learn a few tricks with their chosen weapon along the way. Most importantly, this battle coming so soon allows players to get invested more quickly. It’s easy to imagineMonster Hunter Wildsgetting new players excited by throwing them right into the action.
Engaging players early inMonster Hunter Wildswas a wise move. Laterquests inMonster Hunter Wildsintroduce many unique and impressive monsters for the player to do battle with. However, if the intro was lackluster and stopped players from getting invested, then they may not have ended up seeing those monsters at all.Monster Hunter Wildslet players get a very early look at how much fun they can have in the game with its introductory hunt. Hopefully, futureMonster Huntergames will take a similar route by showing players exactly what to expect in the opening minutes.
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.
