Monster Hunter Wilds is in the final approach to its release on February 28th, and by all accounts, it’s going to be a big one. With the scope and detail of MH World from 2018 and the boldness of MH Rise from 2021, Wilds is shaping up as a complex, immersive, and incredibly entertaining adventure, with a lot going for it.
But let’s abandon there general statements and replace them with some specifics: what gives MH Wilds the potential to be the best game in the series?
Let’s go hunting for clues!
Five reasons why Wilds is likely to be the best Monster Hunter yet
1. Seamless, dynamic open world
Previous Monster Hunter games preferred to use separate maps for biomes and bases, letting each place be a self-contained locale. With Wilds, it’s going to change.
Reportedly, rather than flying a wingdrake into a loading screen every time you want to go on a mission or change biome, in Wilds you’ll have the ability to just… go there. Even a light exploration of the Windward Plains as presented in the open betas revealed the entrance into the Scarlet Forest.
Additionally, from a certain point of view, we’re getting triple the biomes, because the Forbidden Lands locales change dramatically, going through three phases: Fallow, Inclemency, and Plenty. For example the Windward Plains go from a hostile wasteland to an intense lightning sandstorm into the revitalized savannah. Each phase has its own conditions and monster activity, too.
2. No more gender-locked armor
For years, there were separate armor designs restricted to your hunter’s sex chosen at character creation. In Wilds, Capcom finally realized that they are making two/four (counting alpha/beta sets) variants of all armor, but players only get access to half of them on any given character. Might as well give them the option to mix and match armor pieces regardless of their hunter’s sex. As a result Wilds is getting double the fashion potential of previous games.
Actually, maybe even triple, because the February 4th showcase revealed that crafting a high rank armor piece will also “register” its layered armor version automatically. It’s even better than MH Rise’s solution!
3. Seikret is better than both Raiders and Palamutes
Sorry, ninja doggy, feathered lizard is the best friend now.
The idea of mounts in Monster Hunter has come a long way, from monster taxi in MHW Iceborne and the, frankly fantastic, Palamutes in Rise, whose speed is undefeated. However, Wilds’ Seikret seems like a massive functionality upgrade.
It can autopilot you to the destination like Iceborne’s raiders while you sharpen your weapons or collect resources, it can be fully piloted like Palamutes. It can even carry a secondary weapon for you and you’ll be able to use them from the saddle to harrass a monster. What can’t it do? You could say “fly”, but it does glide!
4. Focus Mode
Every Greatsword user knows the feeling of missing that, otherwise perfectly timed, True Charged Slash. Most players have at some point experienced the frustration of missing their intended hit by millimeters. The Focus Mode is going to alleviate some of these woes. It’s essentially a special targeting mode you can enter during combat, which will reorient your hunter accordingly, even in the middle of an attack sequence.
Focus Mode also allows you to use another new mechanic, the Focus Strike, a special attack which targets the Wounds monster accumulates over the entire fight. When the hit connects, it results in a spectacular, devastating attack.
Mastering the Focus Mode and Strike will likely be the crucial for being good at the game, but unlike Iceborne’s Clutch Claw they don’t disrupt the combat quite as much, flowing naturally with general weapon mechanics.
5. Support hunters
Finally, a feature returning from MH Rise are NPC hunters who can join you on your expeditions and missions. This time, however, it’s much less restricted, and much more dynamic.
In fact, if you prefer your MH in singleplayer, you can set it up so that NPC allies will respond to your SOS flares the way real players would. It can be very helpful for players who are both struggling to get through certain fights but also don’t want to deal with live players. And hey, NPCs won’t burn your cart limit, so that’s also a big plus.
But wait, there’s more!
Specifically, wait for February 28th for the game to launch. For all the pre-launch reveals, announcements, and things community has gleaned from the open betas, there are bound to be more surprises that only the full launch will unveil.
As it is, Monster Hunter Wilds has a great shot at being the best, most intricate and immersive game in the series yet, and it’s not for the lack of competition. New monsters look incredible, returning ones look better than ever, and we’re even getting a stronger focus on the story.
Will it be a Monster Hunter for the ages? We’ll see soon.