It’s here and it’s taking some big swings! Monster Hunter Wilds has been out in open beta for a few days, and we’ve had a few hours at it.
Starting with the character creation and initial story opening, you’re quickly into the swing of things and it instantly feels more action-oriented than games in the past. Using your grappling hook to pull boulders down or get new pods to fire at monsters. Riding and gliding on your Seikret and chasing the action.
My initial take away is this: Monster Hunter Wilds is Monster Hunter World, with all the accessibility and lessons learned from Monster Hunter Rise.
Core Changes
Having only played a few hours and not being proficient really in more than a couple of weapons, I don’t want to go into depth about things I’m unsure of. However, even in a short space of time, I’ve noticed a few things.
Monster Hunter Wilds feels more alive than others in the past. A bustling lobby saw people running around that initial hub/camp area. You’re able to speak with anyone in the area, and when you’re exploring it feels way more open and free. Monsters and creatures roaming, as you’d expect, but it felt somehow more dense, more alive.
Seikret. Farewell trusty Palamute, the Seikret is here to do your job. Ninja dogs are out. Bipedal winged monsters that you ride and glide, are in! We’re seeing much the same here, and something I really loved from Monster Hunter Rise. Mobility, moving from A to B quicker, and being able to sharpen, heal etc on the go. I loved my Palamutes, but the Seikret seems cool.
Action! Everything in Monster Hunter Wilds feels more like an action game than the series ever has before. I suspect series mainstays may feel this veers to far away from the core formula, but it helps with the vibrance of the world. Better movement, more options on the move. Opportunity to use the environment more, and more easily. I like it!
My what the fuck moment
I’ve had a good time, not experiencing any of the issues I’ve seen online, which is great. But there was a moment that literally made me say out loud “what the fuck!?”.
You’d be forgiven for thinking something bad had happened. But quite the opposite. Your Seikret in Monster Hunter Wilds will carry a secondary weapon for you. This is fucking huge.
As an Insect Glaive enthusiast, I rarely dip into other weapons, but always always want to try others from time to time. Monster Hunter Wilds letting you basically have 2 weapons out in the field is perfect. Not I can play at range, then switch up for some closer combat. Or perhaps something heavy-hitting initially, followed by something more status focused.
Now I have a genuine motivation to learn and master combos and abilities of another weapon because I can have two “mains”. I cannot over-state how significant this is to me personally.
Insect Glaive
I only tested my primary weapon in the short window I’ve had to play Monster Hunter Wilds. But there’s a really lovely quality of life change here which might help on-board more users!
When sending your Kinsect out to harvest monster extracts. The UI actually tells you which colour and number you’re sending it to. This is huge, because sometimes when running around, you’re almost flailing to get that one last one you need.
Add to that, the fact you can aim and send the kinsect out whilst you’re vaulting, and Monster Hunter Wilds may have just improved what I considered the perfect weapon!
Perhaps it was build or level, or whatever. But I couldn’t get a lot in terms of aerial combos going. Stamina was fine, so either I was doing it wrong (likely!), or you just weren’t able to do it in the beta.
Insect Glaive is getting honed to perfection, though, and whilst it felt heavier it felt great.
Overall
Look, I lauded Rise for the efficiencies it created with the wirebugs and Palamutes, and whilst they’re not here in Wilds. The benefits are. I think we could be seeing the most fluid and action-oriented game of the series.
For me, that works. So long and Monster Hunter Wilds remembers the core gameplay loop, any efficiencies and ease of entry for new players, has to be a good thing.
I’m not a series stalwart. Having only fallen in love with in from Monster Hunter World. But seeing and feeling a game that combines World and Rise is exactly what I want from this game.
I hope all the bugs and issues I’ve seen online get ironed-out before release in February. But I’ve had a wholly positive experience myself, and I’m genuinely excited to see how Monster Hunter Wilds pans-out.
I’m not a fan of day one purchases for most games these days, but I’m already pre-ordering Monster Hunter Wilds.