Summary
After waiting since the end of 2023, fans are finally getting moreMonster Hunter Wildsnews halfway through 2024, and it’s already painting an impressively detailed picture of Capcom’s upcoming game.Monster Hunter Wildsbrings the series into the Forbidden Lands, a new region of theMonster Hunteruniverse that has caught the Hunter’s Guild’s attention for a yet unknown reason. Accompanied by a crew of Research Commission members, players will forge ahead into new frontiers using a mixture ofMonster Hunter’s old and new tools along the way.
Riding atop a new Seikret mount, players will be able to venture into the Forbidden Lands to observe nature and take up hunts as they appear. How this will play out in practice is currently unknown, but as more ofMonster Hunter Wilds’ new monsterscome into view, fans' understanding of the game should grow as well. However, even with only one proper trailer out, it appears that in spite ofMonster Hunter Wildspositioning itself as a sequel toMH World, it may have just as much in common with some ofMonster Hunter’s stranger side entries.
Monster Hunter Wilds' Premise Builds Off Of MH World
Judging the game by its cover,Monster Hunter Wildsis the visual and ideological sequel toMonster Hunter World. It doubles down on the same realistic art style, and reinforces the living, breathing ecosystem thatMH Worldcreated. Complete with the return of the Slinger and Scoutflies,World’s environmental interactionsironically enhanceMonster Hunter Wilds' world, and using them to split up monster herds should make the hunting experience more engaging than ever. Lifelike ecology is also a central focus in bothWorldandWilds, more so than any otherMonster Huntertitle.
Wilds And World Share Approaches To Story And Setting
The very narrative ofMonster Hunter Wildsalso suggests that it is a sequel toMonster Hunter World, with the presence of Scoutflies and Slingers suggesting that the Forbidden Lands may be adjacent to the New World. Said Forbidden Lands’ wide-open Windward Plains environment is the logical conclusion ofWorldtrying to give itsclassically structuredMonster Huntermapsa more open feel. How characters organically progress the narrative through expeditions unfolding into hunts may be the same way, and the concept of a story-heavyMonster Hunterwith a Handler frequently present is also inherited directly fromWorld.
Monster Hunter Wilds' Gameplay Takes Inspiration From MH’s Quirkier Entries
It’s clear thatMonster Hunter Worldinformed much ofWilds’ identity, with even Capcom seeming to agree by including old save data bonuses for World and its expansion Iceborne. Despite that, the gameplay ofMonster Hunter Wildsseems couched in the crazier elements of side games likeMonster Hunter Rise,Generations Ultimate, and evenFrontierinstead.Monster Hunter Wildsbreaks tradition by making player hunters and their Palicos fully voiced, serving as an evolution ofRise’s mid-hunt voice lines, which is just the tip of the iceberg. In general,Wilds’ combat is full of ideas that appear drawn from the series’ offshoots.
Examples of Monster Hunter Wilds Taking After Spin-Offs
Switching to another weapon while mounted feels like a natural evolution, but mounting one’s Seikret while prone was lifted straight fromRise’s Palamutes. Running, or any major repositioning abilities, with the Great Sword used to be exclusive to specific Hunting Styles inGUorFrontier, and now there are multiple actions involving it. Focus Mode, and the new special actions it enables, seem to embody the spirit of these quirkier side titles, and there’s no telling what elseWilds’ upgradedMonster Hunterweapons have in store. For all of its emphasis on immersing players in a realistic environment,Monster Hunter Wildsseems to be embracing some of its predecessors' combat styles with just as much gusto.
