Lagiacrus, the legendary Leviathan from Monster Hunter Tri, finally returns to Monster Hunter Wilds after a long wait. But even though it is the absolute favorite monster of MeinMMO editor Alexander Schürlein, he is now afraid because it is actually returning.
Who is Lagiacrus? The monster Lagiacrus was the flagship monster of Monster Hunter Tri/3 Ultimate, which was released in 2009. As a Leviathan, it ruled the seas, presenting its hunters with challenging underwater battles and could also cause serious trouble on land.
However, despite the fiddly controls on the Wii and the Nintendo 3DS, and sometimes very frustrating challenges, it burned itself into the hearts of the community back then and is still fondly referred to as a monster that conveys the typical Monster Hunter feeling.
The monster ranked third in a 2023 survey by Capcom (via monsterhunter.com), making it one of the most popular in the series, even though it hasn’t appeared since Monster Hunter 3.
I feel very similar as a player who started with Monster Hunter Tri: With its electric attacks underwater, it often ensured that I met my end within a few breaths.
And how much I cursed while trying to position the camera in battles so that Lagiacrus couldn’t catch me off guard, with my index finger cramping on the damned D-pad. Because back then, there was no second stick for the camera; you had to adjust it using the D-pad – unless you had an alternative controller available. Every time I managed to defeat it, the relief and rush of victory felt even more intense.
Nevertheless, or rather because of that, the water dragon has become my absolute favorite monster. For a solid 16 years, I hoped and waited with the community that our beloved Lagi would finally reappear.
And now that the time has come, I am actually more afraid of it.
Hype and Worry at the Same Time
Because despite being incredibly excited to fight my favorite monster again soon, I have some worries. The hype surrounding the return of Lagiacrus is massive, and anticipation for the next update in summer is growing.
But it raises the question of whether the return can actually live up to the original success and battle feel, as well as the high expectations of the community. After so many years, the hope has built up, and the series has steadily evolved over time. The developers have always shown they are very close to the community and are well aware of the Leviathan’s popularity.
Will Capcom succeed in giving Lagiacrus the return the community has always wished for? They at least need to be very sure, because it’s not that there hasn’t been a plan to bring it back over the many years. Still, they will have to make compromises in Monster Hunter Wilds that worry me a bit.
Because originally it was planned for Monster Hunter World and was meant to take the place of Rathalos, but it was then canceled. However, that was not because Capcom didn’t want the ruler of the seas back: The reason was primarily technical.
In an old gameplay video from 2015, a prototype of the then Lagiacrus version can still be seen:
The Legendary Lagiacrus Without Underwater Battles?
Because what would Lagiacrus be without its legendary underwater battles? Over the years, the series around Monster Hunter has evolved, but underwater battles have fallen by the wayside.
These would also need to be developed further due to numerous criticisms of the then system (via Reddit). However, considering the already high scope of the games, that would be too costly and almost like developing a completely new game, as the developers stated.
Therefore, there will probably never be underwater battles in a Monster Hunter again. And for this reason, they had long refrained from bringing Lagiacrus back.
You can see how the battles used to look here:
Capcom also had trouble with the animations of the Leviathans, which prevented the return of the legendary Lagiacrus. These have been revised for Monster Hunter Wilds, which is why fans already speculated in advance that it could finally make a comeback.
Now that it has been announced, the question arises as to how Capcom will implement its fight. Because is Lagiacrus really Lagiacrus without its waters?
Uth Duna Shows the Way
Leviathans like Uth Duna demonstrate that an implementation is also possible without direct underwater combat. And the Crimson Forest provides a good backdrop, as well as opportunities to give Lagiacrus a touch of the sea.
Some players have already managed to observe Uth Duna underwater:
Similar possibilities are available for the presentation of Lagiacrus, allowing for some room for staging that can impress and enchant fans of Monster Hunter Tri like me.
Lagiacrus has already proven in Monster Hunter Tri that it can also pose a threatening challenge on land. The building blocks for a glorious return of our favorite Leviathan are therefore already laid in Monster Hunter Wilds.
If Capcom utilizes the adjustments well, my worries could soon become a thing of the past.
Lagiacrus is not the only flagship monster making a return in Monster Hunter Wilds. With the 1st Title Update, for example, Mizutsune will also be joining. We have reflected on all the flagship monsters of past times and compiled them in a ranking: Monster Hunter: The 10 coolest flagship monsters in the Power Ranking – You could finally meet number one again soon
