MeinMMO editor Alexander Schürlein was able to play the full version of Monster Hunter Wilds for 4 hours during an event in Hamburg. The world and monsters captivated him far more than the predecessors could. He wondered what could cause this and came to a clear conclusion.
Even on the train, I think about what I want to pay special attention to while playing. Previously, I had only played the stripped-down beta version and now want to get a more accurate picture of what makes Monster Hunter Wilds so different from the previous parts.
During the beta, I felt like I was only scratching the surface and couldn’t grasp the “soul” of the game. I didn’t feel like I could fully immerse myself in the game. Something was missing in the beta that would draw me completely into the world.
My thoughts revolve around what makes Monster Hunter Wilds so special. Because at its core, the parts of the series are very similar – which also makes it appealing to a large extent. Nevertheless, I can’t shake the feeling that the game experience in this part would stand out significantly from its predecessors, and I want to find out why.
Upon arriving in Hamburg, I can play the full version of Monster Hunter Wilds for a total of 4 hours with other journalists. We also got the chance to face two of the later monsters and even take a first look at the Ice Shard Cliffs area.
So, I set out to search for an answer to my question about what the soul
of the game would be. After 4 hours of intense hunting, I am sure: I have found it.
A compilation of my gameplay footage of my hunt for Rompopolo can be seen here:
A vibrant world that fully captivates me
That said, I throw myself into the adventure and am still unaware that the next 4 hours would pass far more quickly than I would like. Shortly after the story continues at the point where it ended in the beta version, the world pulls me deep into its spell.
I let the characters show me their world and discover something new at every corner. I pause and observe the many creatures that roam in the Wind Plane and the Crimson Forest. The world feels alive, coherent. Don’t get me wrong, Monster Hunter World also had well-made areas with great monsters, but…
Wilds takes everything to another level. It feels like a safari where I explore the two areas with my Saikrii.
At every corner, it is evident that detailed thought has gone into the surroundings, the world, and the ecosystem. Every plant, every insect, and every monster feels authentic in the place where it is located.
As I push deeper into the Wind Plane with the characters on my Saikrii, I notice the many small monsters making their way in a bustling group towards the river. In a herd next to us, the alpha watches over its females, as one of the NPCs tells us during the ride. A little further, I see another herd drinking at the river, with some of the monsters sleeping in the sun. Next to me, a small scaly monster pees in the sand. The interactions of the monsters with their environment are diverse and convince me of their coherence. I want to see more of it. Discover more.
Also, the design of the areas cannot be more different. From the drier desert landscape of the Wind Plane to the colorful Crimson Forest with its red waters to the dreary oil spring basin and the icy Ice Shard Cliffs, there is much to discover.
I can hardly get enough of the flora and fauna. The “seamless” world system, which allows us to switch areas with really short load times, gives me a sense of freedom that I have never felt in any part before.
Large monsters, large impact
In particular, I notice the large and especially new monsters. They don’t just roam around and occasionally encounter other large monsters to fight with, like in the “Turf Wars” back in Monster Hunter World.
They also interact more with their environment, just like the smaller monsters. Their attacks and abilities make more use of the environment than was the case in previous installments. As a result, they seem much more credible to me and convey a picture that forms a coherent whole. This also aligns with a statement from Yuya Tokuda, the Game Director of Monster Hunter Wilds, after the demo session in our interview:
My goal with this title was to create a more dynamic and, in the truest sense of the title, wilder ecosystem. I wanted players to feel the threat of nature more strongly.
Thus, the Rompopolo integrates authentically and threateningly into the oil spring basin. Not only does its color scheme match extremely well with the grayish-muddy area, but its attacks extensively use the slimy sludge to make your life hell. It uses its stinger to pump gas into the oil springs and cause explosions in its environment.
In addition to the large environments that characterize the individual areas, every monster has its own territory where it is “at home.” There, it appears particularly threatening and knows how to use its surroundings against its hunters. For example, Lala Barina or Nerscylla have their “nests” where it becomes additionally difficult for players to hunt their prey due to the environment. The monsters can climb around there, making it hard to follow them.
And that was the point where I realized: Monster Hunter Wilds, compared to its predecessors, has a much greater focus on its world and the various ecosystems and does everything to ensure that this concept is also received by its players.
Good entry concept without underchallenging
Besides the world, I also notice the flow that has changed compared to the predecessors. As someone who has played all parts of the series since Monster Hunter Tri, I am used to being thrown into the hunt more or less. A bit along the lines of: “Either it works or you try again until it works.”
In Monster Hunter Wilds, the entry feels more pleasant. More coherent. With a good and stable learning curve. Beginners are suggested a weapon through a short question catalog, which they can then directly test and possibly also exchange multiple times before heading into the first real hunt.
The monsters additionally act as meaningful teachers, which is meant to make the entry easier for newer players. Each monster serves a purpose, as Yuya Tokuda revealed in our interview:
I consider two different aspects when designing a monster and determining where it fits into the game. The first aspect is the ecosystem: This monster belongs to a certain type of monster that occurs in a specific environment and behaves accordingly. The second aspect pertains to gameplay design and difficulty. When does the player encounter this monster in the game? If it appears early, it should have more basic attacks. If it appears later, it can have more complex and difficult attacks. The behavior also changes: Early monsters are easier to read, while with later opponents, you have to adapt and react faster.
An example is Quematrice – it appears quite early in the game and is the second large monster you have to face. It has wide-range attacks, so I thought that a sweeping tail attack would fit well. So if the monster is to have a tail attack, it influences its design and overall appearance. These two design aspects work together.
Lala Barina, for example, is meant to teach players to keep their focus and always pay attention to their camera. Since it can move in all directions as the first monster in Monster Hunter Wilds, it is the perfect monster for this purpose and was therefore placed in this spot.
Thus, the difficulty increases pleasantly with each monster without being underchallenging and making it too easy. Let’s take Chatacabra and Quematrice, the first two monsters in the history, as an example: While Chatacabra focuses only on a single opponent and frontal, simple attacks, Quematrice introduces the first area attacks as the second monster.
And also, although the two monsters have relatively spartan attack patterns, they do have several, and they still challenge with their stamina and the damage they deal. Of course, very experienced players will have an easy time with the first monsters, but that was the case in previous games as well.
Here, the developers simply found it important to bring new players on board and reduce the arising frustration, so that these players do not lose their fun. They should be encouraged to continue and not be faced with challenges that lead them to quit the game.
As an experienced hunter, I quickly get along with the first monsters. However, the further I progress in the story, the more I have to pay attention again. Because the monsters get relatively faster, and you also have to react with a clear mind, otherwise, you’ll get quite a beating.
In this, I personally found the increase in difficulty through the monsters very pleasant and felt more that the game was pulling me forward rather than boring or frustrating me.
After 4 way too short hours, I head back content and full of anticipation for the release. For now, I am sure I have experienced firsthand what makes Monster Hunter Wilds so special. With its vibrant world and coherent ecosystem, Monster Hunter Wilds offers a gaming experience that I simply missed in previous installments. Perhaps I have also found my candidate for my personal game of the year?
Besides all that has been mentioned so far, another aspect particularly stuck with me, which raised further questions. Because with the new behaviors of the monsters, the approach of hunters to the hunts could also change.
I took this thought as an opportunity to carry a special focus into our interview with Ryozo Tsujimoto (Producer of the Monster Hunter series) and Yuya Tokuda (Game Director of “Monster Hunter Wilds”) after the session and question them about: I asked the developers of Monster Hunter Wilds about a feature that is still totally underestimated: “I wanted players to feel the threat more strongly”
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