With Monster Hunter Wilds, Capcom aims to try some new approaches, focusing on the aspect of a more open world. A new system is supposed to help assess encounters with monsters better and give hunters more freedom in choosing the difficulty level when they embark on exploration tours.
What feature is this about? Specifically, it concerns the new star system, which marks monsters on the map with a varying number of stars. These represent a specific difficulty level depending on their number. Those who play Monster Hunter Now are already familiar with this classification.
This is intended to make it easier for hunters, during their forays on the vast maps, to better assess and choose the difficulty of their encounters. However, according to current knowledge, monsters in the main story and optional quests will have a fixed difficulty level, which will then become variable afterward. Presumably, this feature will therefore be limited to the free explorations of areas.
This way, players can fundamentally play at their own pace, allowing veterans to arrive at their challenges quicker, without newcomers feeling left behind and able to take their time getting to know the monsters and their peculiarities.
Here you can see 20 minutes of gameplay from the PS5 version at the preview event in Japan:
More freedom in difficulty?
How is this received by the community? In a thread on Reddit, fans share their thoughts on the new feature. The star system is generally well-received. Players are excited about the freedom it grants them and that the system is expected to consider both novices and veterans alike.
The hope is that this will cater to various learning and player types, allowing them to enjoy the game as far as difficulty is concerned, in a way that suits them. At least in terms of free play. Meanwhile, the system encourages players to stay longer on the map and chase after monsters that spawn there.
For example, the targeted practice and farming of individual monsters is made easier, as players can seek challenges that match their skills. How well this works in practice, how much freedom the system truly offers, and how it will ultimately be received in the finished game remains to be seen.
There are also voices expressing concern that this system could make battles in the main story too easy, making them accessible to all player types equally. This could lead to veterans feeling bored.
User Eastern-Barnacle-344 (via Reddit) expressed his additional concern that the story battles might not feel special to players who are already well acquainted with the game system. Many players desire a certain challenge even in their first encounters with the monsters, as it shapes their community and gaming experience.
The concern that Monster Hunter Wilds could be fundamentally too easy has been a topic of discussion among the community for some time. This is partly due to a discussion that has existed among fans since Monster Hunter World: Monster Hunter Wilds aims to enhance the best features of its predecessor – but not all fans are happy about it
