Monster Hunter World (PC, PS4, Xbox One) has an impressively realistic ecosystem with a world that seems to breathe. In a panel at the “San Diego Comic-Con,” Capcom provided insights into the development of this realistic world. A recording of the panel was released featuring dreamy concept art and templates from “real life.”
The developers of Monster Hunter World place great emphasis on creating a realistic ecosystem within a fantastic world. The monsters follow a logical food chain and flee from hunters when they are severely injured. The environment seems to breathe and can be utilized in hunting.
Ryozo Fujimoto is the producer of Monster Hunter World and Kaname Fujika is the director. The two gave a presentation at the “San Diego Comic Con” that provides deeper insights into the development of the action RPG.
The developers traveled from Japan to Australia and studied nature and animals there to make their world as realistic as possible. The interaction with reptiles played an important role in the development of the monsters.
Australia as Inspiration for the “Ancient Forest” – In the ancient forest, everything flows into the central tree
The “Ancient Forest” is one of the first areas that hunters explore. The ancient forest is also known from the first gameplay videos, where the creature Anjanath is hunted.
Everything started with the creation of an ancient tree located in the center of the “Ancient Forest.” Everything in the forest should be connected to the tree and flow into it. Then, a flat map was created to note which areas would be wetter and which would be drier. Where would water be? What kinds of animals would live here? – These were the questions the developers considered.
In the outer and dry area of the jungle, harmless herbivores live. In the inner and moist region, predators hide in the darkness and ambush herbivores. At the top of the tree sits the flying king of the jungle, Rathalos. He looks down upon his kingdom and snatches any creatures as snacks from the air.
Players must confront these facts if they want to become successful hunters. They must learn the environment and the natural behavior of the animals.
Once this framework was established, concept art was created. This is how the developers envisioned the ancient forest and built their concept on these drawings. However, all of these were plants that did not exist in this form in Japan.
So the team packed their bags and flew from Japan to Australia. The flora here had a significant influence on the design of the “Ancient Forest” and ultimately gave the jungle its appearance.
Visiting Reptiles – Designing Monsters Realistically with Reptiles as Inspiration
In their home country Japan, the developers also found inspiration. They visited an alligator garden, where there were plenty of reptiles. Most creatures in the Monster Hunter franchise resemble reptiles that can be easily modified.
The developers hoped to learn more about reptiles from their visit to the alligator garden and to implement that in Monster Hunter World. This applied to the visual appearance of the animals, their way of life, and their behavior.
The designers took photos of the reptiles and incorporated them into their engine. This allowed them to design the bellies or dimensions of the monsters much more realistically. They also paid attention to how the animals’ skin moves while walking and how light interacts with their scales.
Monster Hunter World: San Diego Comic-Con Panel – Video with Concept Art & “Behind the Scenes”
In the recording from the “San Diego Comic-Con Panel,” you will find even more stunning screenshots of the “Ancient Forest” concept art.
