In the summer, the 2nd major Title Update is coming to Monster Hunter Wilds, along with a fan favorite that hasn’t appeared in new installments for 16 years. MyMMO editor Alexander Schürlein revisited the old installment to prepare for the return – and promptly regretted it.
As a player who embarked on my journey as a monster hunter with Monster Hunter Tri on the Wii, I was immediately excited when I saw the teaser for the upcoming 2nd TU. Could it really be true and was my beloved Leviathan Lagiacrus returning? After 16 long years?
The teaser speaks for itself: The promising splashes of water followed by a distinctive claw, blue scales, and the iconic long neck. It’s just seconds, but seconds that are unmistakable for any fan. The hype immediately grabbed me, and I reveled in memories of the long-gone battles of 2009 in Monster Hunter Tri on the Wii.
However, many of today’s players only started the series with Monster Hunter World or Rise, and access to this old game is very limited nowadays. If you want to fight Lagiacrus today, you either have to use an old Wii and Monster Hunter Tri or revert to Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on the Nintendo 3DS.
Both options are no longer available in stores, so interested players have to rely on used gems if they want to relive those old times.
I took this opportunity to confront Lagiacrus once again in this old version and would like to take you on this journey. So, I excitedly unpacked my old Wii and nostalgically inserted the CD for Monster Hunter Tri. My old save file from 2012 was even still there. With a racing pulse, I started the hunt for Lagiacrus and set out on my search.
From the dreaded controls and finger acrobatics
Hardly on my way, I realized again how incredibly bad, yet adventurous, the controls were back then. Anyone who knows the Wii from back then knows: There was only one joystick with the Nunchaku – and it served for movement.
The camera was controlled via the D-pad on the second controller (the one that looks like a small remote). With a Classic Controller, it looked different, but back then I didn’t know anyone who had one.
Since you understandably needed the camera quite often and also had to attack with the same controller, some finger acrobatics were necessary if you wanted to keep an eye on everything, attack, dodge, block, and use items. So I usually played with my left index finger stretched across the D-pad, trying to operate it and all other buttons somehow simultaneously.
But that didn’t deter us back then, and today it didn’t deter me either. At least until I encountered Lagiacrus and painfully realized again why this creature hadn’t been seen in a Monster Hunter for so long: because the lord of the seas was primarily found in one place: the damned sea.
The lord of the seas and the damned thunder damage
How was the fight against Lagiacrus back then? And thus, the biggest problem reemerges that this otherwise magnificent monster brings with it. Because you can now imagine this terrible control with additional dimensions underwater. Yes, it was… fun. Lagiacrus was one of the few beasts in Monster Hunter that could be fought underwater.
After Monster Hunter Tri/3, underwater battles never occurred again in a Monster Hunter, as they are simply too labor-intensive. Once you play one of these hunts, you can also imagine well why it would be so difficult to modernize and reintroduce it.
It was incredibly difficult to keep an eye on the monster as it could come from above, below, left, right, or anywhere else. Additionally, you had to somehow move and fight in this multi-dimensional underwater realm.
You can get an impression in this video, for example:
Additionally, Lagiacrus could also move on land and effectively fight its hunters there as well. So it had 2 different move sets to adapt to.
Underwater, it was much faster than on land and could attack from more angles, which it particularly exploited with its long tail. It could also fire several thunder balls and charge a massive, powerful thunder ball to unleash on its hunters.
Especially annoying were its back spikes, which could unleash powerful electric attacks in its surroundings while underwater and afflict hunters with thunderblight. These could be broken to hinder him.
Far more interesting, especially looking at the upcoming battle in Monster Hunter Wilds, is its move set on land. As underwater battles will not return in Wilds, it is likely that poor Lagiacrus will have to mostly forgo its domain in this installment.
On land, it primarily fired nasty thunder projectiles and posed a threat to hunters with its still agile movements. Whether with a body slam or by swirling its head and tail around – it flung its opponents around or simply knocked them down. Its bites were not to be underestimated either, often striking multiple times in succession.
What could the fight look like in Monster Hunter Wilds? As mentioned earlier, Lagiacrus will likely have to forgo its sea. In Monster Hunter Wilds, it will primarily be found in the Crimson Forest, like the recently added Leviathan Mizutsune or the apex monster Uth Duna.
Both mentioned monsters are also leviathans and have a strong connection to the water realm. They are often found in water-covered areas, and Uth Duna can also be found underwater in some locations, although you cannot fight it there. Therefore, it’s likely that Lagiacrus will be represented in a similar way.
Here you can see Uth Duna underwater:
For the battle, it is highly likely that his land move set will be used. It will probably be polished and one or two new tricks added. Especially considering that Mizutsune can transform into a Karma Seer Mizutsune during the battle, it’s likely that something similar could be done with Lagiacrus.
In Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, there was also an Ivory Lagiacrus and a Deep Sea Lagiacrus, which might also appear due to this innovation. So it remains exciting to see what we can expect this summer. Nevertheless, this 16-year-old fight probably gives a good taste.
But as much as I’m looking forward to it, I’m also very worried that Lagiacrus might not live up to the high expectations of the community and myself. I have compiled my thoughts on this in this article: After 16 years, the legendary Lagiacrus finally returns to Monster Hunter – Now I’m afraid it won’t meet the expectations
