MeinMMO Editor-in-Chief Leya believes that this Monster Hunter Wilds is quite close to the perfect gameplay loop for a Monster Hunter. Read her review.
Monster Hunter Wilds is a fantastic action RPG if you love looting, leveling, and boss fights.
However, you do not level up your character. You hunt monsters with huge weapons that drop materials like horns, scales, fur, or claws. From this, you craft increasingly stronger gear to hunt even stronger monsters. If you remove this gear, you are just as weak and puny as at the beginning of the game.
That is the core of it.
Capcom has been following this principle since 2004, so for a proud 21 years. Monster Hunter Wilds is now the sixth main installment in the series, celebrating its release on February 28. There are some innovations that improve the gaming experience. However, the fundamental formula does not change with Wilds. We have reached a point where we are moving towards the perfect gaming flow. But there are a few annoyances – not severe but noticeable. And that’s what we’re going to look at.
Monster Hunter Wilds is the best Monster Hunter that Capcom has created so far. There will be veterans among you who will surely disagree with me here. But we will get to that.
If you dive into a Monster Hunter for the first time, learning the combat system and the various weapons is part of it. It’s similar to an MMO, where you also have to learn your rotations. It comes with the territory that sometimes you might feel like biting the table’s edge, but that also makes it exciting.
Who is writing this review? I am Leya, Editor-in-Chief of MeinMMO, and I found my way into the series with Monster Hunter Tri about 10 years ago. In games, I particularly value atmosphere and a coherent gaming feel. I tend to take a relaxed approach and do not optimize for the last percent for the highest damage – whether a fight lasts 5 or 8 minutes doesn’t matter to me. As long as my gigantic hammer gives a proper bonk.
This is how I played: Overall, I spent just over 40 hours on the PC in Monster Hunter Wilds. During that time, I completed the entire story, battled all currently available monsters, and played a good chunk into the endgame. I used only the hammer and dual blades as weapon types. About 15 hours of that was spent in co-op with another tester. I skipped most side quests to progress as quickly as possible for this review.
What you can expect from the review: In the test, I’ll discuss gameplay, atmosphere, story, endgame, long-term motivation, general strengths, and weaknesses. I will not provide you with details about the story, specific monsters, weapons, or surprises. You should be able to dive into the game as spoiler-free as possible and discover the world for yourself. Due to Capcom’s NDA guidelines, it is also not possible to go into detail in some areas.
Let’s dive in.
Monster battles are more fun than ever thanks to new features
The most important thing in a Monster Hunter is the battles and how the hunt for the monsters is structured. Capcom introduced new features with Wilds that do not change the basic principle of battles but offer entirely new strategic possibilities. And above all, they bring a ton of fun to the hunt!
Among the biggest innovations are:
- New are the Saikrii mounts that automatically take you to the monster and allow you to carry two weapons
- The new focus and wound system that enables strong combo attacks
- There are now camps that can be set up on the map for adjusting equipment instead of a central base camp
The deeper I dive into Wilds, the more I appreciate these new features. In the main story, I stuck with my comfort weapon: the hammer. During these hunts, I hardly made use of the secondary weapon, which quickly changed later in the endgame.
This is mainly because the monsters here become more challenging and complex, but I also want to efficiently farm the monster loot. Doing so alone is much easier with the second weapon. For example, I can use sharp dual blades to sever the tails of the monsters and then switch to the blunt hammer to break off their parts. I can also take two of the same weapon type that comes from different monsters and thus possibly utilize different elemental effects.
This results in builds that not only consistently increase damage but can also provide other benefits depending on play style. The same principle applies to the weapons as well. The appearance of the armor and weapons depends on the monsters from which you collected the loot.
This also makes the appeal of hunting as many different monsters as possible to gain variation in your builds, allowing you to efficiently hunt certain monsters. Or simply to get the most stylish armors.
The maps where the monsters are located have become much larger. The Saikrii take you directly from your base camp to the monsters. The search for the beasts is completely eliminated. The mounts considerably speed up fighting and collecting loot as you are taken directly to your target. I particularly enjoyed this in co-op. While riding the Saikrii to the monster, you can casually nibble on a snack, chat a bit, and accomplish various tasks along the way: sharpen your weapon, take potions, casually grab resources with the grapple hook as you pass by.
The gameplay loop is getting better and better
Because it’s really all about the cool fights and not wandering around on the map – I’m aware that this point is debatable for some.
Yes, in old parts, meticulous preparation for battles and searching for monsters was part of it. Monsters still have a time limit within which they must be hunted. In the past, you could ruin a hunt by bringing too few whetstones to sharpen your weapon, thus inflicting hardly any damage. For some, this experience is part of it. I like the modernized acceleration, and Wilds has raised the bar again compared to World in terms of comfort features.
The focus and wound system changes your attack strategy: You can specifically target certain body parts to expose weak points. This creates new combos and even more satisfying hits. It gives you a whole new incentive to completely work on the monster, and it’s an incredibly great feeling when you see the damage numbers explode. I mean, even though the very highest damage isn’t that important to me, I still enjoy seeing bigger numbers!
Especially in the gameplay loop of monster hunting, it is evident that Capcom is addressing this very thing to continuously perfect and refine the game. The battles are fully in focus, and the innovations here serve to approach the fights differently and to get from hunt to hunt faster.
What some will certainly see critically here is simplifying everything around the battles. This will apply to the veterans of the franchise, for whom these hurdles like perfect preparation for the hunt and searching for monsters were a core element of the game. However, even in Wilds, Monster Hunter remains true to its combat style: weapons feel substantial, combos require good timing, and if you’re standing wrong, you’ll be hit mercilessly. That’s the appeal of the series – and it provides the unique thrill when a gigantic beast rushes at you.
The story serves its purpose and that’s okay
Monster Hunter is not played for the story – but for hunting and looting.
However, I want to acknowledge that for the first time there is indeed a consistent story that this time is more than just a tool to introduce new monsters. You help a child who has been separated from his family and village by a mysterious monster. He is a cornerstone in the story.
Of course, it’s about monsters causing anomalies, disrupting the ecosystem, and posing a threat. It is thus entirely justified that we, as superhumans with our immense power, slay the monsters in their natural habitat to obtain fancy gear from them… I mean, to save the ecosystem.
The story this time is nevertheless more coherent, and with the child as a cornerstone, it even adds an emotional touch. Still, it remains mainly a means to an end – and that’s perfectly fine. It serves to gradually introduce you to new mechanics and monsters. I perceived the main story as a large but very enjoyable tutorial.
For me, the story plays a very minor role here, which may not apply to others. What matters more to me is that the world in a Monster Hunter feels authentic and everything fits well together. Because even if the lore itself is totally bananas, the world of Wilds feels like a coherent ecosystem in which the characters and monsters fit in well. I can feel like a huntress wandering through the lands, helping the villagers.
The world becomes a nature park that can even be cozy
Monster Hunter Wilds takes a step forward in that the maps this time are seamlessly connected. But what stands out most is that the monsters feel much more like they actually live in the environment. I observed a Chatacabra, a green frog monster, enjoying a bath in the oasis. I almost feel bad about giving it a whack with the hammer. But only almost.
This becomes particularly noticeable even in battles, where the monsters utilize the surroundings much more. The maps range from a (seemingly obligatory) desert to an enchanting mountain landscape that is interwoven with black oil. A good example here is my new favorite, the Rompopolo, of which mosquito-like monster gameplay has already been released. It’s striking how he dips his stinger into the oil, absorbs it, and turns it into a toxic gas that he emits.
If you like how strongly he interacts with the oil and uses it in battle, then rejoice: there is more of that. This contributes to making everything feel more alive.
And of course, a good dose of humor should not be lacking in a Monster Hunter. Monster Hunter is a game that does not take itself too seriously. There are delightful interactions with the clever cat beings, the Palicos, who also assist you in battle.
Through the beautiful open maps that can be traversed with the Saikrii, Monster Hunter Wilds has suddenly also become a cozy game for me. You can set up your own camps where you can change your equipment during hunts and customize them with colors and decorations. It is also simply nice to stroll through the maps, collect resources, and observe monsters.
If you stop while farming for resources and look around, you will be rewarded with attention to detail. You see Palicos living their own lives. Or if you wait long enough, mushrooms even start to grow on slain monsters.
There are also new weather phenomena, which can lead to a storm with thunder and lightning in the desert. This affects the hunts and makes the environment feel even more natural.
It feels like being in a documentary by David Attenborough. Only, instead of watching giraffes, you are looking at laser-shooting dragons. I should mention that the monster designs, armors, and weapons can look quite alien this time.
Capcom has created an impressive ecosystem that is livelier, more dynamic, and atmospheric than ever before.
From nature to sci-fi: more colorful designs, underscored by synthesizers
In Monster Hunter World, monsters and equipment still appeared relatively natural – with subtle colors and little design variation. Monster Hunter Wilds takes a different path here, and I love it.
The designs are again more colorful, striking, and in places already reminiscent of science fiction. The designs also offer a high diversity and should cater to many tastes.
My huntress can look like a warrior princess in elegant attire reminiscent of a kimono. Just as well, I can dress her like a villainess from Power Rangers wearing a gigantic horned helmet and an eccentric armor. It ranges from super sexy to stoic or even silly and funny.
A long-overdue innovation brings much more variety: The gender lock for armors has been removed!
You can now mix and match male armor parts with female models and vice versa. This gives you much more choice because the armors for male and female models look very different. I also have to praise how well the respective parts look on the opposite models and adapt according to the shape. You can mix wildly and, for example, use the helmet and gloves of the female model while the rest comes from the male model.
I don’t want to go into too much detail here because for me the joy of discovering armor pieces and weapons after defeating a new monster is part of the fun, and I do not want to spoil that.
The monsters appear somewhat horror-like at times, which is complemented by the soundtrack. It subtly uses synthesizers and mixes them with orchestral elements. Lovecraft, associated with Cthulhu and cosmic horror, makes his appearances now and then.
The sound design of the monsters is equally great. I can only recommend paying close attention when you come to the flaming octopus Nu Udra, who lives in the oil spring pool and whose tentacles scrape across the ground with an eerily rubbery squeal.
The UI remains a mess and there are technical hiccups
As much as I am excited about the gameplay loop and atmosphere, I want to pull my hair out over the user interface.
Japanese studios like Capcom are known for their often cumbersome UI and controls – especially for western players. I just wish so much that the user interface would eventually become more intuitive and easier to understand. There are indeed some improvements over predecessors. For example, I find it incredibly helpful that the buttons you need for the attack combos for the various weapons are now displayed. I’m really bad at remembering such things, and that motivates me to try out more weapons that are technically more difficult than my beloved hammer. The hammer almost only requires a bonk button.
The other example: Even after 15 hours in co-op, I am still confused about how exactly to start a shared mission, invite someone, or join a quest together. We will definitely need to write a guide on MeinMMO. There are numerous ways to play together, and none of them are clearly explained.
This continues throughout, and I am already familiar with Monster Hunter. For newcomers, this is a real hurdle – and Capcom should significantly work on this.
In general, it must be said that the game explains little again, especially when the story itself is completed. There are improvements, also through the NPC Alma, who calls out useful tips to you occasionally. Or the blacksmith Gemma gives you hints about which gear you should forge. But there is again a lot where the game leaves you in the dark, and you have to sift through guides.
I didn’t have many technical problems, but they were there. I played on PC with the following specifications:
- CPU: 13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-13700KF
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA Geforce RTX 4080
I had one crash of the game in over 40 hours. There were occasional graphical errors where black triangles moved across the screen. All testers on PC experienced this issue, while the PS5 was spared. I also heard from testing colleagues with older PCs that they occasionally faced frame drops.
Capcom has released a benchmark tool on Steam, and here you can test what you can achieve with your PC.
Unfortunately, I cannot say much about things like textures, as there was no graphical patch for the test version on PC yet, which is supposed to come with the release. The PS5 already received it for testing. It remains to be seen whether a nicer graphics update will negatively affect performance on PC.
On the whole, the game ran smoothly – with only minimal technical hiccups.
Endgame a bit thin, hope lies in DLCs
As with every Monster Hunter, the endgame begins with the high rank – and thus with the real challenge. Your hunter rank reflects your experience. The higher it is, the harder quests and monsters await you.
For most, the game really begins in high rank, with new, stronger armor sets. You can equip these with decorations to significantly improve your stats. This is where the tinkering for the perfect build truly begins.
In Monster Hunter Wilds, as seen from predecessors, there will again be stronger variations of monsters. I won’t reveal more at this point.
The long-term motivation lies mainly in improving and building new gear. Some do this to improve their stats and take down monsters even faster. For others, fashion is the motivation of the endgame. With high rank comes the transmog system: you can now cosmetically use armors without sacrificing good stats. To do this, you only need to have built the high rank armor piece once.
There are also little endemic creatures on the map that you can catch and collect. And of course, there are trophies to unlock.
You reach high rank quite quickly when you play steadily. I did that for this test and needed about 15 hours. As mentioned, I am now over 40 hours and still have plenty to do. For me personally, a significant long-term motivator is indeed co-op. Because it is simply great to farm armor parts together with other hunters and support each other. You also receive loot for yourself that you can always use.
Capcom has managed to distribute rewards pretty well throughout the game this time. For every progress, there is something new to look forward to, and there are also some surprises involved. New features will occasionally be added in high rank.
However, you will quickly reach the point where you have seen every monster in every variation. I strongly suspect that Capcom will want to quickly push out DLCs and event quests here. This would keep the motivation up, as more content would gradually arrive after the release. That is at least my hope and I would actually like that, as it prevents burning through the content too quickly. We already know the first DLC monster, which is the fan favorite Mizutsune. Long-term motivation mainly appeals to the types of players who enjoy optimizing and grinding.
My hope: Capcom delivers regularly – so that we can enjoy new content longer instead of rapidly clearing everything. A big expansion, like Iceborne for Monster Hunter World, is also very likely.
Conclusion: Monster Hunter Wilds will hit hard
I am convinced that Monster Hunter Wilds will be one of the most successful games in 2025. This can clearly be predicted from the beta numbers on Steam and the generally positive sentiment around the game. With the full version, I can now say that the beta has given a good impression.
Monster Hunter World was already popular and did not even release simultaneously for consoles and PC, as is the case for Wilds now.
The game has already established itself in the West with World and will fully do so with Wilds. Because the quality has been further increased in comparison. When I look at the things I criticize, it is already complaining at a high level. Still: Capcom, please take care of a simpler UI for the next title.
For me, Monster Hunter Wilds borders on perfection in terms of refining the core elements. The flow of the game around monster hunting and looting is simply getting better and better. That makes the franchise so good. It knows what it wants and optimizes exactly that.
I expect a great hunting feeling from a Monster Hunter. That is exactly what Wilds achieves with the now very lively world. In addition, Capcom is increasingly focusing on the battles and has streamlined the game around it without losing depth. I am particularly pleased that we have received a great variety of armors and weapons here – grinding for the prettiest outfits and the best stats is really fun!
Despite minor weaknesses, Monster Hunter Wilds offers one of the best hunting experiences in the series – and is likely to get even better with future updates.
Who is Monster Hunter Wilds suitable for?
Should you play Monster Hunter Wilds?
Yes, if you…
- are already a fan of the series and liked the predecessor “World”
- like action RPGs where gameplay is the focus rather than the story
- believe boss fights are the best in MMOs or in games like Elden Ring
- are looking for a challenge and enjoy studying monsters and optimizing strategies.
- love grinding with friends in co-op and enjoy the variation between chat and action
- like dealing with builds and equipment
Better to stay away if you…
- need a sophisticated story in RPGs
- have no patience for cumbersome menus and a complex combat system
- don’t want to spend time on equipment management and builds
- are a fan of the series and did not like the new comfort features of the predecessor “World”
At this point, I would also like to recommend the tests from our sister sites:
- GameStar (Paywall): Monster Hunter Wilds in the test: How good is the currently most wished-for Steam game
- GamePro: Monster Hunter Wilds in the test: The best part of the series so far
Is it suitable for newcomers? It is a bit difficult for me to assess how cumbersome Monster Hunter Wilds actually is for newcomers. However, I would say that this Monster Hunter is a good starting point. Overall, Capcom is making more effort to guide new people, for example, by displaying your weapon combos in the UI. It has also become a bit easier to get through the main story. Learning the complex fights and systems is somehow part of it. We will definitely be on hand with advice and assistance on MeinMMO.
You want to play Monster Hunter Wilds? Then check out our release live ticker, where we already provide you with the most important information and first guides.
