Monster Hunter World has a fantastic environment teeming with life. Everywhere, it blooms and animals crawl, fly, hop, and run back and forth. You can use this environment, the plants and animals, and the traps to your advantage in the fight against the monsters.
There is something that makes Monster Hunter World fundamentally different from its predecessors. The intelligent ecosystem is more detailed and fascinating than ever in the history of the franchise. The entire environment interacts with each other, and you can use it to your advantage.
In the image below, the brutal Anjanath is washed away by a surge of water. This way, it no longer poses a threat to the hunter and gets severely injured.
Environmental traps make your fight easier
Environmental traps refer to anything you can actively use during a quest to influence the events. There are vine traps, where monsters get entangled and stuck. But there are also small frogs that trigger effects like sleep when they are stepped on or hit with a weapon.
If you shoot such a frog with the slingshot when a monster is nearby, it will fall asleep and you have a clear shot to attack the monster. However, if you’re not careful, you can also fall victim to a frog and end up paralyzed or asleep on the ground! This can quickly make you easy prey and cost you the victory.
Practical filter function of the map: The map displays the environmental traps
Particularly practical is the filter function of the map if you want to look for specific traps. You can view the environmental traps here and know exactly where to find which frog, plant, or large trap.
Here is an excerpt of the Ancient Forest map filtered by traps. It clearly shows that there is a vine trap and a stamina insect larva located in area 4.
If you hover over the symbols, the exact effect of the trap will be displayed to you. Below is an excerpt from the Wild Tower Wasteland. In area 8, there is quicksand that can engulf you and monsters once a stronger tremor occurs at that spot. The traps are always in the same place, and with the help of the map, you can memorize them more easily.
What kind of traps does nature offer in Monster Hunter World?
To give you an idea of how versatile the traps are, here is an overview:
- Vitalize: A plant that secretes a healing nectar when struck. Useful if you run out of potions.
- Vine Trap: A giant mass of vines that can temporarily immobilize large monsters.
- Spore Cloud: A plant that releases a cloud of spores when struck. It provides cover in emergencies.
- Stamina Insect Larva: A nutrient-rich insect that reduces stamina loss by half when consumed.
- Unstable Rocks: Large rocks that can fall on foes at any time. Use the slingshot or a ranged weapon to loosen their hold.
- Poison Chalice: Beware of these pretty plants. They are filled with a poisonous liquid that splashes around.
- Paralyzing Frog: This creature emits a paralyzing gas when struck.
- Palicos: Palicos that assist hunters as part of their training.
- Lightning Fly: An insect that emits a bright flash when struck.
- Vitality Wasp: A diligent insect that secretes healing honey when struck. (Palicos also have these as a gadget)
- Sleep Frog: This frog releases a gas with a very calming effect when struck.
To trigger the respective effects of the traps, you typically just need to shoot them with your slingshot or a ranged weapon. If you hit them with your melee weapon, the effect of the natural traps will also activate. Frogs can be kicked. For traps that have a negative effect on you, it is advisable to shoot from a distance, as otherwise you will receive a negative status effect. This includes poison chalices or sleep frogs.
Interacting with nature in Monster Hunter World is worthwhile
It’s worthwhile for hunters to interact with nature, as it can provide you with a significant advantage. The YouTuber “Sultan AlSubai” demonstrates this spectacularly. In the video below, you can see how he shoots through a stone wall with his gun lance in the Ancient Forest.
This triggers a massive flood that pulls the dangerous Rathalos into the abyss. The hunter then swings behind it using vines and only needs to finish off the Rathalos. That’s pretty cool!
How have you already utilized nature in Monster Hunter World?
You also find items everywhere in nature like Nullberries that help you. Here we have a list of all important items and their locations in Monster Hunter World.
