Monster Hunter Wilds is intended to be particularly beginner-friendly. Many fans and veterans have therefore worried that the game might be too easy and lack a challenge. The developers are now addressing this concern with an explanation.
Why did fans have concerns? Monster Hunter Wilds takes a lot of inspiration from its successful predecessor Monster Hunter World. Even back then, some veterans criticized the game for being too easy (via Reddit).
Due to the focus on accessibility for beginners, there are now concerns that Wilds offers even less challenge. A new feature has also fueled this assumption.
A star system is supposed to make it easier for players to assess monsters on open maps. Veterans are worried that fights within the story will no longer provide a challenge. They suspect that these will be moved to open encounters to make it easier for newcomers.
Many players dropped out early
Why is accessibility particularly important to the developers? In an interview with IGN, the developers address their decisions. They have data indicating that many players dropped out of Monster Hunter World before it even truly began, as producer Tsujimoto reports:
We have data showing that many people who quit World did so before actually playing Monster Hunter. I think there are many reasons for this, but maybe they couldn’t find any monsters, or they didn’t know what to do when they did find them. Or maybe the weapon they brought wasn’t the right one for that fight.
Furthermore, he explains that it is normal in action games for there to always be players who do not finish the game. It doesn’t matter how much one tries to adjust it and fix problem areas. Nevertheless, they want to keep this number as small as possible. They analyzed the points where players dropped out and tried to find solutions.
How are they trying to solve the problem? According to Tsujimoto, they want to guide new players more so they can find an easier way into the game. Care was taken to ensure that the core and fun of the series, which fans love, are not changed.
Step by step, players are to acquire the skills that will allow them to master the later challenges well. With this approach, they want to ensure that by the end of the game, the skills of newcomers and experienced players will hardly differ.
The order of monsters that players face is designed to create a learning curve. The first monster, Chatacabra, uses only focused attacks, while Quematrice, the second monster, poses various attack challenges to its hunters.
The basic difficulty level in Monster Hunter Wilds can reportedly be equated with that of Monster Hunter World.
In Wilds, they have made sure to ease newcomers’ entry, but they have refrained from making the monsters weaker. Veterans should also retain the gaming experience that they ultimately expect from the purchase.
In early February, there will again be an opportunity to take a look at Monster Hunter Wilds through a second open beta.
However, it should be noted that the improvements announced after the first beta will not be included in this version. Nevertheless, it offers a good opportunity to test whether the gameplay is something for you: Monster Hunter Wilds announces 2nd Open Beta: All important info for the start
