When I would hear the words “Monster Hunter,” two things often came to mind – what fiendish monsters and scenarios it would offer to drive me to rage and how much I would continue playing regardless. Oh, and also whether that so-and-so Rathalos was present because of my undying hatred for it. So while Monster Hunter Wilds inspired many feelings for many players, new and old – those expanses full of endemic life, that World-like combat and feel – I sat dreading the potential challenges (but also kind of looking forward to them).
After spending roughly 56 hours with the game, I’m somewhat whelmed at how it ultimately panned out. I won’t go into how many hours it took to complete Low Rank, the quote-unquote “story” portion of the game, or High Rank, where things are supposed to kick up a notch. But it was nowhere near the amount of time required in World. Any hope that the end-game would make up for this and present a decent range of challenging hunts, especially the Tempered Monsters, was also quickly dashed. This isn’t to say there are no challenging end-game monsters, but as stated in my review, I found two, maybe three, standouts.
Bear in mind that I wasn’t sure if it was just me, but lo and behold, other reviews have pointed out that Monster Hunter Wilds is easier than expected. Some of the reasons given were pretty intriguing.
For example, one Reddit thread said that, of course, it was easy. People like me were no longer the newbie Hunter getting ping-ponged around like in World, and because we’re familiar with the core mechanics and weapons, they’re better equipped to deal with Wilds‘ challenges. Forget that when World first launched, a good chunk of hardcore fans bemoaned how much easier it was compared to the older games. Being able to move while applying buffs or healing? Inconceivable!
Then there were the other reasons, like more accurate hitboxes and smoother gameplay. Though a few hits that made me question my sanity, I can agree on both counts. Gameplay-wise, this is the smoothest Monster Hunter experience yet, from Perfect Guarding and counter-attacking to changing the direction of attacks mid-combo, thanks to Focus Mode. Focus Strikes also add a satisfying new dimension to combat which rewards targetting a specific body part – a core aspect of the series’ combat – and destroying it for big damage.
All the quality of life features like eating meals or setting up camps anywhere, the Seikret and its auto-move function to guide you to targets, saving hunts as Investigations, and AI support hunters also make for a much smoother experience. And as someone who survived without those things in World, I’m not going to fault their addition in Wilds (while still recognizing concerns about over-streamlining the franchise).
Yet, I couldn’t reconcile the lack of challenges, whether it was using a Chatacabra Club against an Ajarakan and facing no problems or becoming engaged in fights, only for them to end all too soon. In my review, I said that fights barely exceed 20 minutes, which didn’t quite elucidate my experience as I wanted. What I actually meant is that the longest and most challenging hunts didn’t cross 20 minutes.
Your mileage will undoubtedly vary, but considering how easy it was without the best gear and weapons (and even more so with them), having very few targets to really push the limit made me feel empty. Way before I hit the 56-hour (and climbing) mark, I considered stopping and moving on to something else. Then something wonderful happened.
I learned to stop worrying and appreciate the experience.
I started refining my gameplay against the toughest Tempered monsters, experimenting with when I should use certain combos and higher-damage attacks. I tried fighting them in a variety of different settings, from tight corridors to slopes, both causing their fair share of camera issues. Sometimes, I avoided using Focus Strikes, instead concentrating on attacking Wounds and comparing times. Other times, I began incorporating other weapon types into my gameplay. Fighting a monster with the Sword and Shield, then switching to a Greatsword when they’re sleeping for wake-up damage and a few extra hits felt great.
That approach also opened my eyes to weapon types that I traditionally ignored, like the Greatsword, appreciating the shift in playstyle while still looking for ways to incorporate counter-attacks. Gunlance has also proven revelatory simply because of how objectively fun it feels. The changes in build-crafting also prompted different solutions beyond just stacking Attack Up, Critical Eye, and Weakness Exploit. Such is my confidence that I’m looking at trying higher ceiling skills like Heroics to see if they can improve my hunt times.
Despite how whelmed I initially felt at the difficulty, I can accept that this is a new Monster Hunter, which means a clean slate. Sure, we can joke about how the development team left out all the challenging content so it could sell the inevitable expansion (and going by the past two releases, it’s not entirely inaccurate). But I can also appreciate how this is someone’s first Monster Hunter game, like World was for me, and Rise was for someone else. Even with all the new features and more guided Low Rank experience, there will still be plenty of players who struggle to even complete High Rank.
And that’s really the beauty of Monster Hunter as a whole, so instead of looking at the current roster of threats and complaining about the lack of challengers, I’d rather appreciate all the other aspects that go into the experience. The depth of the weapons and their respective mechanics, especially everything new added in Wilds. Discovering different builds while refining what already works. Grinding for that perfect Artian Weapon roll. Helping other players out. Enjoying the excellent combat because it’s fun.
Beyond that, I’ve also taken to appreciating the sheer amount of work that’s gone into crafting the various locales of Wilds. Say what you will about the technical aspects of the console versions (spoiler: They’re not the best, visually), but there is so much grandeur on display, right down to the smallest details. Watching herds go about their business, or the endemic life, or how rainfall splashes against the surrounding vegetation – it’s hypnotizing in its own way and helps me appreciate several of the key themes.
Time will tell how Monster Hunter Wilds’ post-launch support will pan out. Regardless of what it listed on the current roadmap, I wouldn’t put it past the development team to throw in some brand new surprises or Event Quests to really push players, veterans and newcomers, to their limits. So it was in World and Rise, and so it probably will be in Wilds. The more things change, the more they remain the same, and if my excursions through the Forbidden Lands have taught me anything, it’s that change is inevitable. The good ‘ol days and beyond, such as they were, haven’t gone anywhere, so why not appreciate what we have right now with a new era of Hunters and see where the journey takes us?
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
