Capcom's Monster Hunter Wilds is living up to its promise as the spiritual successor and true follow-up to Monster Hunter World in more ways than one. Not only is Monster Hunter Wilds far and away the series' most successful entry to date, it also builds upon many of Monster Hunter World's steps toward making the series more accessible by lowering the barrier to entry and introducing several mechanics that streamline the overall gameplay loop. Monster Hunter Wilds' more noteworthy introductions to the series, the Wound mechanic and Focus Attacks, have been the subject of much discussion among players. Still, it's hard to imagine a future for the series without them.
While previous games in the Monster Hunter series have always rewarded targeted strikes on body parts via their breakage and being able to harvest bonus materials from a hunt, the new Wound mechanic takes things a step further to rapidly expedite how quickly players can dispatch monsters. Now, repeated strikes on the same areas eventually create Wounds, which players can readily exploit by entering Focus Mode and executing a series of devastating Focus Attacks that result in massive amounts of damage and bonus material drops. With how Focus Attacks improve Monster Hunter Wilds' pacing both in and out of combat, there's every chance they remain a staple of the franchise.
How the Seikrets Are Monster Hunter Wilds' Ultimate Supports
The Seikrets are a player's best allies in Monster Hunter Wilds, and their usefulness throughout the game cannot be overstated.
Monster Hunter Wilds' Focus Attacks Make Hunts Go By at a Clip
One of Monster Hunter Wilds' strongest suits is its pacing, and it's only made all the better through the addition of Focus Mode and Focus Attacks. Most longtime players will attest to Monster Hunter games not really beginning in earnest until players actually clear the campaign and make their way into High Rank or Master Rank hunts, at which point the games truly open up to become multiple-hundred-hour experiences. Thanks to the inclusion of Wounds and Focus Attacks, players can easily breeze through Monster Hunter Wilds' main story, especially when playing with friends in co-op.
Exploiting the glowing red Wounds on monster parts is easy enough as a solo player, but when playing together with friends, it's all the more common to enter Focus Mode and see large monsters completely covered in them. With some careful coordination and selective weapon choice, players can take hunts that would normally take 10-15 minutes and whittle them down to sub-7 minutes or less. There's been a lot of discourse about the Wound mechanic and Focus Attacks making Monster Hunter Wilds too easy, but there's a counterargument that they simply allow players to swiftly get through what's effectively the game's elongated tutorial.
The Inclusion of Focus Attacks In Monster Hunter Wilds Speeds Up More Than Combat
The added bonus of exploiting Wounds via Focus Attacks is that they result in automatic drops of valuable monster parts. By continually exploiting Wounds and quickly finishing hunts, players will find themselves rich in monster parts that make the traditionally lengthy process of grinding for armor sets much more efficient. Considering that the absolute best low rank armor only offers defense comparable to the weakest high rank armor, it's a welcome change of pace to be able to easily craft multiple armor sets to suit the occasion when playing through Monster Hunter Wilds' campaign.
Based on how Focus Attacks make Monster Hunter Wilds' pacing more enjoyable in terms of both its combat and its planning and character progression phases, it's a distinct possibility that the mechanic will become a franchise staple. Combined with the Monster Hunter series' continual push toward reaching a broader audience through greater accessibility, Focus Attacks represent a major turning point for Monster Hunter and are likely one of the reasons why the game continues to experience such unprecedented success.
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 89 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
