Summary
- Monster Hunter World and Rise have influenced the design of Monster Hunter Wilds, evident in the scale, mount traversal, and hordes of monsters.
- The brief gameplay snippet suggests dynamic terraforming and rapid changes in the landscape, raising questions about how it will impact gameplay.
- The potential shift towards mount-oriented gameplay could have significant effects on dismounted traversal and traditional gameplay mechanics such as stamina.
Monster Hunter’s World and Rise have been pivotal in shaping how Monster Hunter Wilds would turn out, as evidenced by the brief glimpse of it that was shared at The Game Awards 2023. The resemblances Wilds already bears to World and Rise are plain in their scale and an emphasis on travel via mounts while being pursued by a horde of monsters, not unlike the structure for Monster Hunter Rise’s Rampage quests, for example. Wilds is also instantaneously authentic in how it has reconsidered mount traversal with a multifaceted flying mount, as well as a landscape that may evolve rapidly in real-time.
Besides those details, though, there’s really nothing to go off of, and with a tentative release window of 2025 it may be quite some time before more is shared. Certain implications can be discerned from this tiny snippet of gameplay shown, and it’ll be interesting to see how these seemingly monumental design choices affect other formulaic traditions established in the franchise’s latest entries. If mount-oriented gameplay in Monster Hunter Wilds is meant to be foundational then that’s fairly drastic already, but how that could affect dismounted traversal could be even more radical.
Monster Hunter Wilds Should Rethink the Sluggishness of Stamina
Monster Hunter’s Stamina Made Sense in World and Rise
Stamina and dogged sprinting speeds make Monster Hunter more immersive and that’s never clearer than in World and Rise. Knowing that players can’t simply outrun a gargantuan monster effectively forces them to create thoughtful strategies as they approach their prey, depending on which iconic Monster Hunter weapon type they’ve decided to bring in with them.
The tedium of sprinting around without a mount was exacerbated in World when players would have to track a monster to its subsequent whereabouts in a massive labyrinth of a region, though, especially in early-game expeditions and quests.
Mounts would quickly become the only logical means of traveling around, making it a priority to unlock mount access in each location as soon as possible. Even Rise’s areas aren’t as expansive, but sprinting around is made incredibly underwhelming when players can ride Palamutes or simply traverse via Rise’s trademark wirebug functionality.
Monster Hunter Wilds’ Rapid Terraforming May Need to Make Stamina More Lenient
Stamina can also be buffed through supplementary means such as meals and drinks consumed, but Monster Hunter Wilds’ approach to gameplay may necessitate a drastic change to stamina altogether. If players are going to need to be constantly fleeing from swarming hordes of monsters or rapidly evolving environments, sprinting may simply not do the trick anymore.
It would be absurd to imagine stamina being gone completely, even if that might be largely agreeable. However, if stamina’s restrictive leash in Monster Hunter is loosened a bit, it could help players make last-resort dashes to a safe haven where a harsh environment may not be able to ensnare them.
Outrunning hordes of monsters let alone a single monster would be impossible, too, and unless players have instantaneous access to a mount at all times it would appear as if sprinting would at least need a buff in this upcoming Monster Hunter installment. Indeed, if players can fly now while on a mount, it’ll be interesting to see if dismounted travel is ever necessary outside idle exploration and resource farming—perhaps it isn’t legitimate flight, only gliding available from particular heights.
Sprinting should continue to feel dogged in order to make escapes on foot perilous and inadvisable, but maybe sprinting and stamina could be less punishing and unsatisfying to accommodate for newer environment designs. Otherwise, Capcom could make sprinting and stamina far more chaotic and burdensome than before, giving players more reason than ever to never be on foot if they can avoid it.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 89 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
WHERE TO PLAY
The unbridled force of nature runs wild and relentless, with environments transforming drastically from one moment to the next. This is a story of monsters and humans and their struggles to live in harmony in a world of duality.
Fulfill your duty as a Hunter by tracking and defeating powerful monsters and forging strong new weapons and armor from the materials you harvest from your hunt as you uncover the connection between the people of the Forbidden Lands and the locales they inhabit.
The ultimate hunting experience awaits you in Monster Hunter Wilds.
- Franchise
- Monster Hunter
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
