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Monster Hunter Wilds Breaks a Major Franchise Tradition

Published Jun 2, 2024

Josh Cotts is a Senior Contributor at The Best War Games. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Arizona State University in 2019 with a B.A. In Mass Communications & Media Studies and has been commended since grade school for his writing ability. When writing, he prefers to do firsthand research if possible, even if the information he needs can be found somewhere else online, as he has found that fully trusting other sources often produces errors. He also prides himself in designing many of his own images for his articles using his skills in Photoshop.

Summary

Monster Hunter Wilds will break tradition by introducing a voiced protagonist, a departure from the series' previous silent main characters, giving more personality to the player's avatar.
The addition of a voiced protagonist may divide fans, with some seeing it as enhancing character depth while others fear it may lessen player connection.

Monster Hunter Wilds just had one of its biggest reveals so far during PlayStation's recent State of Play. Judging by what was revealed, this particular installment in the franchise will be shaking things up in more ways than might have initially been anticipated. After the first trailer for the game was released, it was clear that Monster Hunter Wilds would be breaking a few traditions here and there, on top of adding some new features the series had previously been known to shy away from.

After witnessing the State of Play reveal, it seems the next Monster Hunter installment isn't done breaking traditions just yet. Despite how beneficial it will be to have a special mount in Monster Hunter Wilds, there is at least one more very significant change coming in this installment that was just revealed during the PlayStation State of Play showcase.

Monster Hunter Wilds' Is Breaking Tradition With a Voiced Protagonist

Monster Hunter's Protagonists Have Never Spoken Before

While every Monster Hunter protagonist has been given a voice in the past, it only ever amounts to the occasional grunts and shouts that occur during combat. The franchise has at least been generous enough to give players the option of changing this aspect of their character, even if it isn't too significant of a customization feature. However, during cinematics, the player character would only nod, shake their head, or use facial expressions to communicate with those speaking to them.

The true purpose behind this hasn't officially been disclosed by Capcom, but it can be assumed that not having a voiced protagonist keeps the character from being locked into a specific personality.

This way, players can more easily relate to their characters and establish a more personal connection with them. Unfortunately, voiceless protagonists haven't always been a universally accepted feature of Monster Hunter games, as it is still an ongoing discussion even to this day. Rather, it seems that debate may be shifting now with the upcoming release of Monster Hunter Wilds, as its State of Play reveal confirms it will have a voiced protagonist.

Monster Hunter Wilds' Voiced Protagonist Could Give Them More Personality

Monster Hunter Wilds' State of Play reveal eventually shows what is assumed to be the protagonist speaking to other characters in the game. The protagonist doesn't have too much dialogue in the reveal, but it is nonetheless there, showing off the persistently ambitious endeavors of the next Monster Hunter installment. As the lack of a voiced protagonist has been one of the franchise's more divisive features, it's likely the presence of one now will prove to be a divisive feature as well. Still, there is one major benefit to giving the player character a voice that should be acknowledged.

Allowing the protagonist to speak in Monster Hunter Wilds is sure to give them more personality than they've ever had before in the series. There is only so much a smile or a nod can do, so to actually hear them speaking for once should take their personality up a notch or two.

That said, some players may perceive it as diminishing the personality of their character, as they may feel it robs them of a personal connection or the blank slate a mute protagonist otherwise affords. Nonetheless, a fully-voiced protagonist is something Monster Hunter fans have been requesting, so it may be welcomed after all.

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Monster Hunter Wilds

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Released: February 28, 2025

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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.

Developer(s): Capcom
Publisher(s): Capcom
Franchise: Monster Hunter
Platform(s): PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
Genre(s): Action, Adventure

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