Two of the most anticipated releases of early 2025, Monster Hunter Wilds and Xenoblade Chronicles X, have blown up in their respective communities. While these games may no have much in common on the surface, aside from both having RPG elements, looking deeper reveals that Monster Hunter Wilds and Xenoblade Chronicles X are far more similar than they seem. With a surprising amount of overlap, fans of Monster Hunter Wilds and Xenoblade Chronicles X may find that the other game scratches a similar itch and is worth taking a chance on.
Monster Hunter Wilds players have the benefit of accessibility, with the game being available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Meanwhile, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is exclusively available on Nintendo Switch. Even with the availability of these titles fractured across different platforms, it may be worth fans' time to make the jump to experience the strengths these games share with one another.
Monster Hunter has a strong history with Nintendo consoles, with Monster Hunter Wilds' predecessor, Monster Hunter Rise, initially launching exclusively on the Switch. As such, there is likely already a solid Monster Hunter fan base on the Switch who would benefit from trying out Xenoblade Chronicles X.
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Monster Hunter Wilds and Xenoblade Chronicles Share a Surprising Amount of Overlap
Xenoblade Chronicles X Has a Monster Hunter-Like Premise
Unlike the greater Xenoblade Chronicles series' emphasis on a largely linear, narrative-focused story, Xenoblade Chronicles X scales back the story content in favor of a large, open world and player-driven exploration. The narrative that is present features a story of discovery in an unknown, untamed land after the survivors of humanity crash on the planet Mira following Earth's destruction at the hands of an alien attack. As such, Xenoblade Chronicles X highlights the need for players to explore and catalog the fauna of this world, with different divisions of the game's organization of survivors known as BLADE dedicated to protecting the colony of New LA from rampaging terrestrial life.
Monster Hunter Wilds is also light on its narrative depth, but features a similar story of exploration in unfamiliar lands and a focus on protecting settlements from the dangerous monsters that inhabit them. Monster Hunter fans are likely used to a less meaty narrative structure that trades story depth for complex gameplay, so the approach Xenoblade Chronicles X takes in this regard will feel right at home. Conversely, Xenoblade Chronicles X fans who enjoy the freedom of exploration the game's open world offers will likely appreciate Monster Hunter Wilds' interconnected world that differs from past entries' more limited open-zone formula.
Monster Hunter Wilds and Xenoblade Chronicles X Feature Different Takes on Similar Gameplay Mechanics
Although the core gameplay loop of each title differs fairly drastically, there are some mechanics that the two share that will feel familiar to fans of either game. A core part of combat in the Monster Hunter series involves breaking off parts of a monster to gain materials players can use to craft new gear. Xenoblade Chronicles X features some larger-than-life monsters like Monster Hunter Wilds, and players can take a page out of Monster Hunter's book by targeting specific parts of the beast to gain material that can be used to develop useful items.
Another core part of the Monster Hunter series is the online co-op element that allows hunters to team up and take down the game's toughest monsters. Xenoblade Chronicles X also features an online multiplayer component, where players can group up into squads to complete missions and take down superbosses together. Much like how the apex monsters of Monster Hunter Wild s require players to plan strategically for these encounters, some of Xenoblade Chronicles X's Tyrants will take everything players have to beat them, creating a similar endgame challenge as Monster Hunter Wilds.
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Monster Hunter Wilds
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Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start- Released
- February 28, 2025
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Violence, Blood, Crude Humor
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
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WHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALThe 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. -
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Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition
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Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start- Released
- March 20, 2025
- ESRB
- Teen // Animated Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Monolith Soft
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WHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALRebuild humanity on the mysterious planet Mira in this action RPG.
The year is 2054. Earth has been destroyed by an intergalactic war between two alien races, and humanity is on the brink of annihilation. A small number of survivors, aboard the USS White Whale, crash land on the vast and untamed planet Mira—and now it falls to you, as a member of BLADE, to help bring humanity back from the edge of extinction…with the aid of powerful giant robots called Skells!
Choose from a huge variety of special attacks, skills, and classes in a combat system that’s as deep as you want it to be. Once you’ve proven yourself to BLADE, you’ll earn the right to pilot and personalize your very own Skell—a powerful machine that can fly, transform into a vehicle for fast overland travel, and wield immense strength in combat with customizable weapons and armor.
As you go about the reconstruction effort, getting to know the people of New Los Angeles (NLA), you’ll build affinity with your party members and unlock quests for gear and other rewards. Join your choice of military organization within BLADE to take on even more missions—or even team up with up to 32 players from near and far online* in Squad Tasks, Online Missions, and extra-challenging Global Nemesis Battles!
