Summary
- Monster Hunter Wilds ditches underwater combat, opting for larger landscapes and a new map system for exploration.
- Fans remain hopeful for future DLC adding underwater combat, but the game will focus on user-friendly features.
- Despite the absence of underwater battles, Monster Hunter Wilds promises evolved action and improved immersion.
Capcom’s upcoming entry, Monster Hunter Wilds, in the popular Japanese fantasy series is already promising to be a pivotal game in the franchise, thanks to its new mechanics. However, fans continue to ask for underwater combat to be returned, but a former producer has recently explained why the mechanic is absent from Monster Hunter Wilds. Nevertheless, fans have been soaking up the developer’s showcases coming out of Gamescom 2024, which gave fans a peek at underwater gameplay.
Despite underwater combat being left out of the 2025 title, Monster Hunter Wilds boasts a brand-new map system brimming with large-scale landscapes for players to explore and survive in. The world up for grabs this time around features an ever-changing climate with severe environments populated by wildlife thriving in their own ecosystems.
Monster Hunter Wilds' New Feature Breaks a Major Franchise Tradition
A new feature in Monster Hunter Wilds will break a major franchise tradition.
The Monster Hunter Wilds developers showcased new gameplay during Gamescom 2024, which provided a deep dive into the title’s bread and butter. The two-hour stream included a preview of Wilds’ underwater section, confirming there would be no underwater combat in the Monster Hunter: World successor. Fans are certainly keen to see the water-based battles return, but former Monster Hunter Tri assistant producer, Shintaro Kojima, explained why the mechanic was not returning in a tweet, saying “If the game already has ground-based battles, then [adding underwater combat] is like making a separate game. It’s difficult. It’s really really hard.”
Monster Hunter Tri Producer Explains Wilds' Missing Underwater Combat
Similar to Wilds’ predicament, Horizon Forbidden West fans hoped the Burning Shores DLC would include underwater combat, but the expansion only allowed players to lure enemies to shore and slay them on land. In the same vein, Monster Hunter fans are keen to see underwater combat added to Wilds’ DLC in the future, complete with a sizable archipelago map containing different island biomes. In jest, a handful of Redditors tried their hand at naming the hypothetical DLC, including “Monster Hunter Wilds: Oceanbound” and “Monster Hunter: Wet 'n Wilds.”
The other half of the Wilds’ fandom was skeptical that such an advanced combat system would be added to DLC content, but let’s not forget the wealth of new additions coming to the upcoming entry. Monster Hunter Wilds’ Focus Mode is a new feature designed to make hunts more user-friendly for newcomers, and the title will also alter SOS Flares, so players can have a more customizable experience.
The release date may be a secret for now, but Monster Hunter Wilds’ launch window could add to its success if it follows Capcom’s previous release pattern. Until that day, fans can look forward to more updates and gameplay reveals, including confirmed playable booths at this year's Tokyo Game Show, scheduled from September 26 to September 29.
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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.
- Engine
- RE Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Franchise
- Monster Hunter
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
