If the nearly 1.4 million concurrent players on Steam weren’t enough indication, Monster Hunter Wilds is a massive success. It sold over eight million copies in just three days, becoming the fastest-selling title in the franchise. That figure is all the more incredible given that the current best-seller, Monster Hunter World, hit five million in digital sales and shipments within the same period. World took almost seven years to sell 20 million copies, and there’s already talk of Monster Hunter Wilds hitting that total in its first year.
While plenty are upset about the PC version’s performance, how multiplayer currently functions, and the console version’s image quality, the overwhelming sentiment is that Monster Hunter Wilds is a win. So why are millions of players enamored by it?
Well, for starters, it’s a new Monster Hunter game. Controversial take, I know, but taking the essentials and gameplay mechanics from World while tossing in new fully fleshed-out monsters with new mechanics will attract long-time fans. After all those years spent beating up Great Jagras, I can now smack Chatacabra and his ugly face around. Sign me up.
Some elements have been streamlined, but they’re appealing to veterans and newcomers. The former appreciates the ability to save Investigations, cook anywhere on the go and switch weapons on the fly while the latter is impressed by the massive scale and attention to detail. If this is your first Monster Hunter game, there’s a sense of awe in watching two monsters engage in a Turf War for the first side…and watching your target wipe the floor with the opposition, leaving you in despair.
The roster is also low-key brilliant in presenting a variety of mechanics while also slowly easing new players into the game’s various systems. Chatacabra is a practice dummy, pure and simple (and no amount of Tempered levels will fix that, buddy). Quematrice introduces you to tail sweeps and fire damage over time, challenging you to make adjustments on the fly. Balahara is a Leviathan on land with unpredictable moments who teaches you about Waterblight. Meanwhile, Doshaguma is a brawler but often lumbering, encouraging you to master Perfect Guard or dodge accordingly to avoid its heaviest hits.
Targets gradually become more nuanced, whether it’s the return of veteran monsters like Rathalos and Ebony Odogaron or newcomers like Ajarakan and Xu Wu. As comfortable as you might be with some weapons, they add much-needed friction, testing your fundamentals. The Guardians also throw in interesting new wrench into fights on top of different approaches to wounds.
And as much as I may have desired more challenges in the endgame, Tempered versions of Jin Dahaad (which some have taken to calling Gym Dad for reasons I can’t fathom), Arkveld and Uth Duna are far from pushovers. Tempered Gore Magala is my pick for the most terrifying, with each attack feeling heavy, even if you’re blocking.
But if you want to trivialize them with a Paralysis Charge Blade or a min-maxed Light Bowgun set-up, those options are also available.
Which brings me to another popular aspect: The combat. The development team has refined it into the best in the series without sacrificing all the nuance. Almost every weapon is easy to pick up, but the sheer depth in mastering their mechanics is impressive. Longsword is still incredible for its counters and multi-hit attacks, but new moves now become available when the Spirit Gauge turns red, including the devastating Crimson Slash.
Gunlance is still your option for tanking damage and unleashing swarms of explosive shells, but Wyvern Fire is better, Wyvernstakes can deal critical damage and much more. The Bow can fire tracers that latch onto a monster, guiding all your shots to it. And no one can deny that offsetting a large target with the Greatsword and following it up with a massive swing is satisfying as hell.
If you’re someone with a favorite weapon or three, Wilds presents a venerable treasure trove of new options. I’ve spoken extensively about how great wounds and Focus Mode are, and learning to utilize each weapon’s Focus Strike is great. But shout out to the development team for mixing up the build-crafting with the addition of wounds. Stacking Critical Eye, Weakness Exploit, and Attack Boost is still neat, but you’re no longer beholden to the same.
You could go Burst for a damage buff as long as you keep attacking and Flayer, which more easily creates wounds on monsters. Combine this with a certain armor set where destroying wounds will regenerate some health, and that’s a unique playstyle on its own. If you want to take advantage of Perfect Guard with the Gunlance and build into Offensive Guard or scale off raw damage, that’s also possible.
Don’t get me wrong – there are bugs and actual issues with the title, especially PC performance (with low and mid-range hardware seemingly suffering the most). Multiplayer and the addition of Link Parties have muddled a somewhat solid system into something unbearable, while the UI could use further fine-tuning.
But the sheer amount of care imbued in Monster Hunter Wilds is something to behold, starting from the character creation screen and its vast options. You could rush through each locale or take your time and discover so much endemic life, like trails of bugs climbing a tree or cute little animals standing on their tails. That attention to detail extends to other little nuances, like Alma, the Handler, also posing for pictures when in the frame during some camera shots.
Watching your Hunter interact with their Palico, sending it into the roof of their camp tent to fall back down is hilarious…especially when a Wudwud suddenly takes its place and casually walks out without skipping a beat. These are animations that many people will never see, yet they represent a labor of love from the development team. A desire to make this game and everything within it feel alive and organic.
Of course, the real journey begins now. Since Monster Hunter is known for its extensive post-launch support, all eyes are on Wilds to deliver with its new monsters. Mizutsune is coming in early April with Title Update 1 alongside the Gathering Hub, but there’s also a new difficulty. Title Update 2 will land this Summer, adding an unknown monster, and players can look forward to new Event Quests.
And while I was a bit sad to not see any Elder Dragons, they may feel like a bigger deal when eventually added. I’m keen to see what the developer does with the Wounded Hollow. Will it also add armor sets for that one incredible-looking monster that doesn’t have any? It’s hard to say, but I’m anticipating it all the same.
While the development team has an uphill battle in improving performance, adding new content and features, and balancing weapons, it has an incredibly promising base to work off of. Regardless of my overall feelings on Monster Hunter Wilds, it truly has ushered in a new generation of hunters eager to venture through these locales and hunt. Or customize their camp with all kinds of knick-knacks and furniture. Or fish, embarking on multiple side quests that actually leverage the shifting cycles and dynamic weather. Or lean into the true endgame – unlocking the swankiest fashion.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization
