Windows Central Verdict
This is a tough one to review.
As such, it’s possible for you to imagine how excited I was to play Wilds.
Monster Hunteris a franchise that is near and dear to my heart.
Monster Hunter Wilds is absolutelynotlacking in the gorgeousness department.
It became the primary way me and my friends and family back home socialized.
The various open beta tests were incredibly promising.
Monster Hunter Wilds | $69.99The latest mainline entry in the Monster Hunter Wilds pantheon.
Wilds takes place in The Forbidden Lands, previously thought uninhabitable due to their ferocity and insane weather patterns.
Uncover the truth and battle all-new monsters in Capcom’s latest epic.
Indeed, one of Wilds' big new signature features is dynamic, evolving weather effects.
Monster Hunter Wilds is absolutelynotlacking in the gorgeousness department.
I will say that on Xbox Series X, texture popping remains an issue when turning the camera.
Hopefully further optimizations can improve the experience there.
Where Wilds' art direction continues to shine is in monster designs.
Monster Hunter Wilds' seasonal environments keep regions feeling fresh and exciting.
Monster Hunter Wilds also takes a step up in the cinematics department, too.
How engaging is the storyoverall,though?
I was saddened to find that there’s no canteen facility in Wilds, for example.
Monster Hunter Wilds' story is serviceable, but don’t expect any Oscars.
There’s no botanical research farm for growing crops and materials either.
Perhaps it fits the story and setting, but it’s disappointing in practice.
Or at least, they used to be.
Monster Hunter Wilds' cinematic monster reveals are always fun.
Let’s talk about the good stuff first, though.
It’s worth it to put your Gunlance down every now and then and just soak in the atmosphere.
More good stuff, at least foundationally so, revolves around new weapon abilities.
Monster Hunter Wilds has no shortage of new monsters to go toe-to-toe with, such as the lightning-infused Rey Dau.
Every weapon got new features in Wilds, in some cases to address inefficiencies from World and Rise alike.
I wish, though, it wasn’tjustfor the sake of it sometimes.
As I mentioned, Monster Hunter Wilds feels potentially too easy, even as a casual player.
Dozens of new and returning armor sets take center stage, sadly, there’s not a lot of impetus to craft the vast majority of them.
And yes, you’re free to’t turn it off.
It’s a minor gripe, though there’s worse to come.
Other abilities of this nature, like Flash Pods, generally have diminishing returns.
Nu Udra is my favorite new monster. The oily octopus represents some truly fantastic design and animation work.
I just wish there were perhaps a few more exceptions to that rule.
And sure, you do control the buttons you press, to quote DOOM.
The Seikret is a new gameplay feature that I would ultimatelywantto use for the sake of flavor.
A lot of Monster Hunter Wilds' gameplay mechanics destroy monsters way too quickly and robs the beasts of any threat they could’ve posed.
Although, that’s not necessarily a universally bad thing.
It depends on your perspective at the end of the day.
Furthermore, perhaps this design is well-intended.
Monster Hunter Wilds' underdeveloped settlements are a metaphor for the additional work the game needs to get to the next level.
But we’re not discussing the future of the game here right now.
My criticisms of the difficulty aren’t about gatekeeping the game for newcomers by any means.
I think it’s a bigger issue here than it would be in other games, potentially.
If only the monsters in the cinematic cutscenes were just as deadly and challenging in-game.
That doesn’t mean you’ll feel disappointed, though.
Because, like I said, the core loop remains intact.
The environments and monsters are incredible, and the canvas here has so much raw potential.
The game doesn’t really utilize its continuous open world for any real purpose right now.
Focus Mode could be given diminishing returns or stronger punishments for misuse.
I should need to consider my positioning and consumables to counter more of what the game has to offer.
Hunting down monsters in 4-player co-op is still fun.
Discovering new creatures and seeing returning favorites remains exciting.
The improved online systems are a welcome upgrade.
And the art direction is absolutely fantastic.
I’m still excited and intrigued to see where Capcom takes Monster Hunter Wilds.
Monster Hunter Wilds | $69.99While Wilds does have its issues, they’re hardly terminal.
