At the absolute last second of The Game Awards 2023 Capcom released the teaser trailer for Monster Hunter: Wilds. Read on to find out about the announcement, our predictions on what the gameplay will be, and more.
Monster Hunter: Wilds Analysis
After months of speculation and a show-ending reveal trailer at The Game Awards, a new Monster Hunter title has finally been announced. We at Game8 are on the job to analyze and dissect the trailer for new gameplay mechanics and possible predictions on how it’ll play. Let’s dive right in.
More Ways To Influence The Ecosystem
In the first part of the trailer, we see a new group of docile species out in this desert-like area. Afterwards, we see the hunter being chased by a group of new predatory species. The hunter then moves through the pack of the docile species and the predatory monsters actually go for some of the docile monsters while chasing the hunter. This leads me to believe that we may have some sort of way to influence the ecosystem of the land more compared to previous titles. Monster Hunter players will be familiar with "turf wars" where Large Monsters start to fight over the specific area they’re on.
With this information in the trailer, it may be a form of introducing "turf wars" to Small Monsters so that you could move or herd other species around the map. It’s no secret that the world of Monster Hunter relies on hunters to procure supplies, create and upgrade fortifications, and handle dangerous threats. Take note that I mentioned procuring, it may be a new mechanic to herd certain monsters to be able to create a sort of farm for these supplies, materials, and etc.
Emphasis On Dynamic Weather
During the chase scene, a sandstorm rages and actually engulfs everything in its path. Soon after during the sandstorm, lightning strikes actually happen during the whole encounter and actually hit some of the docile species like a lightning rod causing them to shine with electricity. By the tail end of the trailer, we see the weather clear up into clear skies and a sunny day. In the footage, it seems that the weather dynamically changes from time to time and will be an important part of the gameplay loop.
In the previous Monster Hunter titles, weather and time are usually denoted before a quest even happens. It is static for that specific quest unless of course there’s an Elder Dragon affecting the weather. We may be seeing the franchise’s first ever dynamic weather and time shifts that will constantly change throughout the quests.
Focus On Mounted Movement
In one part of the trailer, we see the hunter’s mount glide through the air as well as traverse multiple rocky areas to get to higher ground. This may mean that they are adapting MH:Rise’s verticality and high areas as well as MH:World’s atmosphere. It may also point towards a bigger focus on mounted movement with how the game is framed to let the mount be the focal point of traversal.
Monster Hunter Rise featured a unique movement option with the Wirebug, which allowed high layouts of land as you can easily traverse these with that mechanic. In contrast, Monster Hunter World featured larger areas and a focus to realism as to how monsters react to certain areas. While both games had the mount feature, MH:Rise had a faster option of moving across the map with the Palamute buddy. In this game, however, they may be putting the focus on a dynamic ecosystem as well as a focus on mounted movement due to having gigantic areas. With the absence of the Wirebug and the existence of gliding mounts in the trailer, they may also be adding the level and area design of MH:Rise with its high verticality.
MMO-Like Open Hunting Ground and Encounters
At the end of the trailer, we see a gigantic stretch of land which then transitions to Monster Hunter’s mascot, the Rathalos, flying through the area. We may be seeing a shift in game design with the latest title wherein areas are intertwined as well as having it as a more open hunting ground experience rather than a mission-to-mission basis.
Monster Hunter World tried to experiment with the open hunting ground system with the introduction of the "Guiding Lands" and how you could change the monsters inhabiting the area quickly. This may be Capcom’s way of making it into a more robust hunting ground and area where you may actually be staying and sleeping in these lands rather than going back to headquarters after every mission.
Monster Hunter World also tried to introduce a more collaborative effort on hunting big targets like Kulve Taroth and Safi'jiiva. Connecting the gigantic hunting grounds and these encounters, we may be close to witnessing a modern Monster Hunter MMO. In my experience of playing Monster Hunter World, I compare the Alatreon encounter similar to an MMO raid where there is a hard DPS check involved. It's no surprise that Monster Hunter has been trying to evolve and innovate its formula, and with this new mainline game, this may be their chance to completely change their so-called formula.
Back to Mainline - Logo Analysis
Prominent Monster Hunter content creator, Gaijinhunter, pointed out that Capcom themselves stated that the logo design of the mainline games denote the start of the generation. With Monster Hunter Wilds, it's no surprise that it's a new mainline game which puts the "MH:Rise is MH 6" discourse to rest. Along with this, the logo seems to take very different approach with its logo with the circular design of the heads. I can only speculate that this may point to the game's story or an everlasting monster as the game's flagship monster since the design is very similar to the "Ouroboros" or the ancient symbol of infinity.
The Future of Monster Hunter
The franchise has been experimenting with a lot of new mechanics lately, but the core gameplay loop has always remained the same: Hunt monsters, upgrade your arsenal and armor, and repeat. While this may still be the case for Monster Hunter: Wilds, this may be the series’ turning point when it comes to its level design and gameplay design. Nevertheless, I’m hoping for it to become the best Monster Hunter imaginable and that it will innovate and breathe new life into the series moving forward.
