| Monster Hunter Wilds | |||
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| Gameplay & Story | Release Date | Pre-Order & DLC | Review |
Monster Hunter Wilds is the latest action co-op game that vows to feature "the pinnacle of excellence in hunting action gameplay." Read on to learn how it might play, what it might be about, and everything else we know so far.
Monster Hunter Wilds News
⚫︎ Monster Hunter Wilds Redefines the Series with Open World Gameplay
⚫︎ Monster Hunter Wilds Director Aims To Create Realistic Worlds and Ecosystems
⚫︎ Monster Hunter Wilds Trailer Shown at Sony State of Play 2024
Everything We Know About Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds Story Plot
Not much is known about the plot of Monster Hunter Wilds. But, if past games are any indication, it will largely involve hunters banding together to hunt fearsome creatures that may be a danger to nearby settlements or harming ecosystems. They could also be hunted for sport or better gear.
Monster Hunter Wilds Gameplay
Monster Hunter Wilds promises to be the “pinnacle of excellence in hunting action gameplay,” which is a very bold statement to proclaim. We can only infer from the brief glimpses of gameplay shown in the official reveal trailer, but it seems like Monster Hunter Wilds will be refining old mechanics along with new ones.
One such mechanic would be dynamic weather, as hinted in the trailer where sandstorms and lightning strikes occur throughout, eventually clearing out. In previous installments in the franchise, the weather was always specified before starting quests and remained static and unchanging across the whole hunt. Showcasing different weather conditions one after the other could be a large indicator that a dynamic weather system will most likely be implemented for Monster Hunter Wilds.
Not much is confirmed as of yet, as information on the title is very scarce. Click the button below for a more intensive look and more theories about the Monster Hunter Wilds reveal trailer.
Update May 31, 2024 - New Information Revealed!
To The Forbidden Lands
Players will join the ranks of a new special Research Commission team to investigate the Forbidden Lands. As the Hunter tasked with leading this crew into the unknown, you'll be accompanied by a few companions in journey: Alma, the Guild-appointed Handler, Gemma, the smithy who'll take care of your weapon and armor needs, your trusty Palico partner, and Nata, a mysterious child whose story is yet to be explained. What awaits you on this uncharted and unexplored territory called the Forbidden Lands?
First Locale Revealed - Windward Plains
The game will feature multi-dimensional biomes that dynamically change unexpectedly with time, with the first locale revealed to be the Windward Plains, a vast region encompassing harsh deserts, twisted rock formations, and swaying grasslands. With the focus on immersive ecosystems, these locales will be populated with wildlife that are already acclimated to the unexpected changes. Such monsters are the Dalthydon, which are herbivorous wyverns that migrate with the changing seasons, and Ceratonoth, who rely on males to shield their herd from storms that rage in the area.
Large Monsters Revealed - Doshaguma and Chatacabra
Two new large monsters were also showcased in the first trailer for the game as well, these are the Doshaguma and Chatacabra. The Doshaguma are massive and territorial, and even have the capacity to hunt in packs when they need to. On the other hand, the Chatacabra are formidable amphibians that use their sticky saliva to trap their prey and even have the ability to armor themselves with the surrounding natural materials.
New Mount Features and Weapon-Swapping - A Well-Kept Seikret
Hunters will now have an exclusive mount called the Seikret, which will help you traverse the treacherous Forbidden Lands. While having a mount in MH isn't particularly new, this time it's a dedicated mount that you'll have access most of the time. During combat, you'll be able to call your Seikret to pick you up and even get you out of harm's way. Moreover, the mount isn't just for mobility, as the game even added actual mounted combat and weapon swapping in the thick of it. Currently, there isn't enough information yet regarding the Seikret's offensive capabilities or if it will help you in combat similar to your Palico, but we'll be sure to update this article as soon as possible when that info's available.
New Combat Mechanics - Focus Mode, Wounding, and Dynamic Battles
Monster Hunter Wilds will feature new combat gimmicks that could be similar to already existing mechanics that were in the previous games. Scoutflies were only present in MH World, but in Wilds, using Focus Modes turns them into indicators of weak points and wounds that a monster has already incurred. Speaking of, the tenderize or wound mechanic from the Clutch Claw in Iceborne also makes a return, but as to how you apply these is still a mystery at the moment. Lastly, they also showcased Dynamic Battles, where you can time your attack and guard to have special interactions occur during combat.
Returning Tools and Weapons - All 14 Weapons and the Slinger
Monster Hunter Wilds will see the return of all fourteen weapons in the series, with the Great Sword and Heavy Bowgun already being shown what's new in their respective movesets. From MH World, the slinger makes a return with the added functionality of having a hook to grab items from afar - even when mounted on your Seikret.
Crossplay Support
As revealed in Summer Game Fest 2024, Monster Hunter Wilds will have crossplay support between all platforms!
Update June 8, 2024 - 2nd Trailer
New Monsters Revealed - Balahara and Possible Flagship Monster?
While the second trailer focused on the story, there were a couple of monsters that were revealed as well. The Balahara are desert-dwelling serpents capable of creating quicksand traps to catch their prey. Alongside the Balahara, a new wyvern monster was revealed able to harness lightning and channel it into a beam using its horns, sort of like a lightning railgun. It may be a safe inference that this monster is going to be the game's flagship monster akin to the Nergigante in MH World and the Magnamalo in MH Rise.
Update August 6, 2024 - Overview on Basic Mechanics, Focus Mode
Basic Mechanics Overview
The latest showcase about MH Wilds' basic mechanics revealed that the game will function similar to previous MH titles with how movement works. The big difference, however, is having a non-combat mount ready at all times with the Seikret. It was revealed that the Seikret will also have an auto-pilot function similar to the Tailraider mount function in MH World.
Focus Mode Overview
In the overview, it shows the Hunter using Focus Mode to aim their attacks while targeting specific glowing parts of the monster's body. This may be one of the mechanics that really affects the game's combat. In older Monster Hunter games, there hasn't really been a way to manually aim melee weapons other than moving the camera, moving your character, or your weapon having an attack that moves you as well.
With Focus Mode, it allows you to have an aimed attack while using a melee weapon, and additionally, the Wound mechanic also functions similar to MH World's Clagger or Tenderize mechanic but will be more engaging as you don't have to disconnect from attacking the monster.
Weapon Overview Trailers
Great Sword | Weapon Overview
Great Sword was showcased in the latest weapon overview, showcasing its classic hit and run playstyle and new attacks that the weapon has. True Charged Slash (TCS) makes a return, along with its heavy hitting combos. Focus Mode was shown to wound the monster as well as the dynamic blocking that was shown in the previous Gameplay Trailer.
Heavy Bowgun | Weapon Overview
Heavy Bowgun is shown to have a few differences apart from its MH World and MH Rise counterparts. Surprisingly, the weapon now has the rapid fire that normally only the Light Bowgun uses in this iteration. The weapon has resource called the "Ignition Meter" which is similar to Wyvernheart in MH World where it turns the weapon into a gattling gun. The main difference is that this time the meter can be refilled faster by attacking the monster instead of it being refilling over time.
Moreover, the weapon's Focus mode looks to use special ammunition as seen in the overview, where the hunter shot Sticky ammo to hit the monster's weak point. It's still unclear whether the Focus Mode requires a special ammo to be used, but it seems to be the case based on the footage. Lastly, the Auto-Guard for the weapon comes back, which is also accompanied by the ability to manually guard attacks.
Insect Glaive | Weapon Overview
Insect Glaive has seen a ton of QoL improvements as seen in the short video. For starters, aiming the Kinsect now shows the extract that you're getting from the monster's body part, which makes it easier to identify which parts give the specific extract that you need. The weapon's Focus feature shows the hunter in tandem with the Kinsect, where the hunter collects an extract immediately as opposed to launching the Kinsect. It's also interesting to note that the video showed that the Kinsect could store up to two extracts at once, but it's still unclear if this is a specific upgrade to the Kinsect or by default.
Additionally, the weapon has also received a lot of new attacks in this iteration. One attack in particular is inherited from Dragon's Dogma 2's Mystic Spearhand with the forward rapid spinning slashes. The weapon's Focus Mode attack and new Mounted finisher also look slick and well animated, as the hunter really uses the whole weapon this time around as opposed to just using the bladed part.
Monster Hunter Wilds Trailers
Third Trailer: Lala Barina & Scarlet Forest Reveal
The third trailer reveals the fearsome Lala Barina in their natural habitat of the Scarlet Forest, where the gigantic arachnid traps players in their spiderwebs and brandishers their rose during battle.
Second Trailer: The Hunter's Journey
The second official trailer showcases a few story cutscenes of the game, as well as new monsters to go up against. Most importantly, it also shows that the Hunter will have a voice, meaning that the player's avatar will no longer be a silent protagonist.
First Trailer
The first official trailer for the game was revealed during PlayStation's State of Play held last May 2024. It shows new footage of new monsters and more for the upcoming game.
Official Reveal Trailer
The official reveal trailer was shown as the main event in the Game Awards. It shows off new monsters to hunt and areas to traverse, while also teasing more mobility with mounts. It ends with the reveal of the game’s name and logo.
Series Producer Interview Trailer
The Series Producer interview was uploaded just after the reveal of Monster Hunter Wilds. Ryozo Tsujimoto states that he’s proud that they have announced a new Monster Hunter game and is excited to share information he can’t say just yet.
Monster Hunter Wilds Product Information
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| Title | MONSTER HUNTER WILDS |
|---|---|
| Release Date | February 28, 2025 |
| Developer | CAPCOM Co., Ltd. |
| Publisher | CAPCOM Co., Ltd. |
| Supported Platforms | PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S |
| Genre | Action, Co-Op |
| Number of Players | Single-System (1), Online Multiplayer |
| Rating | T |
| Official Website | Monster Hunter Wilds Official Website |
