Monster Hunter Wilds: Monsters, Mayhem, and Missed Opportunities [Review]

A hulking beast slams its scaly form into the ground. Sending waves of dust into the air as it charges through a narrow ravine. With a swift dodge to the side, I narrowly avoid its crushing momentum and begin my counterattack. Monster Hunter Wilds responds smoothly as I fire off my Heavy Bowgun, each blow reverberating through the controller. It’s a battle that will be repeated many times, with new creatures, new strategies, and a lot of excitement. However, as fun as the gameplay is, some notable flaws hold this experience back.

Give Me Some Challenge

Monster Hunter Wilds starts deceptively easy. As a seasoned player, I found myself breezing through the first few hours, barely needing to upgrade my equipment. While this might appeal to newcomers, veterans of the genre may find the initial lack of challenge disappointing. The early monsters, while visually diverse and well-designed, don’t offer much in the way of real danger. It took a bit too long before I felt any true tension in the hunts.

Explanation Of Key Gameplay Mechanics

Perhaps the most glaring issue is Monster Hunter Wilds tendency to delay explaining key mechanics. For example, the ability to non-lethally take down monsters. An option that becomes essential later in the game if you want to maximize your loot. This mechanic isn’t adequately covered until well after most players would have already been slaying creatures left and right. By the time I learned how to use tranquilizers effectively; I had already completed most of the main story. While seasoned players will know these mechanics already; it felt like the game could’ve explained these more. This feels like a missed opportunity for more strategic depth earlier in the game.

That said, the moment-to-moment gameplay is engaging, and the monsters themselves are a highlight. Each creature you face has its own unique behavior, attack patterns, and visual flair. From fur-covered giants to slick, scaled monstrosities; there’s no shortage of variety in the foes you’ll face. It keeps things fresh throughout the experience. The action is smooth and responsive, with weapons offering satisfying feedback with each hit.

Visually Stunning Monstrocities

Visually, Monster Hunter Wilds impresses, but only if you make sure to download the free texture pack. Without it, the world and its inhabitants look a bit flat. With muddier textures that don’t do justice to the intricate designs of the environments and creatures. However, once the high-resolution textures are in place, the game shines. From dense forests to sprawling desert landscapes; there’s an attention to detail that makes exploration rewarding. Even if the gameplay doesn’t always encourage you to stop and take it all in.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this game offers a fun experience with plenty of monster-hunting action. Once you’re out of the campaign and into the late-game content, it really shows why this franchise is so popular. However, it’s let down by a slow start, some poorly-timed tutorials; and a difficulty curve that only ramps up once you’re well into the story. This may help some gamers who have never played these games and are curious. If you’re one of those, then I think some of the explanations are not paced so well; that a new player would feel a solid pace of learning. If you’re willing to stick with it, though, there’s plenty to enjoy, especially if you can dive into multiplayer with friends.

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