By Amish Kumar
The core gameplay of Monster Hunter Wilds is the best yet with the same impact but a faster feel, the new focus mode mechanic allowing players to manually aim attacks makes the game more approachable.
Unfortunately, the monsters haven’t kept up with the improvements the player character has received, making the game the easiest yet for experienced players, so much so that only two monsters feel like they require any preparation to defeat.
The variety of monsters and the feel of each weapon is the best in the franchise and the design of the gear obtained from the monsters is consistently great.
The story of Monster Hunter Wilds is far more guided when compared to previous entries in the franchise but the pacing is slow and feels restrictive.
The narrative itself is uninteresting, simple and just a way to lead the player to the next monster or next area, but the characters are an improvement from the previous entry in the franchise.
The game follows the trend set by Monster Hunter World cutting more of the preparation phase of the game out.
It’s unfortunate to see the identity of the game be simplified to just a straight action game, however it does make the game more accessible to newcomers and lets players engage with the most interesting parts of the game more.
The Artian weapon system is this entry’s perpetual grind for those who finish the game but want more. It’s a way to access some of the best weapons in the game, however it takes time and a lot of luck.
It also forces you to use a generic-looking metal weapon rather than a weapon with an interesting design if you want to make your character as powerful as you can, often the end-game goal of the Monster Hunter Series.
The biggest issue with Monster Hunter Wilds is the performance. Even on high-end hardware the game struggles to keep a consistent frame rate on mediocre visual settings. The game seems to rely on artificial frame generation, a highly contentious feature in modern games.
Overall Monster Hunter Wilds is the best Monster Hunter yet with great gameplay that’s held back by performance issues and a middling narrative.
Rating: 8/10.
Featured image: A hunter clashes with a Doshaguma. Photo: Capcom
