TheNerdWord Monster Hunter Wilds Review

I think in its current state, Monster Hunter Wilds is already some of the most fun I’ve ever had in the series. As long as the difficulty continues to ramp up with updates and new monsters are added at a consistent cadence, it has the potential to dethrone World as the definitive modern Monster Hunter experience. The level of cinematic moments on display here is easily the highest the series has ever seen. This is the first time Monster Hunter has, in my opinion, delivered an emotionally resonant story. The relationship between Nata, Arkveld, and the Hunter felt genuinely intimate in a way that’s rare for the franchise. The music is absolutely spectacular, and “Proof of a Hero: Wilds Version” is a masterful rework of one of the series' most beloved tracks. A few moments that really struck me: - The first time you fight Rey Dau. The moment when the arena goes completely dark before its massive lightning strike was absolutely spectacular. - The Guardian Rathalos fight — I adored the music and how agile and aggressive this monster is. - The final two fights, Arkveld and Zoh Shia, were phenomenal. Zoh Shia's theme, with its choral arrangement, was especially moving. - “By my own order.” That line easily solidified the Hunter in the pantheon of great video game badasses. Other comparable characters include: Master Chief from Halo, The Guardian from Destiny, the Titan pilot from Titanfall 2, and the Warrior of Light from Final Fantasy XIV. The moment when Proof of a Hero: Wilds Version kicks in gave me goosebumps. Gameplay: I won’t go too deep into the weeds on gameplay, but here are a few notes… - I played Great Sword through the entire game and can say without a doubt that this is the most fun I’ve ever had with the weapon. As a Great Sword main, I appreciate this immensely. I haven’t used many of the other weapons yet, so I can’t speak to their changes, but Great Sword is in an excellent place right now. - The wound system isn’t perfect. I think monsters generally get stunned by wounds a bit too often. - Monster difficulty likely needs tuning when hunting in multiplayer. I find that solo or with one other hunter is the sweet spot — anything more and the monsters can become pushovers. - Personally, I don’t mind the way the radial menu works, but I have friends who really dislike how assigning items to it works. You can’t assign things in the same positions as past games, which breaks muscle memory. I just adapted to where the game placed them, but many people won’t enjoy that adjustment process. - One of my biggest complaints in World was how long it took to get into the fight. That’s been remedied here thanks to the mount system. I saw this as a welcome improvement in Rise, and I’m glad it’s carried over. People who preferred the more methodical pace of tracking monsters in earlier titles might not be fans, but I think getting into fights faster is a net positive — the fights are the best part, after all. - A lot of small friction points have been smoothed out in Wilds. For example, if you need an item to heal a status ailment, there’s a good chance you’ll find it on a wall nearby and can just grapple to grab it on the way to the fight. These changes do make the game a bit easier and reduce the need to prepare, which some might not love. Personally, I think they could’ve kept a little more friction to encourage crafting and pre-fight strategy, but it’s not a deal breaker for me. In conclusion, I love Wilds — it’s the most fun I’ve had with Monster Hunter in a long time. There are a few things that could use tuning, but nothing currently in the game is stopping me from enjoying it. I highly recommend picking this one up if you have the time to play and the money to spare. Hope to see all you fellow Hunters out there!