I killed a large toad in the very first hands-on demo for Monster Hunter Wilds. It may sound cruel, but in all fairness I wanted to make a sword out of its jawbone.
Welcome to the world of Monster Hunter. Killing wild animals for body parts is the foundation of the series, as established in the very first game released for PS2 in 2004. So what’s changed?
First, Wilds feels much more cinematic. My hands-on demo begins on the back of a speeding seikrat – basically an ostrich if it were a lizard. As he runs, giant skinks leap and swirl out of the desert sand.
To prevent them from eating me, I shoot my grappling hook at animals flying overhead and steal their capsules, which are basically my ammunition. I shoot these capsules at the snakes – the circle of life.
Suddenly, a Leviathan opens a huge hole in the ground ahead of us and my AI companion’s Seikret dives beneath the surface. I fire my remaining rounds into the beast’s struggling body and my buddy manages to claw his way up the steep sandbar. This is just the opening mission.
Admittedly, it doesn’t represent the bulk of Monster Hunter Wilds. Rather, this on-rails chase is meant to introduce you to the world, help you familiarize yourself with the controls, and give you a taste of the colorful local fauna.
My first real mission sees me head out into the desert to rescue a young girl’s missing brother. He was last seen going into a cave. Before I leave, I must choose my weapon.
There are 14 of them in total, and they vary so much that you’re actually given a questionnaire to help you figure out what suits you best. Instead of you choosing the weapon, the weapon chooses you (though you can choose your weapon manually if you prefer).
Do you like to parry, is the question in the questionnaire, or are you more into quick attacks? Do you play it safe with tight cover or do you break through the opponent’s defense with unstoppable strikes?
After a few answers, I get the result: a Kinsect Glaive. This is basically a large metal rod with a scarab on the end that flies around and helps with attacks.
Now I set off to find the brother. After a short journey over the dunes I come to the cave. Inside is something that looks like a cross between a giant toad and a bear, also called a Chatacabra.
The Kinsect Glaive has an impressively long move list with light and heavy attacks as well as jumping attacks that open up a whole additional move tree.
After sustaining some injuries, the Chatcabra flees. I give chase and find it lying flat on its back. It is not dead, however. It is sleeping to recover from its wounds. That is out of the question, as I have jawbones to harvest.
I send out an SOS flare using the D-pad and am accompanied by an AI companion. However, when playing online, other human players also have the opportunity to join you.
We combine our forces and double the damage. By holding down LT, I can switch to focus mode and use a crosshair to direct the damage to a specific area. This allows you to create injuries that glow red. If you hit these, the Chatacabra will flee again, this time with a noticeable limp.
To give chase, I hop on my Seikret. There’s an auto-run option that sounds a bit understated at first, but is actually quite useful. First of all, it ensures that you never lose track of monsters and have to start the whole fight over again.
Additionally, you can focus on gathering resources while traveling, which you can do by targeting the fauna in the area with your grappling hook. And finally, your Seikret will automatically climb up surfaces and stroll along ledges, which looks cool.
A final blow to the oversized amphibian finishes it off, and my companion and I can dismantle it by pressing the circle button. I receive the coveted jawbone as well as scales that I can use in the camp to craft rare weapons and armor.
Once the fight is over, you’ll be immediately transported back to camp. If you’ve never played a Monster Hunter game before, this isn’t an open-world survival experience. You’re not meant to linger for long. Teleporting after the boss is Capcom’s way of serving you the best parts with as few bells and whistles as possible.
And for me, those parts in this demo are tracking down a big toad, fighting it, skinning it with a knife, and then giving myself a present.
Wilds is the same basic Monster Hunter experience, just with more cinematic atmosphere, more accessibility for newcomers, and a spectacular menagerie of monsters. Don’t miss the latest trailer, which shows a battle against a giant spider with a bright red rose on its rear end.
