Omega in Monster Hunter Wilds is exactly what I would expect as a Final Fantasy XIV raider, and that’s cool

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Seeing the new Monster Hunter Wilds and Final Fantasy XIV crossover at Tokyo Game Show felt strange. It wasn’t that the collaboration itself was odd – actually, Final Fantasy XIV had a Monster Hunter collaboration years ago with Monster Hunter: World. What was weird was remembering that the original collaboration was what initially got me interested in Final Fantasy XIV. Now, as a dedicated raider in Final Fantasy XIV, it’s a bit surreal to see the roles reversed.

The Omega Planetes boss in Monster Hunter: World is inspired by a boss of the same name from Final Fantasy XIV. While the Behemoth monster in Monster Hunter: World was based on content from an earlier Final Fantasy XIV raid, Omega is unique because it comes from a later, more challenging raid. Interestingly, all Final Fantasy XIV players will likely have faced Behemoth now, as its original raid is now part of the game’s main storyline. Omega, however, remains an optional encounter, only briefly appearing in the game after the main Heavensward story.

Omega is well-known as one of the most challenging raid bosses in Final Fantasy XIV. The recent ‘The Omega Protocol (Ultimate)’ raid retells the story from the Stormblood expansion, making it quite different from Arkveld, the monster featured in the Monster Hunter Wilds collaboration. As a Final Fantasy XIV player familiar with difficult raids, I have certain expectations for how an Omega fight would translate to Monster Hunter Wilds. While understanding the two games are different and not everything will translate perfectly, unlike the Behemoth fight in Monster Hunter: World, there are key elements of Omega that feel essential to include to truly capture the experience of facing it as a raid encounter.

The Monster Hunter Wilds team has really delivered with the Omega fight. It’s a unique experience unlike anything else in the game, and they’ve done a fantastic job bringing it to life. The fight features clearly signaled attacks that force players to quickly reposition, dodging follow-ups by moving *into* what was previously a dangerous zone. Players will also need to spread out to avoid overlapping attacks and get away from charging blasts. It even includes sweeping attacks that target specific sides, reminiscent of a challenging mechanic from Final Fantasy XIV.

Beyond the main Omega encounter, players can use unique abilities like the Soul of the Pictomancer. This allows them to summon a Moogle, similar to a mechanic from Final Fantasy XIV, to help deal damage. While not crucial, it’s quick to cast during cooldowns, making it beneficial to use in group play when you’re not actively holding an enemy’s attention. This ability is reminiscent of mechanics found in both the Behemoth fight from Monster Hunter: World, and regular features in Monster Hunter Wilds.

Okay, so the Omega fight is *tough*, which I expected from an update like this. It’s really epic too, with a bunch of different stages. The fight actually changes as you whittle Omega down, which is cool. About halfway through, things get crazy – this holographic Nerscylla shows up, and you *have* to beat it fast. If you don’t, Omega charges up a laser that will one-shot you unless you’re protected by a barrier that drops when Nerscylla goes down. If you’re familiar with Final Fantasy XIV, this add phase feels a lot like some of their fights. Even if you haven’t played that, it’s similar to dodging meteors in Monster Hunter: World – you gotta react quickly and focus on the new target!

Look, I don’t think any single monster is going to magically fix everything I want in Monster Hunter Wilds – there are just too many core things I’d like to see changed. But Omega? Omega is the first post-launch monster that’s actually made me excited to jump back in for more than just a quick session. It’s a really challenging and fun fight, and the rewards are awesome! Seriously, a little Omega following me around like a pet? And a morbol costume for my Palico? That’s exactly the kind of thing I wanted, and I’m genuinely thrilled about it.

The Omega Planetes quest arrives in Monster Hunter Wilds on September 29th. I’m really looking forward to trying it out on my own game when I return from my trip to Japan. Even though I have some reservations about certain choices Capcom made for Wilds, this update is fantastic and I have no complaints.

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2025-09-28 13:56