Monster Hunter can never become more “streamlined” than Wilds

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Monster Hunter shines most during intense battles, where you find yourself dodging the fierce attacks of massive creatures, much like a housefly trying to escape a cat’s paw. It’s nerve-wracking, exhilarating, and immensely rewarding when you emerge victorious. While it might seem impossible for four ordinary houseflies to defeat a cat, with oversized swords and an immense amount of perseverance, it could theoretically happen. Monster Hunter: Wilds continues to offer these thrilling moments, yet there’s an element that makes it feel less authentic or valuable compared to earlier versions.

In Wilds, I slay monsters, as expected of a hunter, but the sense of accomplishment isn’t derived from the challenge or quality of the game. Instead, it seems almost automatic, like a title bestowed upon me just by appearing and wielding my sword. To put it plainly, I don’t feel like I’ve earned these victories through effort.

I’ve been playing Monster Hunter since Tri, but I never made it past the initial stages in any of the games until World. It wasn’t until Rise that I ventured beyond the main storyline for the first time. The experiences I had with World and Rise are what I can clearly identify as the reasons why they resonated with me, whereas earlier games didn’t quite hit the mark in the same way. Similarly, I can now recognize what aspects of the series have evolved, and perhaps lost some of its original charm, to reach this point.

As someone who isn’t deeply rooted in MH history, I find myself agreeing with the changes made for streamlining and accessibility. The last thing I want is to spend extended periods watching herb gathering animations, only to find myself low on healing items during my next hunt. I dislike the idea of encountering loading screens when moving between areas, or having to remember to carry a pickaxe to gather minerals. Lastly, keeping the infinite Whetstone feels like a wise decision for me.

Capcom’s decisions since World have generally been beneficial, even though I enjoy a touch of inventory management and minor tasks, I don’t want them to dominate my gameplay experience. Along with these improvements, Capcom seems to be targeting Monster Hunter Wilds towards a more casual audience. World is the most successful Capcom game ever, followed closely by Rise, and their expansions are among the top ten sellers. This series has the potential to attract a larger audience than Capcom has ever had before – and sales figures suggest that Wilds has indeed done so. This growing popularity isn’t due to the series becoming easier, but it has become more accessible nonetheless.

From a commercial standpoint, I understand your point. Monster Hunter is undeniably a complex, intricate action game with an emphasis on its systems rather than straightforward gameplay. Even something as simple as selecting an item from your inventory requires multiple button presses, and performing a powerful attack is no walk in the park. The creatures don’t have health bars, making it challenging to gauge the effectiveness of your weak attacks. However, simplifying the monsters to make them easier to defeat can lessen some of this challenge, but it might also diminish the sense of accomplishment that comes with overcoming difficult foes.

In my gaming adventures within Wilds’ core experience, I consistently encounter the most challenging quest tiers featuring a Tempered Arkveld paired with another monster. What sets this apart is that I seldom find myself engaging in any special pre-battle preparations. No need to seek out weapons boasting specific attributes, armor sets with unique resistances, or potions for healing ailments. Instead, my focus lies on maintaining high defense, attack power, and diving headfirst into the fray. These battles seldom exceed 20 minutes, even when I’m flying solo. The issue? It’s become routine, and that’s where the challenge lies.

Monster Hunter has consistently been a series where you conquer seemingly impossible challenges. Entire communities are in peril due to a single menacing creature, and it’s only the skilled hunters who can safeguard humanity from what essentially are dinosaurs. It’s like combining Jurassic Park with Attack on Titan. However, in Wilds, the monsters seem vulnerable enough to be taken down by a novice with a high-pitched voice, diminishing the sense of danger and threat.

Title Update 1: The Wilds Ascend introduces the formidable Mizutsune from Rise into the game, alongside a High Rank battle with Zoh Shia, previously exclusive to Low Rank. This transformation made what was once too simple now quite difficult. It’s like when Monster Hunter World players donned Iceborne’s DLC armor and breezed through the main game, only to encounter tougher challenges in the DLC quests. While I didn’t reach a complete standstill with High Rank Zoh Shia, I was caught off guard as I needed to develop a character build for the first time after relying solely on defense throughout the game.

In my journey through Monster Hunter World’s main game, there was just one quest where I flat-out failed – it was when I didn’t grasp how to dodge Jin Dahaad’s one-hit knockout attack, which still seems ridiculous to me in hindsight. I can recall wrestling tooth and nail against Magnamalo in Rise’s Low Rank missions. As for Wilds, I initially found the entire game a walk in the park, but boy, did the first Free Title Update give me a shock – it was like going from a stroll to getting shell-shocked!

In simpler terms, “Wilds” is currently a dynamic game that continues to receive major updates and potential expansions over time. This promises exciting experiences, but the core game, on its own, appears shallow for some players. Despite my fondness for Wilds, I fear that the ongoing trend of simplifying the monster-hunting mechanics might be reaching a critical point. If it takes another step in this direction, it could lose the essence of what makes “Monster Hunter” unique. I don’t believe that adding tougher difficulty settings is the panacea Capcom seems to assume it is.

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2025-05-16 14:16