Monster Hunter Wilds Review. Simplification is not always good

From the very first moments of diving into Monster Hunter Wilds, it becomes clear: this is not just another chapter in the cult series, but a new stage in its evolution. A new engine, a reworked approach to storytelling, an improved combat system, more realistic physics, and, for the first time in the series' history, optimization issues — all these make Wilds noticeably different from its predecessors. Capcom, striving to attract both newcomers and veterans, tried to find a balance between complexity and accessibility while preserving the spirit of the series, which keeps players coming back again and again. We couldn't pass by the new Monster Hunter to personally verify the quality of one of the main games of 2025.

After the incredible success of Monster Hunter: World in 2018, the monster hunter series became one of the most profitable for Capcom. It's no surprise that the publisher decided to consolidate its success and simplify most of the game mechanics to attract a new audience. For example, in the penultimate part, Monster Hunter Rise, «Wirebugs» were introduced, allowing for aerial movement and monster control. We, of course, expected that with the introduction of «Seikrets» — rideable animals — in Wilds, the game would become even easier, but we did not anticipate that the franchise would turn into a narrative adventure.

The story campaign in Monster Hunter Wilds turned out to be rich and high-quality in content, although on the other hand, it has a clear sense of secondary nature, especially after Monster Hunter: World. Once again, the Hunter's Guild ventures into uncharted lands to uncover some ecological mystery. Of course, this territory is inhabited by monsters that keep the local population in fear, as well as the mythical «White Ghost», long thought to be extinct. Despite the obvious borrowing of plot tropes from World, the new story is directed and staged much better. This is especially noticeable in the cutscenes and vibrant characters that accompany the protagonist to the very end.

The main story is the primary reason to play Monster Hunter Wilds, especially if you're not a fan of the series and hunting monsters for crafting materials seems foreign to you. With the new engine, the game features seamless transitions between cutscenes and gameplay, making the adventure feel cohesive and continuous. The developers intentionally lowered the difficulty to make it easier for new players to immerse themselves in the gameplay and not be distracted by routine actions.

The campaign turned out to be quite short compared to Monster Hunter: World, but more well-thought-out in terms of interesting situations than Rise. In 15-16 hours, you can reach the final credits without any problems. No one will require you to fight the same monster multiple times. All necessary resources and crafting supplies are provided in abundance, meaning you don't need to roam the open world and grind intensively to defeat a boss. For example, during the Iceborne expansion, we had to repeatedly gather hot peppers and other ingredients to always have an advantage over elemental bosses. In Wilds, you can calmly move from one mission to another, only occasionally being distracted by gear maintenance.

On one hand, the simplification and casualization of Monster Hunter Wilds allow a large number of new players to «taste the series»: to appreciate its gameplay without the need to calculate damage and spend time on tedious preparation for the hunt. On the other hand, veterans and fans might be disappointed by the lack of challenge. Of course, this is a subjective opinion, but we believe that Monster Hunter has always been about preparing for battle and finding the monster's weak spots. These were games where thinking strategically was as important as dodging attacks in time. That's why resources obtained from slain monsters had value, and hunters with the right build and high skill level were always welcome guests in online lobbies.

By simplifying many gameplay mechanics, Capcom aimed to minimize routine and intentional stretching of the gameplay. You no longer need to jump between hunting camps before a battle and fulfill errands. All beneficial buffs that can be obtained from potions or food last noticeably longer. You can cook food in the camp and eat it right away, without worrying that the active buff timer will end by the time you reach the boss.

The game's world has become seamless, stretching from burning seas to snow-capped mountain peaks. All important resources are always within sight, and story markers and key locations, with few exceptions, are located just a few meters from the start of a quest. The game world is not as aggressive as in previous installments, and you can calmly explore the entire map on a mount, filling out the monster atlas with their habitats. In Wilds, there's no longer a need to take contracts for killing specific monsters. You can go hunting on your own if you lack materials for crafting new armor, which significantly changes the established rules of the series.

Undoubtedly, the key feature of Monster Hunter Wilds is its unusual approach to implementing an open world. Yes, it impresses with its variety of biomes and breathtaking landscapes, but this «open world» is not entirely open in terms of freedom of movement. Essentially, it's quite spacious but still limited labyrinths with arenas for monster battles, seamlessly transitioning into new regions. Yes, it's beautiful, but it doesn't quite reach the level of graphics and freedom seen in Horizon Zero Dawn from 2017. This is not surprising, as the «heart» of the game is the RE Engine, which, although it delivers rich and detailed graphics in linear action games, is not capable of handling large locations and the variety of elements that need processing. Even with location constraints, the game struggles on modern systems, and without scaling technologies, it barely manages to maintain a stable frame rate. But we'll discuss that later.

The developers tried to diversify the world as much as possible so players wouldn't get bored while exploring the biomes. For instance, weather conditions have been introduced, which not only change the visual appearance of locations but also affect gameplay. While exploring a scorching desert, you might find yourself in a dust storm that eventually turns into a sandstorm with lightning striking the surface with explosive waves. With weather changes come new hunting opportunities, so by studying a monster's habits and habitat, you learn the patterns of each biome. In any case, traveling with weather effects has become much more atmospheric. Exploring a crimson forest in the rain is a true pleasure.

The core gameplay of Monster Hunter Wilds, as you might have guessed from the game's name, revolves around continuous monster hunting. The developers have introduced numerous new creatures for this installment, which were not seen in the prequels: the bear-like beast Doshagumu, which loves to attack players in small packs; the enormous wyvern with a long, serpent-like body, Jin Dahada, which attacks with icy waves; and the octopus-like monster Black Flame, which strikes with its tentacles in random patterns. Of course, the «classic» monsters are also present. Wilds sees the return of the amusing wyverns Yian Kut-Ku, the bird-like Gypceros, who love to play dead to sneakily knock hunters off their feet, as well as Blangongas from the second installment and Rathians from the third.

The battles with monsters themselves have become noticeably more convenient, comfortable, and responsive in terms of control compared to previous games in the series. The combat system is more flexible and forgiving of player mistakes. Previously, due to the lengthy animation of a powerful attack, you could easily miss and not hit the opponent. In Wilds, a focus feature has been introduced, allowing you to direct attacks towards where the camera is facing. Additionally, it highlights the monsters' weak spots and slightly «nudges» the main character towards the target. Some of the 14 weapon types now feature a full-fledged counterattack, which significantly eases the lives of players who prefer large swords. With it, it's noticeably easier to stun monsters and deal massive damage.

With the new focus mode, you no longer need to find the monsters' weak spots on your own. The game will indicate which limbs to target to open a wound. These wounds play a crucial role in battles, as they provide a hundred percent vulnerability, allowing for maximum damage. Additionally, each weapon has a fairly simple Focus Strike with explosive damage, which can instantly sever a limb or piece of thick armor. In simpler terms, most of the time, you'll be hunting not the monsters but the highlighted wounds on their bodies. We didn't see much depth in this innovation, but fighting giants has become noticeably easier.

Monster Hunter Wilds turned out to be too «friendly» to players. In the repeatedly mentioned World, we could battle a monster for hours and lose due to a silly mistake or insufficient preparation. Grinding is an essential part of the Monster Hunter gameplay formula, without which it's impossible to defeat monsters. By pushing it to the background, the developers turned hunting into a carefree adventure where losing is only possible due to inattention or poor reaction. It's clear that Capcom tried to make the franchise more appealing to a new audience by minimizing difficulty and simplifying most mechanics. But on the other hand, the game doesn't provide the challenge that was present in previous installments, which loses the entire point of the endgame with weapon upgrades and creating strong armor. And if fighting alone is somewhat interesting, in co-op or with computer allies, the game literally turns into a ruthless «beating» of monsters by a crowd.

Everything described above applies not only to the 15-hour story campaign but also to the endgame. The latter is a key feature of the series, for which players buy each new installment. The entire philosophy of Monster Hunter revolves around endless resource grinding, from which you need to create cool equipment. With it, you can defeat stronger monsters to get even more resources from their bodies for creating even more powerful armor. A vicious circle that can only be broken by killing all opponents.

In Monster Hunter Wilds, the endgame is simplified to the point where creating new equipment loses its meaning. After completing all side quests and the main campaign, we had a sufficiently powerful set of armor and weapons with which we easily handled all encountered monsters. Assembling it was quite simple, as the map displays lists of monsters that guarantee the drop of resources needed for crafting. And these are not just ordinary hides and bones, but rare elements that required a good deal of hunting in previous installments.

After killing the most challenging monster without any difficulties, we wondered: what's the point of further progression in the endgame? Some might say it's needed for future DLCs, where enhanced versions of creatures will appear. However, expansions often add new equipment elements that surpass everything available in the original. The monotonous «grinding» of monsters by targeting their wounds started to tire us before the story campaign even ended, and the game has nothing else to offer. You can, of course, choose not to focus and try to play by «classic rules», but what's the point if the game is entirely geared towards casual gamers?

It's important to understand that everything described above is the grumbling of a player who spent dozens of hours in previous games of the series. If you view Monster Hunter Wilds as a narrative adventure centered around monster hunting and watching cutscenes, then it's an excellent project. The game has everything a modern gamer needs: good graphics, spectacular battles, beautiful characters, and the absence of artificially prolonged gameplay.

What is more disappointing is the game's roadmap presented by Capcom. Monster Hunter Wilds is primarily a live-service game, where new content should be delivered in small portions. However, for this spring, the developers announced only one monster, and for summer, another one. Agree, it's too little for the endgame, for which the game was created. For comparison: Rise received six monsters just a month after release. Wilds desperately needs strong opponents right now, as the current endgame isn't suitable for maintaining a stable online presence. And a large-scale expansion in the spirit of Iceborne or Sunbreak won't arrive until next year.

Monster Hunter Wilds is a beautiful game by modern standards, stunning with its style and attention to detail. The open world is incredibly diverse: from dense forests and arid deserts to snowy peaks and underground caves. Each location is crafted with special care and attention to detail. Although the developers did not aim to introduce revolutionary graphic technologies, the visual component confidently stands on the level of modern AAA projects. Special attention should be given to the work with lighting: natural light, reflections, and shadows create an atmosphere that literally immerses you in a new unexplored region.

One of the most impressive aspects of the graphics is the detailing of objects, especially in culinary scenes. The detail of textures for meat, vegetables, and sauces, as well as the animation of the cooking process, turns moments of rest between monster hunts into a true pleasure.

Characters in Monster Hunter Wilds, as always with Capcom, are crafted at the highest level. Their models look realistic and pleasant, and the textures of skin, clothing, and armor delight with their detail. Especially notable are the bright and memorable monster designs, which combine both intimidating and aesthetically appealing features. A flexible character editor allows creating unique heroes who not only look beautiful but also evoke emotional attachment.

One cannot overlook the design of the Palico — the loyal companions of hunters. Their appearance and animations are meticulously crafted, making them not only useful in battle but also simply adorable.

However, despite all the visual merits, Monster Hunter Wilds faces serious performance issues. The RE Engine, which handles linear and compact locations well, is not ready for processing vast open spaces. This problem was already noticed in Dragon's Dogma 2, and unfortunately, it is even more evident in Monster Hunter Wilds. Even on the most powerful modern PCs, the game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate at maximum settings. Players report regular FPS drops, sudden stutters, and lags that cannot always be resolved even with DLSS technology.

Overall, Monster Hunter Wilds is a game that impresses with its graphics and detail but requires serious optimization work. However, knowing Capcom, one cannot expect significant patches and performance improvements. This is literally impossible due to the engine's limitations and built-in anti-piracy protections.

***

Monster Hunter Wilds is the easiest and most player-friendly game in the series, having rid itself of the grind and rudiments that previously deterred new audiences. Now, absolutely anyone can grab a giant sword and embark on a grand hunt without worrying about resource grinding and extensive planning. A more flexible combat system and focus mode ensure bright and dynamic battles. The new region is the most beautiful in the series, and the vast number of biomes and weather conditions make the world rich and diverse.

Unfortunately, the simplification of game systems has negatively impacted the endgame, turning it into a meaningless grind for the sake of grinding. This is undoubtedly the main drawback, which undermines the entire philosophy of Monster Hunter. There is no longer any point in playing cooperatively or crafting new equipment. The monsters are weak on their own, and their enhanced versions are nowhere near the opponents from previous entries. Additionally, there are serious optimization issues on PC, which are unlikely to be fixed with patches.

Monster Hunter Wilds is good as a single-player game for a couple of dozen hours, but it is absolutely unsuitable as a live-service game. If you're a fan of the series, you'll likely be disappointed with the content and the simplification of core mechanics. However, for newcomers, it's the most successful and comfortable way to get acquainted with Monster Hunter. Either way, both categories of players will have to wait for the release of the expansion, as only with it will Wilds become a complete game with serious opponents, variety, and consideration of all the main audience's wishes.