Just Give Us Monster Hunter: World 2 and We'll All be Dandy, Capcom
Monster Hunter: World captivated gamers, so the bar for Monster Hunter: Wilds is set really high. In reality, however, Capcom doesn't need to reinvent the wheel – it can give us the same thing, only more of it. Simple, right?
I must admit that I haven't eagerly anticipated a game from a big studio in a long time. Not because I've grown old and lazy (that too!), but simply because the AAA segment has been disappointing me lately. Until The Game Awards 2023, where Capcom stormed in all in white with its Monster Hunter: Wilds. At that instant, I felt like a teenager at a beloved K-pop band's concert. My my heart beat more lively, and in my soul, I understood that I AM GONNA PLAY A GAME.
Monster Hunter: World thrives again
What's the point of this introduction? I never thought that a big game could still stir up such emotions in me. Monster Hunter: World is an extremely important release that I consider to be an excellent departure from MMORPGs. When I doubted the genre and felt it was time to take a break from it, I came across a hunt for massive beasts on PC. I approached this title with some reservations as I'm not a fan of ultra challenging combat systems (I lack patience). But it only took a few moments for this game to completely win me over, as it delicately struck the chord in my soul responsible for my love of MMOs.
For this reason, I have high expectations for Monster Hunter: Wilds. I expect it to be at least as good a game as its previous installment and then I will be fully satisfied. In the mentioned title, I racked up over 150 hours on one character. I recently came back to the game and am enjoying it with friends once again, and I already have almost 100 hours on the counter. I sincerely hope that Capcom will repeat this success and fuel my desire to stay up all night.
I also had a short affair with Monster Hunter: Rise, but it's a completely different, more casual game. Don't get me wrong, my dear Reader, there's no problem with it, as it's a perfect game for the Switch, but it's just an average title for all other platforms. It's less affluent and simpler, and not as visually charming. The best proof of this is comparing the current popularity of both games on Steam. The six-year-old World wins against the three-year-old Rise, now living its second youth.
More open world? Hope so! Fingers crossed!
However, I must admit that the mounts in Rise were implemented phenomenally. I hope that Monster Hunter: Wilds will also follow this direction, as indicated by the game's trailer. Of course, I wouldn't want our mount to make traveling seem trivial. Playing MMORPGs, I've noticed how easy it's to overdo it. For instance, flying can quickly ruin all the fun of exploration and searching for a monster.
Monster Hunter: Rise simplifies the entire hunting aspect, focusing the gameplay on battling massive creatures. Capcom needs to balance the use of mounts and further develop them, perhaps by following the solutions used in Guild Wars 2. There, they come in handy for traveling – I believe that in Monster Hunter: Wilds, it can also be done interestingly.
I also felt like we would receive a vast open world while watching the announcement of MH: Wilds. It's only my guess as nothing of the sort has been confirmed. Nevertheless, I wouldn't despise a huge land where I could freely travel on my steed and hunt beasts. Fewer loading screens between missions, forced visits to the city (HUB), and the ability to switch between areas - just more developed The Guiding Lands!
Weather – a new kind of opponent? Gimme that!
Without a doubt, the weather conditions presented in the trailer for Monster Hunter: Wilds cannot be overlooked. Could lightning pose an additional danger while hunting? Why not?! I hope Capcom will consider adding attractions such as rain that affects electric creatures (strengthening them) or fiery beasts (changing their fighting style). Perhaps there is a place for a visibility-limiting sandstorm? There are certainly plenty of opportunities, and I would like the environment to also play a significant part in the gameplay.
Monster Hunter: World provided a preview of such things through traps placed in different locations. You could drop boulders or icicles on the beast, or take advantage of the marshy ground. I imagine that the next installment expands on this theme and motivates players to experiment and have fun with environmental elements. As a result, the fights would take on a more authentic hunting character as we could attract the beasts to places where the environment benefits us.
I also have one small request – Capcom, let us play as a Palico, even if it's just for a little while! The iconic cats in Worlds had amazing armor and looked fantastic, making you want to play as them. In Monster Hunter: Generations, there was a special "prowler mode" in which we had this option, so maybe Wilds will have a place for it as well? I have to admit that my cat companion was simply being wasted, and thanks to this, he will have an extra use!
There's no place for Handler in Wilds
I hope that certain elements will be spared to us, dear Reader. For instance, the (in)famous Handler is first on the list of "what I don't want to see in MH: Wilds." I hope that Capcom won't introduce such a boring NPC. The second thing is the unskippable cutscenes – the obligation to watch cutscenes proved tedious in Monster Hunter: World, especially when playing for the second time and with friends. We were unable to do main quests together until everyone had completed the scene with a specific monster. How can this be?
What else needs to be improved? Character development. Collecting equipment from beasts is fun, but gathering decorations starts to feel like a boring chore. Especially when you need that one particular item with an extremely low chance of obtaining for your build. Capcom should just offer a reasonable way to obtain such items, even by creating them. Something like "player, you've put in the effort and grinded, but RNG wasn't in your favor, so please, use crafting." I hope that in Monster Hunter: Wilds, the developers will be more player-friendly in this regard!
Second opinion
Monster Hunter: Wilds seems like a continuation of ideas from World. And no wonder – this game has brought the series enormous fame outside Japan. The short trailer shows that Capcom is expanding the hunting grounds even further without dividing them into small locations separated by loading screens, as was the case in the titles preceding MH: World. Furthermore, the fact that the hunter never dismounts from his bird mount throughout the entire trailer may also indicate vast areas. World offers the possibility of riding on the back of a smaller monster, but our "mount" will only move to the location we choose. Here you can see that the player will have complete control over the animal, like the dog companion in Rise.
However, what really amazed me was the sheer number of monsters that appeared on the screen at the same time. World has already boosted the number of wildlife in hunting areas. Wilds doesn't move forward at all – it he leaps across the canyon. This game will be significantly different from its predecessors, as demonstrated by the scene where the hunter navigates through the group of animals to evade larger monsters. The next thing is the weather – lightning striking the "lightning rods" embedded in the ground, which the hunter had to avoid to prevent getting hit, offers hope that our hunting will be influenced not only by climatic conditions but also by the weather. Naturally, Capcom couldn't overlook tradition, and at the end, we spot Rathalos – the iconic monster that has been part of the series since the era of PS2. Every Monster Hunter I've played has given me at least 100 hours of great fun, and I believe Wilds will do the same. Even if Capcom chooses not to further expand its already substantial arsenal.
Matt "Ictius" Sawka
All I want from Monster Hunter: Wilds is to be Monster Hunter: World 2
I would withdraw unconditionally if any of my requests were to undermine the spirit of the game or make the gameplay too easy. In my opinion, Monster Hunter: World is a game with a difficulty level that is set just right. It's not excessively demanding, unlike the often-cited Dark Souls series (it doesn't require as much patience), and it offers reasonable challenges – it's a happy medium for those who want to break a sweat but only about 50% because they're still a bit afraid of throwing the controller against the wall.
My wish list leads me to a very simple conclusion. I wish Capcom would just make Monster Hunter: World 2 and I'll be more than happy. Let them improve and refine what's already awesome, and nobody will complain. No reinventing the wheel, just doing the same thing, but more. This series doesn't require a revolution or major innovations, and if developers can introduce them sensibly, it will only be an added value.
We can rest easy as long as they don't become too obsessed with Monster Hunter: Rise. We won't see Monster Hunter: Wilds until 2025, so this dream will last for a while. Alright then, have a nice nap, and see you on the hunt!
