The Monster Hunter series has come a long way from its niche beginnings. Originally a cult hit in Japan, the franchise gained massive popularity on the Nintendo 3DS before finally breaking into the western market in a big way. With Monster Hunter: World, the series saw unprecedented global success, refining the gameplay formula and making the hunting experience more accessible. Now, Monster Hunter: Wilds attempts to take the next big leap, offering a massive open world, an engaging story, and deeper mechanics—but does it live up to the expectations?
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The story of Monster Hunter: Wilds serves as a great introduction for newcomers, guiding them through diverse biomes, facing unique monsters, and immersing them in the world’s rich ecosystem. However, longtime fans might find it diverging from the true Monster Hunter experience. Traditionally, the series has been about venturing into the unknown, tracking, and hunting massive beasts alongside friends, gathering their remains to craft stronger gear. The campaign rushes players through the motions, leaving them unprepared for the complexities of the open world once the story is complete. To truly appreciate the game, it’s best to take a slower, exploratory approach—learning the mechanics as a hunter rather than merely following the narrative.
At its core, Monster Hunter: Wilds retains the series’ signature gameplay mechanics—tracking, hunting, and crafting remain as rewarding as ever. Combat is deep and strategic, offering a wide variety of weapons, each with unique playstyles. The survival elements are stronger than ever, with dynamic weather and evolving ecosystems that influence hunts. However, some of the game’s accessibility improvements also make it easier to brute-force encounters. In the main story mode, it’s possible to cheese through many monsters by spamming focused attacks, somewhat reducing the need for careful strategy.
Character customization is detailed and fun to play with, but it adheres to modern design choices that may feel limiting. Rather than distinct male and female options, players can adjust their appearance freely, but all armor classes fit every body type, leading to proportion compromises—female characters, for example, lack unique armor designs since everything must conform to a unisex standard. While seeing a male character in traditionally feminine armor can be amusing, the lack of gender-specific styles is a minor disappointment for fans who appreciate the aesthetic variety of past entries.
The game’s menu and UI design suffer from the classic JRPG trope—navigating menus can feel like shuffling through endless paperwork at an office job. While seasoned players of Japanese games might not mind, newcomers may find the experience overwhelming. The button layout also takes some getting used to; it’s not the most intuitive, but after a few hours, it starts to feel more natural.
One of the standout elements in Monster Hunter: Wilds is its obsession with food. The game director clearly has a deep appreciation for food aesthetics, with an almost excessive amount of attention given to cooking and eating sequences. Melty cheese, gooey beans, and slow-motion bite animations make food preparation feel more detailed than some of the environments. While it adds charm, it also highlights an issue—some other visuals don’t receive the same level of love. Up close, textures are crisp and detailed, but from a distance, the world can look washed out and pixelated, even on the PlayStation 5. While Wilds is far from ugly, it may be time for an engine bring the visuals in line with other 2025 releases.
Despite these shortcomings, Monster Hunter: Wilds delivers where it matters most—combat. The game introduces more weapons, new combat mechanics, and a fresh roster of menacing monsters that fans will love. The developers have clearly listened to community , refining gameplay and making the experience more engaging than ever.
In the end, Monster Hunter: Wilds is an ambitious entry that expands the series in new ways while still feeling like classic Monster Hunter. It is more accessible than past entries but still retains enough depth for longtime fans to sink their teeth into. However, a few design choices and technical limitations prevent it from reaching true greatness. With Dragon’s Dogma 2 also being an absolute banger and a phenomenal release, Capcom seems to be in top form again, and we can’t wait to see what they’ve got up their sleeves next.
A thrilling and “mouthwatering” evolution of the franchise—bigger, bolder, and packed with action. Fans will love it, and newcomers will be hooked.