I’m relatively new to the Monster Hunter series. For years, I avoided diving into these games because they were only available on handheld consoles that didn’t interest me, and to be honest, I thought they looked clunky. My first real taste of the series was with Monster Hunter World, and it was that game that hooked me. Since then, I’ve been a devoted fan. As I pen down these thoughts, I’ve logged over two dozen hours in Wilds, focusing primarily on the main campaign before tackling side quests. I have to say, the experience left me wanting more.
Typically, Monster Hunter campaigns aren’t celebrated for their storytelling prowess or innovative plots. They serve mainly as hands-on tutorials for the numerous mechanics and systems you’ll be immersed in for the next 100 or so hours. Essentially, they guide you through the vast array of creatures you’ll encounter in the game.
The formula is pretty familiar: your team is tracking a mysterious creature disrupting various regions. Along the way, other monsters sidetrack you until you eventually face your intended target. You have an epic showdown with the big beast, wrap up the campaign, and then transition into High Rank where the true Monster Hunter experience unfolds.
When you look at it from a distance, the campaign in Wilds shares similarities with World. However, the nuances make all the difference between a captivating journey and a forgettable one.
World’s campaign stood out because of its depth. Zorah Magdaros, a gargantuan monster, posed a completely different type of challenge. It required an entire community just to slow it down. This beast was so immense, you could fight multiple monsters on its back and still have space left.
This was a bold move by the developers, introducing an entirely new type of encounter. Though many fans didn’t appreciate it, I found it intriguing. The tasks of building complex defenses and strategically weakening Zorah’s health broke up the typical monster battles and advanced the narrative beautifully.
As Zorah moved into new areas, those regions became accessible for you to explore, and each location showed how it had been impacted by Zorah’s trek. The mystery behind why Zorah was on the move kept the storyline engaging, adding urgency and intrigue.
Contrast this with the campaign in Wilds. Arkveld, the marquee monster here, occasionally shows up without much explanation, and then disappears for long stretches. It’s not even the final adversary; that role is filled by a slumbering giant you hear about just before facing it.
Wilds lacks the collective effort of diverse groups coming together to tackle a shared threat. Some monster introductions feel forced, as if they’re shoehorned into missions without much coordination.
Conversations with non-playable characters hint at a connection between different camps, but these threads never fully unravel. The backstory of the forerunner civilization and their tragic downfall due to weather-control technology is intriguing but comes across as fragments from a lore book rather than a central storyline.
The Wilds campaign reflects some core issues of the game itself. It’s polished, with edgy elements smoothed out to appeal to a wider audience, yet it misses the mark in key areas.
While Wilds’ main campaign might soon fade into the background as other aspects of the game draw attention, I can’t help but imagine how a true sequel to the World campaign might have played out.
