I’m sure I’m not the only one who saw the update for Monster Hunter Wilds and thought, “Man, I’m so behind!” Heck, it’s weird for me to read MOP’s Chris’ (excellent) coverage of the game when normally I’m at least out there with him!
But for those of you who haven’t gotten the game for whatever reason and fear jumping in late may mean a harder grind, don’t worry. There are plenty of reasons you can still jump into Monster Hunter Wilds and not feel too behind.
Now, let me preface this with a few things. First, forget FOMO. There’s always someone ahead of you; there are going to be things you miss. That’s OK. I’m a big MH fan but admittedly didn’t finish the final DLC in Monster Hunter World and maybe not in Rise either (it’s been so long and there were so many good updates!), largely because my partners had often moved on, there’s only so much time in the day for me-time, and there’s eve less of that these days. Even still, I did and do a lot without them because I enjoy the game and really think the series has a lot to offer combat-oriented gamers who want meaty fights.
Also, I’ll be referencing both Chris’ article on the long-term appeal of the game and some readers’ complaints because it’s all valid. For example, his comments on the game being too easy ring true because the devs noted they’ll be addressing it, but at the same time, in terms of catching up, that’s exactly why now is the time to jump in. So let’s start there.
MHWilds is easy enough to pick up
First, controls. I’m a stickler for them, and they’re a big reason why I largely stick with the games when they’re on the consoles. That being said, the keyboard controls out of the box are far better than the Monster Hunter World release on PC back in 2018, which felt only a smidge better when I played the Rise demo on PC with Chris in 2021 (which may be one of my favorite stream experiences).
I usually do a decent amount of keyboard layout customization, but for MHWilds, I ended up sticking with the basics, mouse and keyboard, and I feel fine. It’s small things like “M” actually opening the map and “Esc” opening the overall game menus that make it feel like Capcom’s really finally understood what a default control experience means, at least for Western players. Those small things are things the MHÂ series didn’t always do. It did initially feel a bit weird to use Mouse Button 4 so much, as it’s the “Focus” mode for attacking. Normally I remap an emergency skill there as I feel it’s more of a tap button than a hold button, but the MHÂ series has always had something a bit wonky if workable in terms of controls, so it’s fine.
It’s easy to learn and progress
But beyond controls, the actual game content is easy enough. No, you can’t just charge around swinging a sword and expect things to go well. It may work in some of the early missions, but you’ll soon have to get into the “watch and learn the dance” mode the MH series is known for. It’s still fun, especially the Nu Udra and Jin Dahaad battles where you get to play with the environment a lot.
You can go through the game pretty straight forward, at least as a series vet. There are a lot of new monsters, so I don’t know all the “dances,” but I’ve limited my farming thus far. It’s much more streamlined than I usually get in a MH game in terms of story progression and accessibility, though the on-the-rails travel scenes aren’t my favorite, and I do hope we see less of these not just in MHWilds but the series as a whole (but that’s an article for another day).
Finally, staggering and wounds. Man, these feel like cheating, especially if you get a group full of hunters who know what they’re doing. Repeatedly hitting wounds can cause the monster to sort of “flinch,” especially on heads and legs that can lead to stuns or knocking the monster over. Admittedly, I do get miffed that people focus so much on this that tails aren’t being cut off, but whatever. One day I’ll be buff enough to handle the tail cutting myself.
It’s easy to get help
For those who don’t know, you can automatically turn on your SOS flare to get help ASAP. That comes in both the forms of NPCs and real players. The NPCs aren’t bad, at all. One of the reasons I mentioned my avoidance of farming is that the NPCs aren’t shy about healing, using traps/the environment, or using status effects like Sleep. They also deal pretty good damage. The Ajarakan fight was a bit more deadly than I had anticipated, so I spent a lot of my time dodging and weaving, getting far fewer hits in that I had against previous bosses. As NPC help comes in staggered waves if you don’t find other players, it does take some time to get everyone’s help, but once it does, the monster goes down pretty easily.
As I sort of hinted at, though, things get wild when you get actual players. It’s not just being matched up with someone in far better gear than you; it’s also that they can attack much more aggressively than the NPCs. Again, I’m not terribly far into the game, but I regularly get 2-3 human players in my story missions, even after the game’s been out for over a month. There’s just a large enough playerbase at the moment that can support even players like yours truly who aren’t yet on High Rank missions.
There are also Squads, and you can belong to several at a time, though only one can be “active” at any point in time, so you would have to juggle in-game chat channels a bit. I’ve joined a couple myself and see people asking for and receiving help. Again, as an aging hunter with extremely limited time, I haven’t been in a bad enough situation to even fail a single mission yet, but if you’re unsure of your skills, really, beyond NPCs, I’m seeing a lot of helpful players out there, even at the entry levels.
While there is still a lot I miss from Monster Hunter Rise, I do think that, like World, this is a very accessible MH title, even more so than World was. Admittedly, series veterans may be a bit bored and will want to blast through content to find High Rank meat at the end, but the new monsters are super creative, the environments and battles are smartly designed, and the world interaction is still relatively high, even if we can’t freely climb and swing like we could in Rise. I think if you liked Monster Hunter World and have been sitting on the sidelines wondering when to jump in, take that leap now.
There’s an MMO born every day, and every game is someone’s favorite. Why I Play is the column in which the Massively OP staff members kick back and reminisce about all their favorite MMOs. Whether it’s the new hotness or an old fan favorite loaded with nostalgia, each title we cover here tugs at our heartstrings and keeps us coming back for more.
