Monster Hunter Wilds is the latest installment in Capcom’s iconic saga, arriving February 27, 2025 on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S Series and PC, promising to be the franchise’s most immersive, accessible and exciting experience to date. With a renewed focus on the interaction between the hunter, monsters and the environment, the game redefines what it means to hunt in a dynamic, living world.
This third-person action RPG transports us to the Forbidden Lands, a vast open world full of danger and wonder. Having tried the game in early access, I can say that Monster Hunter Wilds not only meets fans’ expectations, but exceeds them, combining immersive design, refined mechanics and an accessibility that will appeal to newcomers and veterans alike. In this review, we’ll analyze its gameplay, mechanics, new features and more, so you’ll know everything you need before embarking on this epic adventure.
An immersive and seamless open world
One of the most outstanding features of Monster Hunter Wilds is its open world, designed without loading screens to offer a fluid and uninterrupted exploration. This map, significantly larger than in previous installments, is composed of several connected biomes that change dynamically depending on the weather and time of day. For example, during the “Sandtide” weather state in the Wind Plains, lightning storms alter monster patterns, while the “Downpour” in the Scarlet Forest brings rain that changes the fauna.
This sense of immersion is enhanced by the ability to move freely between the open world and the hunter’s camps, where you can perform essential activities such as cooking, resupplying and crafting equipment. In addition, the game introduces the ability to start hunts or missions directly in the field, without the need to return to camp, eliminating interruptions and allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the hunting experience.
The map has also been improved to facilitate exploration. It now includes a clearer screen display:
- Vertical ground layers.
- Monster locations.
- Collectible objects.
- Environmental traps, such as rock falls.
- A time scale indicating day/night phases and the weather
This makes planning routes and strategies more intuitive, especially for new players who might feel overwhelmed by the complexity of the world.
The Seikret: Your partner in exploration and combat
One of the most exciting new features of Monster Hunter Wilds is the introduction of the Seikret, a raptor-like mount that redefines mobility in the game. The Seikret not only allows you to quickly move around the vast map, but also has an active role in combat. You can use it to:
- Attack monsters and distract them mounted from it.
- Carrying two different weapons, which adds an additional strategic layer.
- Use it as a safe way to replenish your life and energy.
- Automatic guidance to targets or waypoints.
For example, if you face a weak monster against blunt weapons, but need a slashing weapon to exploit its wounds, you can switch between the two without returning to camp. This flexibility makes hunts more dynamic and strategic.
Weapons, mechanics and tactical combat
Monster Hunter Wilds brings back all 14 weapon types from Monster Hunter: World, but each has been enhanced with new moves and actions. This ensures that veterans will find freshness in their favorite play styles, while new players can experiment with a variety of options.
Among the most innovative mechanics is the focus mode, which allows attacking specific points on the monster’s body to explode wounds and cause additional damage. This system adds tactical depth to combat, as you must study the monsters’ patterns and plan your attacks carefully, since once a wound is healed, it cannot occur again in the same place.
In addition, the Slinger returns with enhanced features, such as the ability to pick up objects from a distance and activate environmental traps, allowing you to use the environment to your advantage. You can use endemic life like Flashbugs to blind monsters or knock down hanging rocks to trap them, you can also disperse herds with Dung Pods or attract specific monsters with Luring Pods, taking advantage of the terrain to divide and conquer.
One additional aspect that I think is worth noting in Monster Hunter Wilds is the depth of the crafting and customization system. This element is a key pillar of the saga and in this title it has been expanded even further. Players can create and improve weapons and armor with resources obtained from monsters, adding elemental effects or specific abilities. In addition, you can customize your mount, the Seikret, with accessories that enhance its usefulness in combat and exploration. This depth not only encourages experimentation, but also integrates with the open world, encouraging hunters to explore to collect rare resources in specific biomes or under unique conditions.
More realistic and dynamic monsters
Monsters are the heart of any Monster Hunter game, and in Monster Hunter Wilds they reach a new level of realism. Their behaviors change according to weather, time of day and environmental conditions. Some examples include:
- Monsters that only appear during sandstorms.
- Creatures that form herds to protect themselves during heavy rains.
- Predators that become opportunistic in hostile climates.
These details create dynamic and challenging encounters, where adapting to the environment is as important as mastering your weapons. In addition, the dynamic weather system affects not only the monsters, but also the availability of resources, forcing you to plan your hunts carefully.
Multiplayer and accessibility
Monster Hunter Wilds maintains the cooperative spirit of the saga, allowing you to play with up to four players online. If you prefer to play solo, you can do so accompanied by three AI-controlled hunters. In addition, the game includes an SOS flare that allows you to call on live or AI-controlled allies during a hunt, making it easier to overcome difficult challenges.
In terms of accessibility, Monster Hunter Wilds introduces innovative options, such as an arachnophobia mode that replaces spider-like creatures with amorphous forms. This demonstrates Capcom’s commitment to making the game enjoyable for a wider audience. Another unexpected detail is the inclusion of a voiced protagonist, which adds depth to the narrative and makes the experience more immersive.
Performance and possible improvements
Although Monster Hunter Wilds is an amazing experience, in our case we have encountered some performance issues, especially in crowded areas where the frame rate can drop. Besides, a bug already present in some Capcom games being the “FATAL D3D error”, which in our case we were able to solve quickly by removing the “Automatic tuning” of the GPU from the NVIDIA configuration panel.
Likewise, some introduced aids such as the “focus mode” and some special features of certain weapons that greatly facilitate the hunt may be perceived by veteran players as too easy, causing that if you have experience in the saga, the difficulty scaling and learning curve may seem too slow.
However, these drawbacks do not seriously affect the gameplay, and it is likely that some of them will be solved with post-release patches. Despite these challenges, the game remains fun and playable, with immense potential to improve over time.
Monster Hunter Wilds: A new level of evolution for the saga
Monster Hunter Wilds is, without a doubt, a masterful evolution of the saga. Its immersive open world, refined mechanics and innovative new features make it the most accessible and satisfying entry in the franchise to date. While it is not without minor glitches and may be a bit easy for experienced hunters, its focus on dynamic interaction between the hunter, monsters and the environment creates a rich, strategic experience that promises hours of fun.
If you are a fan of the series, you will find in Monster Hunter Wilds everything you love about Monster Hunter, elevated to a new level with surprises, references and content that you will love. If you are a newcomer, the game offers enough tools and accessibility for you to dive into this fascinating world. We can say that Monster Hunter Wilds is a must-have title that redefines what it means to hunt monsters in a living and changing world.