Monster Hunter Wilds: Hunting at the Edge of the Forbidden Lands

A Storm, a Roar, and the Call to Hunt

Monster Hunter Wilds was a brand-new release, and my first fight was not with a monster but with the world itself. When the sky opened up, rain began to barrage the screen without giving players a moment to adjust to the storm. I was cast right into the heart of a thunderstorm with lightning crashing down on cliffs and a monster roar below, cutting through the sky. I was trying to adjust the buttons at the Seikret handler briefings right before my first battle, but before I knew it, I was vaulted off my plane and performing a spinning aerial slash. I was in a moment of rage and too focused on my sword to even think about my controller. That's Wilds in a nutshell, even in early-game segments, with a poorly established narrative, the game always knows how to throw players into the action.

A Narrative That Is Very Confident In The Place It Occupies

Capcom has not placed value on the Monster Hunter series for its intrinsic value. Yet, Monster Hunter Wilds does what is usually unimaginable, for the main aim, and what all the players come for. The hunt is not diverted. You belong to the Forbidden Lands Research Commission, an odd amalgamation of veterans, scouts, and scientists who have come to examine a sprawling new region that has recently seen a surge of monstrous activity.

The script, blending the exceedingly mundane 'pick the shards and scale the mountain to save the world' with a perfectly balanced, refreshingly light-hearted humor that has been the backbone of the series since the PSP years, is nostalgically surprising for a dying generation to see. Right now, the players hunt in the new zone of the Overworld, and they can choose any of the available storytelling sidequests.

I'm really impressed that the studio has built over the decade a system that can sustain a balanced side and main objective to the point that all grinding feels justified. The only thing is that there are no large, inaccessible cutscenes that completely lock players out. It is an overcreating exterior system, not the dish itself, that is the main attraction.

The Characters in The Commission

The Commission gets the real meat of the story from Wild. Your field commander, a seasoned veteran, rides the line of soft and overbearing, given that he has a scarred blade and a soft spot for the rookies. The logistics officer is a quartermaster and a jester or comic relief, cycling through supply manifests and cracking jokes like "The monsters never sign delivery papers." Your guide also steers clear of the overbearing guide trope. She is helpful while you figure things out, and never holds your hand.

The group dynamic also sells the idea of a long, extended expedition as opposed to the standard solo-hero-walk-in-walk-out, and provides pace; you are never the sole hero of the conquest - for example, collectively defeating a rampaging beast that is about to destroy a research outpost is a personal conquest for none.

Next-Gen in Action

For the PS5 Pro, the next-gen badge is worn with pride in Monster Hunter: World. Wilds' environments are next-gen, with a ridiculous level of detail on every inch of the environment. On walls, where mud will cake onto your armor, and in the swamps, where the terrain will muck up your movements. There's also dynamic weather in every environment, altering and influencing monster aggression and patrol paths, and in varying ways that impact the overall gameplay.

However, the artwork isn't perfect. If you buy PS5 games, the rock faces, the shadows, the plants, etc, can look quite flat, but the work on these textures can be minimal at times. Environmental pop-ins are noticeable, but not distracting. This is a big improvement for the artwork, but there are still small flaws.

Animations of monsters are smooth. A whole herd of Kestodon is startled; they are animated beautifully, and dust clouds billow behind them. It's more than just a video game; it's a nature documentary.

60 fps in performance mode and 30 fps in resolution mode, performance mode is the way to go. At 60 fps, it feels smooth and responsive, with no visual degradation.

The nature of the game especially amplifies that smoothness. A game of split-second dodges and precise timing can be the difference between victory and defeat. In grind mode, every action is a performance. In combat, movement is everything. Aerial vault, counter after every roll, dodging, everything about the performance just felt so smooth. In performance mode, every action felt crazy.

Hunt's Rhythm

The game's moving nature. From tension to calm. You never know what every section of every jungle has to offer. One moment, you might be tracking claw marks, then it is time to pause, gather some herbs, and sharpen weapons for a battle. The next moment, you will be faced with an ambush battle while crossing a ridge, and the enemy is wildly rushing at you.

The layered ecosystems provide a sense of investment, and the predictable monster behaviour encourages you to search for the prey of every enemy you hunt. You notice high winds and get ready for battle. You see if the prey is around and decide to hunt. The world is alive, and it's easy to forget that it's just a game.

Hunting in All Its Forms

For veterans, the open-world aspect of the game has been alive and well since the release of Monster Hunter Wilds. The game has greater scale, smarter AI, and more dynamic hunts. There is a never-ending supply of high-level challenges to keep players immersed for months, and it's a game well-suited for mastery.

For newcomers: The game still has a learning curve—this is Monster Hunter after all—but Wilds is friendly enough to make that climb less daunting. Tutorials are streamlined and optional, and quality-of-life features (like improved tracking and mount travel) reduce downtime without skipping the core loop.

Final Thoughts

Monster Hunter Wilds still tells the story the same way as the rest of the series, but it makes it better and more efficient, cutting out the excess to streamline the process. The Forbidden Lands Research Commission is a team worth the time, the PS5 Pro makes all the action smooth, and the environments are nice to look at.

It's a game about hunting large monsters and crafting better gear to fight even larger monsters, but the practical upgrades make every mission feel more entertaining. I especially enjoy the kind of experiences that are embellished with a high level of graphics, and every expedition feels like it has a new life. The better moments are even better, and I especially enjoy the cinematics.