As a seasoned Monster Hunter veteran with years of slaying beasts beneath my belt, let me tell you, the latest installment in the series, Wilds, has truly taken the hunt to new heights! The Doshaguma pack was no walk in the park; those hirsute bovine brutes almost had me for breakfast! But alas, I managed to outsmart them and take down their Alpha with the help of my trusty Gunlance and the game’s innovative Seikret mount.
2025 is set to bring one of the year’s most thrilling game releases: Monster Hunter Wilds. As usual, expect sprawling exotic landscapes teeming with fresh and familiar beasts for both solo and multiplayer hunts, along with Capcom’s latest updates and novel features. But at Tokyo Game Show 2024, I gained a better sense of what awaits us. Engaging in the narrative armed with the Charge Blade or embarking on free hunts with the Gunlance was just a taste of the new possibilities Wilds offers, especially with its innovative mount system and the destruction potential of Focus Strikes.
A new land ravaged by dangerous beasts
In Monster Hunter Wilds, the adventure begins within a sandy expanse, where we join a hunting party traversing the vast dunes and rock formations of this new region. Originally, a village inhabited these lands, but it was devastated by a ferocious and lethal top-tier predator that forced its inhabitants to flee. In the demonstration of the narrative, we arrive just in the nick of time to aid some of the displaced villagers. The story commences with a child running frantically across the desert, pursued by swarms of sandworm-like beasts seeking a tasty meal. Fortunately, she’s mounted on Seikret, the fresh addition to Wilds’ mount family, and another unmounted Seikret offers us the chance to hop aboard, pursue the creatures, and save her from their clutches.
Following that revelation, I discovered she hailed from a desert village and was compelled to flee with her brother. He opted to stay behind to facilitate their escape, leading us on a quest to locate him using the Seikret we’d employed to rescue the girl. This adventure immediately thrust us into encountering the first monster in the game – the Chatacabra. This creature resembles a wyvern and has a grotesque, long, slime-covered tongue it uses to devour its victims. Unfortunately, my brother was one of those victims, so we jumped into action to pursue the beast, making the predatorial Chatacabra our prey instead.
In this demonstration, I utilized the Charge Blade throughout the storyline. Since its release, I’ve been a dedicated user of this weapon and appreciate its defensive capabilities in Sword-and-Shield Mode, which builds up its powerful attacks in Axe Mode. The sheer force of the Charge Blade’s heavy swings is as delightful as ever, but it was when the game introduced Focus Strikes that things got really exciting. By concentrating your strikes on specific areas of an enemy for a prolonged period, you can eventually expose a vulnerable spot. When this happens, you can employ the Focus system to concentrate your attacks on that weak point and deliver an impressive finisher based on the weapon you’re using. For the Charge Blade, the Focus Strike transitions it into Axe Mode, causing the blade to spin like a buzzsaw. In my case, I plunged this whirling weapon into Chatacabra’s face and gave it a good knock on its behind.
Initially, my combination moves felt a bit rusty, but I’m eager to see what I can achieve once I get back to using Amped Elemental strikes. In this initial fight, polishing it off with Focus Strikes and finishers was sufficient.
Where the wild things wander
At Tokyo Game Show 2024, I got a chance to play a demo that deviated from the main storyline and offered a free-roam hunting experience. This time, I was dropped into a biome filled with common Wyverns, allowing me to explore at my leisure. The objective this time wasn’t just any hunt; we were on the pursuit of an Alpha Doshaguma, a massive beast resembling a hairy buffalo and the pack leader.
Initially, I found myself needing to engage in a struggle against the group, as it seemed they were poised to overwhelm us with relentless charges that left my hunter disoriented. Once I managed to stabilize myself among the Doshaguma and its associates, I retaliated by pelting them with Dung Pods, causing them to scatter in all directions. It’s crucial to focus on individual opponents when defending oneself. After driving them off, I utilized the Seikret to trace the Alpha to its new position and prepare for the main confrontation.
In this battle, I opted for the Gunlance, a weapon that allows you to deliver powered thrusts and subsequent bursts when your combos are spot-on, resembling a rhythmic mix of bullet fire and stabbing moves. During these exchanges, it’s crucial to reload when you sense it’s safe to do so, taking cover behind the shield for protection. The moments that gave me the most thrill were undeniably landing the Focus Strikes on this monster, but I must admit, I also appreciated the usefulness of the Seikret mount during this fight.
In the Wilds, you now have the ability to utilize the Sling to gather items from your surroundings. This is particularly useful when replenishing your Dung Pod supply, as you can do so without dismounting Seikret or getting too close. Moreover, you can snatch items quickly while pursuing your prey on horseback at high speed. This new feature significantly enhances the Wilds experience, even surpassing the resource collection from the Palamute’s back in Rise, as you had to get closer in that instance. Now, all you need is to be within range for the Sling target.
In addition to regular combat sequences, there are instances during battles where timing is crucial for successful counterattacks against monsters. For example, when Doshaguma attacked me with a snap of its jaw near my Gunlance’s shield, a quick-response button prompt appeared on the screen. By pressing the prompted button quickly and continuously, I managed to parry the monster back, thrust my Gunlance into its muzzle, and fired all my stored ammunition into it. The experience was incredibly thrilling, and I can hardly wait to discover more exciting interactions like this using other weapon types.
The Wilds call to you
In terms of excitement for Monster Hunter Wilds, Tokyo Game Show 2024 left me utterly thrilled! The sensation of wielding my Charge Blade and Gunlance in this game was simply outstanding, amplified by the electrifying clashes and Focus Strikes. I can’t help but appreciate the Seikret’s enhancements, particularly the ability to carry two weapons and swiftly gather resources on the fly – a significant leap forward from past editions of the game. Monster Hunter Wilds already had me eagerly anticipating its release. Now, I’m practically counting down the days until February 2025!
As an enthusiastic gamer, I had the privilege of getting a sneak peek into two playable demos of Monster Hunter Wilds at the Tokyo Game Show 2024. This highly anticipated title is set to launch on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on February 28, 2025. I simply can’t wait!
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2024-10-03 16:27