Preview: ‘Monster Hunter Wilds’ takes risks in an evolutionary leap

To make noise in 2025, a game will have to be beyond good. It will have to be phenomenal. The year is expected to see the launch of “Grand Theft Auto VI,” “Death Stranding 2: On the Beach” and other high-profile titles, and to stand out, a title will have to exceed expectations.

From what I played of a Gamescom demo in San Francisco, “Monster Hunter Wilds” should carry buzz throughout the year. It’s a project that takes risks and moves the genre forward. It’s not an entry that refines elements from past games, but one that forges a bold new path.

THE STORY SO FAR

A title that visionary needs a story and scenarios that measure up to that ambition, and “Monster Hunter Wilds” offers that from the outset. It takes place in an area called the Forbidden Lands that was home to a lost civilization and had been abandoned because of the dangerous conditions for survival there.

But the Hunters Guild made a discovery. They picked up a boy named Nata, who said he’s from a tribe that has managed to live in the Forbidden Lands. He’s part of clan called The Keepers, and the Guild sends the player out as part of an expeditionary force to investigate the area.

I played two missions. The first was an introductory quest that had my character rescuing another child, a girl named Nona, who is being chased by a school of wormlike Balahara. This scenario shows off the player’s new mount called Seikret, which is almost like a four-legged Chocobo. It mainly runs and player will follow the girl as players get used to how it runs, brakes and glides.

The scenario also shows off the grappling hook, which can be used to grab screamer pods from flying creatures so that the hunter can disrupt the Balahara trailing after them. They swim in the sand like Cephadrome. The hook can even be used to pull down environmental hazards that slow the creatures down.

COMBAT CHANGES

Eventually, players rescue the girls and she says her brother Y’sai is in trouble. That’s when players have their first official hunt against a Chatacabra. It’s a froglike creature. I picked one of my favorite weapons, the Switch Axe. It works mostly the same, but it does have two new moves. They’re both parries. One is called the Offset Slash and it’s available in Ax Mode. It’s a wide vertical swing, and when timed correctly during an enemy attack, it can knock a monster off balance.

The Sword Mode has a similar move called the Rising Slash using R2 and triangle. Again, it’s a slow moving move and it will take time to master the timing so players can counter enemy attacks.

The bigger change to combat is the Focus Mode, which is accessed via the L2 button. It creates a reticle so that players can target a specific spot on the Chatacbra’s body. Hitting the same area such as a leg creates a wound. In Focus Mode, it will shine red and players will have to pummel it through normal attacks or the R1 button, which performs a combo called a Focus Strike. Damage it enough and it deals heavy damage and the wound will eventually be permanent on the body part.

EXPLOITING WOUNDS

At first, using the Focus Mode was awkward because it was unwieldy to be dodging left and right while also target a body part. Being able to lock on an enemy using R3 mitigates that, but I found that it’s best to focus on quick attacks and combos and dodging so that I can open up that wound before using the R1 combo to exploit it.

It’s a new layer to combat that opens up more depth to confronting monsters. Players will have to be more precise in their attacks, but they’ll also reap rewards for targeting limbs. They earn more materials over the course battle and it can cripple creatures so that they move slower and have a harder time running away or attacking.

After rescuing Y’sai players are introduced to the temporary base. This is where players will interact with members of the expedition, upgrade weapons and do the normal upkeep.

FIGHTING DOSHAGUMA

The second mission had me facing the Doshaguma. The big problem with this monster is that it hunts in packs. If players aren’t careful, they’ll be facing three of these enormous bearlike beasts head-on. The quest’s goal was to kill the Alpha Doshaguma. When confronting the pack, players need to use a dung pod to break them up. If done right, it makes the alpha stink so it scares off his buddies and it allows players to battle it one on one.

On this mission, I brought the hammer and interestingly enough “Monster Hunter Wilds” allows players to bring a secondary weapon. I picked the Gunlance because I was learning the weapon in “Monster Hunter Now” and liked its damage output. It allowed me to attack Doshaguma from a distance while still riding the Seikret.

This time, the creature was harder to take down. During the hunt, I had to figure out its attack patterns. Partway through the confrontation, the weather changed and it created harsher conditions for the fight. That new wrinkle creates unpredictability in a hunt but also makes the world feel more grounded. Over the course of the battle, I had to call for backup and a computer-controlled ally went to help out. My voiced Palico also offered heals and other support.

KEEPING UP THE CHASE

I had to chase it around the map, which was more frustrating because it sometimes it would run into its buddies and they’d tag team long enough so that I had to load up another dung pod to scatter them again. The fight was a battle of endurance as I fought and pursued it. Scout flies make a return so it’s easy to track.

The Seikreit was helpful in the pursuit because not only was it quick, but it also had a pouch that carries extra potions and other helpful items. I needed it because I ran out of healing items fast. Players have one main attack aboard Seikret but they also have an option for a dismount attack and when I did it, I managed to jump on the Doshaguma’s back. My hunter was holding onto its fur almost like the hero in “Shadow of the Colossus” and I had the option to use the knife to stab its back or use my hammer to pound on it. I made a quick wound on that, but trying to hit that same area again was nearly impossible unless I knocked down with hammer attacks to the head.

Eventually, I defeated Doshaguma and the whole ordeal reminded me of the long, brutal hunts from “Monster Hunter World” rather than the speedy, focused ones from “Monster Hunter Rise.” It was a long, drawn-out battle, in which I almost hit the time limit.

After the hunt though, I had the opportunity to explore the environment. Yes, for the first time in “Monster Hunter Wilds,” players explore a somewhat open-world. I didn’t have time to run across the map, so I couldn’t get a good sense of its size, but the world itself is fairly big and filled with all sorts of creatures. In the middle of my hunt, the Doshaguma ran into a Chatacbra and entered a brief scuffle. After the mission was over, i could just walk up to another monster and initiate a hunt just be hitting it a few times.

It’s another change for “Monster Hunter Wilds.” Players no longer end a mission go back to the village and pick a new mission. The hunts are more free form, and the gameplay feels more open-ended. It’s another new element, showing the risks that the developers are taking with this entry. These are need shifts in gameplay and shows Capcom’s commitment to making sure that “Monster Hunter” evolves with the technology and times.

“Monster Hunter Wilds” is scheduled for release next year on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S and PC.