When it comes to the Monster Hunter series, I have to admit I’m somewhat late to the party. For years, I avoided the games as they were primarily available on handheld consoles that just never caught my interest—and to be honest, their graphics didn’t exactly inspire confidence.
“Monster Hunter World” was my gateway into this vast universe, sparking a deep admiration for the series that has only grown since. As of now, I’ve clocked in over two dozen hours on “Wilds,” choosing to dive straight into the main story before dabbling in side quests. Unfortunately, I found that decision to be somewhat disappointing.
To be fair, Monster Hunter games aren’t exactly renowned for their storytelling prowess or for having intricate plots. The campaigns mainly function as extensive tutorials, guiding players through the multitude of systems and mechanics they’ll rely on for the next hundred hours. Essentially, they offer a structured tour of the game’s diverse ecosystems.
The formula is pretty formulaic: your team sets out to hunt a mysterious creature that’s wreaking havoc across various regions. Along the way, other monsters frequently disrupt your mission. Eventually, you unravel the mystery behind your original target, have an epic showdown, and before you know it, the main campaign concludes. That’s when the real challenge begins with High Rank quests.
In general terms, the campaign structure for “Wilds” mirrors that of “World.” However, the differences in the finer details are what make one campaign an exhilarating journey while making the other feel lackluster.
What made the campaign in “World” truly shine was its focal point: Zorah Magdaros. This was a completely different kind of beast; so massive it took a village to even slow it down. It was so colossal that you could battle multiple monsters on its back with room to spare.
Introducing something this ambitious was a bold move by the developers, aiming to transform Monster Hunter’s usual encounters. Admittedly, it wasn’t a hit with everyone. Combat with Zorah Magdaros mainly involved constructing ramparts to slow it, loading cannons to chip away at its health—essentially, tasks that deviated from typical Monster Hunter gameplay.
I personally appreciated it for those deviations. Zorah’s varied gameplay broke the monotony of fighting monster after monster, and its journey across the world served to push the narrative forward.
As you traversed new areas unlocked by its migration, you’d witness firsthand how the local ecology was affected. For much of the campaign, the mystery behind Zorah’s migration remained unsolved, giving the chase a sense of urgency and intrigue.
Now, compare that to the “Wilds” campaign. There’s no giant Zorah or any significant overarching threat. Arkveld, the signature monster of “Wilds,” appears intermittently without much explanation from the characters, only to vanish until its next brief appearance. Strangely, it isn’t even the final boss. That role is reserved for a different creature you only learn about just before the final encounter.
The absence of a unifying threat involving various factions working together is palpable. It feels like some monster introductions were shoehorned into certain missions without a coherent narrative, as if Capcom couldn’t figure out a smooth way to bring them into the spotlight.
There’s an unmistakable impression that something connecting different character groups once existed but was perhaps cut. Odd exchanges between NPCs and certain dialogue lines hint at a larger story that simply isn’t there.
Take the mystery of the ancient civilization and its world-altering technology. What could have been a riveting narrative thread merely unfolds in disjointed cutscenes, feeling more like scattered lore than an integrated part of the story.
Much of what defines the “Wilds” campaign also reflects broader issues within the game itself. In an effort to appeal to a wider audience, it loses some of the unique charm, smoothing out elements that might not have needed adjusting in the first place.
We may soon forget the ins and outs of the main “Wilds” campaign as the game’s strengths and weaknesses become more apparent. Nonetheless, I can’t help but wonder what a true follow-up to the “World” campaign might have looked like.
