In the lead up to the launch, Capcom has been drip feeding players trailers and breakdowns of gameplay forMonster Hunter Wilds, which have largely been received well thus far. New monsters have been shown off, like the technically impressive Nu Urda, while classic monsters of old have made a rousing return, such as the Gravios. Whole hunts have been shown off with players able to get a good look at new gameplay features in motion, and the timing of these seems to be building up toward the next open beta that started on February 7.
A lot of things are being evolved and brought to another level inMH Wilds, with most of the features seemingly carrying on fromMH World. Although the Seikret mount is similar to the Palamutes inMH Rise, much of the gameplay seems to be based on what worked forWorld, with the general pacing being similar if the first open beta is anything to go by.It has also taken several features fromWorld’s expansion,Iceborne, with its customization featuresthat are richer than ever and have been used as a platform to help players express themselves.
Monster Hunter Wilds Has The Best Customization In The Series
Which Should Be The Bare Minimum
Monster Hunter Wildsrecently released a Customization Overview trailer, and the material shown reveals Capcom’s intent. If the trailer is representative of the final product,MH Wildsis bound to be the most customization-rich title in the entire series, picking up whereMH WorldandRiseleft off. Hunter customization seems to have taken some inspiration fromDragon’s Dogma 2and its praised character creation, allowing players to really sculpt the visage they want for their character, from changing hair length to editing the fine details of eye, nose, and mouth shapes.
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Hunters can also customize their Palico, with the option to make them extra fluffy (and perhaps extra lovable) with improved graphical fidelity. The newSeikrets also get a lot of love too, with players able to change the color of their feathers and add little decorations to them, although it doesn’t seem that they will have major equipment changes like thePalamutes fromMH Rise. Still, with the color gradients of the Seikret’s feathers, players will be able to make some majestic mounts and this added customization really helps the new addition feel part of the team.
Unlike Palamutes, Seikrets will not actively fight a monster but will act as a mobile inventory that allows for weapon switching.
To show off the work players have put into making their Hunter, Seikret, and Palico just right, the Guild Card of old has seen an upgrade. The Guild Card was used to introduce hunters to other players,but has now been replaced with the Hunter Profile. These profiles are far more feature rich and allow for hunters to pose with their animal friends so that other players get a sense of whom the player behind the hunter is. Pair this with a photo mode, and it seems thatWildsis letting its players pose more than ever.
MH Wilds Is Taking Customization Features From Iceborne
Iceborne Introduced Many Worthwhile Features To MH World
Some of the features shown off in the Customization Overview trailer look like carry-overs fromIceborne.Having more Layered Armor (armor that only affects a hunter’s cosmetics) at High Rank seems to take the Master Rank Layered Armor fromIceborne, but puts it earlier in the game to allow players to have a defined look earlier on for their hunter. When paired with thenew unisex armor system, players should have a lot of options for their hunter’s outfits without worrying about looking goofy to get the best possible stats.
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There were some worries about how the open world would operate, but the new camping systems seem to take advantage of such a large world. These camps can be customized too, from their seating to the patterns and colors on the tent. Even the music can be changed while in the tent, andwhile joined by Alma (the new Handler), the Palico, and Seikret, it can be a cozy little spot to prepare or recover from a hunt. This will help campsites feel like mobile homes, rather than something just to drop and move on from.
Campsites can be placed on specific spots in the open world. They cannot be placed wherever a player wants.
While the camping system is something new toMonster Hunter,its customization is quite similar to what was done with the hunter’s room in Seliana during theIcebornecampaign. There, players were able to customize their room, from its bed to its dining area, filling ponds with pets and changing the music. While the campsites are not as large or dense as the room in Seliana, hence being less feature rich, it does show that Capcom are taking what worked from its prior title to makeMH Wilds' releasethe culmination of everything the series has been thus far.
One Downside Is Heavy Monetization In MH Wilds Seems Likely
The Trailer Has A Section For Downloadable Content
While Capcom has been on a recent hot streak with its games, fromResident EviltoStreet Fighter, it has also been continuing some controversial monetization habits that fans have not been happy with.While these monetization habits don’t actively get in the way of gameplayand tend to charge players for resources they can get in game, as was the case withDragon’s Dogma 2andDevil May Cry 5, it would be better not to have them. There isn’t much reason to believe thatMH Wildswon’t suffer a similar fate considering its prior entries.
Despite Capcom’s questionable monetization practices, it still continues to push its teams to make some great games andWildsseems to be continuing the studio’s hot streak.
Capcom likely won’t lock away things that actually affect thegameplay ofMH Wilds, like weapons and armor, but probably will lock a lot of customization options behind paywalls. This was the case forWorld, especially withIceborneand its customizable room, since much of the furniture required players to put their wallets into the game. Again, this didn’t affect the gameplay and players are still able to beat the game without any hampering, which is better than other titles, butlocking customization already in the game behind paywalls is incredibly annoying, even if the game is good.
Despite Capcom’s questionable monetization practices, it still continues to push its teams to make some great games andWildsseems to be continuing the studio’s hot streak. The open world is massive, monsters look better than ever, and customization has never been more feature rich than inMonster Hunter Wilds. There’s a lot to look forward to with this new title and if Capcom can stick the landing, as it has often done with the franchise, thenWildscould be the biggest game in the series, continuing the mainstream success started byWorld.
