There have been many complaints aboutMonster Hunter Wilds' lacking difficulty compared to prior titles by returning players, being noticeably easier thanMH World, its direct predecessor. Without G-Rank, this makesWildsconsiderably easier than the titles of old, and although there are some challenges with the Tempered Gore Magala and Arkveld, it isn’t the same as taking on Black Dragons. These will likely come with an expansion, likeWorld’sIceborneandRise’sSunbreak, and updates will add greater challenges for players to get stuck into, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to do in the meantime.
For the time being, players have been getting prepared for the Mizutsune, a monster that promises a challenge beyond Tempered difficulty, which is dropping with an update in April. Adding monsters after launch is typical of aMonster Huntergame,with the Lunastra and Deviljo coming toMH Worldwith an update post-release. With PC players gettingMH Wildsat launch, and suffering from a less-than-stellar port, it is the first time they have to wait for the extra challenges to come, but in the meantime, they can always play fashion hunter instead.
Monster Hunter Wilds' Endgame Is All About The Outfits
The New Outfit System Allows For Some Interesting Looks
There’s a common joke inMonster Hunterthat players risk life, limb, and their Palicoes to fight the scariest monsters in the world just to make a pair of boots. BeforeWilds, this was done to get the best gear, and sometimes combining the best equipment a Hunter has at the time can make them look like a fashion disaster, but atHigh Rank, players can wear anything they have crafted at that rank as Layered Armor. This means that a Hunter can wear whatever outfit they want on top of the equipment that is affecting their stats.
This system is an evolution of what was seen in lateIceborne, where players could get Layered Armor by farming items in the Guiding Lands. It hasallowed players to make a whole host of outfits and color them to fit with one another, giving many a reason to go back to fighting monsters that they ordinarily wouldn’t need to. These outfits have been popular enough to do well with short-form video content, with many showing off theirMH Wildsoutfits and sharing what armoris needed to make said outfits. It makes hunting everything worthwhile.
The Guiding Lands inIcebornewere a combination of all the ecosystems inWorldcombined and many of its systems seem to informMH Wilds' open world.
As someone who has playedWorld, Iceborne,andRise, I had originally expected the endgame to be based around challenging Elder Dragons, or Elder Dragon-adjacent monsters, and struggling while I grinded their gear,butWildsdoesn’t have that challenge yet. The hope is thatupdates and DLC will addthe challenge I am craving later on, but I have been enjoying collecting as much gear for outfits as I can. As someone who jokes about’Fashion Souls’with Soulborne games, farming gear to fill out my Hunter’s wardrobe is right up my street.
Grinding Gear Is Vital To Monster Hunter’s Identity
The Constant Grind Is What Makes The Games Special
A part of what madeMH Wilds' immense success surprising to me is how niche the games are. Outside of MMORPGs,there aren’t many games that are as reliant on the constant grind as theMonster Hunterseries, and while it has been proven that players like to spend a lot of time with their games now, this grindy nature simultaneously endeared and kept players away. This grind is as vital toMonster Hunteras a compelling narrative is to something likeThe Last of Usseries, andMH Wildskeeps this going.
Monster Hunter Wildshas become Capcom’s fastest-selling game,selling 8 million copies in three days.
The grind is different inMH Wilds, however,since the difficulty isn’t present enough for players to grind the best gear and decorations. Sure, players can still do this in anticipation of the Mizutsune and other monsters that are bound to make things trickier, but there doesn’t appear to be anything likeWorld’s Behemoth, which requires players to work with the best gear to give themselves a chance. This will likely come later, especially if there is an expansion with Black Dragons, but the core, late-game grind is still present and more accessible.
Monster Hunter Wilds: Weapons Difficulty Tier List
In Monster Hunter Wilds, 14 different weapons exist, some with complex systems to learn while others are easy to start using on hunts immediately.
More people are likely to grind gear for outfits than to get the best stuff in anticipation of a near insurmountable challenge, since it is easier and players get more rewards. Everyone wants to look a certain way,whether that be stylish or dressed for a comedic cosplay, andMonster Hunter Wildslets players do thisat High Rank so long as they are willing to grind gear for their outfits. It’s the same grindMonster Hunteris known for with a different outcome, and the hope is that players will get both outcomes when more challenges arrive.
MH Wilds Will Have More Challenges To Come
Event Quests And Collabs Will Make Hunts More Interesting
This isn’t the end ofMonster Hunter Wilds' content, and thepost-launch support is what helps these games have such longevity. The series has plenty of monsters to add toWilds' roster, with the Mitzutsune having already been announced, and there is going to be a gathering hub-like area added that will probably host event-based celebrations. Theupdate calander looks a little lightright now, but ifMH World’s post-launch updates are anything to go by, there will be plenty to keep players hunting, especially as far as collaborations with other games are concerned.
Monster Hunter Wilds Patch Hasn’t Fixed Its Performance, & It Might Be Months Before Anything Does
The latest patch from Monster Hunter Wilds is live, but it appears they are not yet addressing the biggest issue the game currently faces.
Monster Hunterhas always had strange collaborations, and whilenothing will ever be as weird as Hatsune Miku inMonster Hunter Frontier-G,Worldhas its fair share. From hunting a Leshen asThe Witcher 3’s Geralt to taking downFinal Fantasy’s Behemoth, there should be a lot to look forward to ifMH Wildsfollows its predecessor’s example. The Behemoth proved to be one of baseWorld’s biggest challenges, and a similar collaboration with eitherFinal Fantasy 16orFF7could see something similar return, like a fight with Ifrit or Bahamut.
Something that many returning players forget is thatMonster Hunter Wildsmay be easy by the series' standards, but it isn’t easy in general. There are still plenty of challenges for newcomers, and the High Rank outfit systems give these new players an easy reason to keep grinding gear. Wanting to make outfits for a Hunter is one of the easiest ways to get players to stay in the game, and while new monsters will present a fresh challenge, they will also get the outfit-loving players excited to see what outfits they can make out of the monster’s parts.
