Overcoming an obstacle far larger than oneself, quite literally in the case of Monster Hunter: Wilds with its towering wyverns and hostile leviathans, has been a popular trope since David and Goliath. I, however, am no David – I have not toppled a foe far stronger than myself alone. That was, until I went into Wilds as my first ever solo Monster Hunter experience and discovered a whole new world to enjoy.
I had my first encounter with the Monster Hunter series over a decade ago, drawn in by its exciting gameplay and impressive beasts each with their own unique biology. But my younger self quickly discovered that my fear of these virtual monsters felt all too real. It took me hours just to best the first, and weakest, monster in the game and if that didn’t finish me off the quest time limit would. Years later, I returned to the franchise after a friend offered to ‘carry me’ (do all the hard and scary work) through the game until I felt more comfortable holding my own. I’m forever indebted to said friend, as I may have never truly enjoyed Monster Hunter without their help. The series became a staple game experience for me with each new title, though significantly always a cooperative experience with friends, partners, and occasionally strangers online. With the latest installment, Monster Hunter: Wilds, adding a new follower system and integrating its story and characters heavily into the main campaign gameplay, I was determined to enjoy it on my own.
Upon beginning in Wilds, you’re introduced to an ambitious overarching story, one which embeds you into an expedition team who join you throughout your adventure in significant ways. Everyone on your team has different functions, from Alma the ‘handler’ who you embark on quests with, to Gemma the smithy who crafts your weapons and gear. In Wilds, these characters don’t wait at a basecamp for you to use their services, they follow you in your quest and add character and explanation to the world around you. Teammates will provide tutorials to ease you into a variety of actions which show off Wilds’ world and the hunter’s skills to the fullest. Wilds reintroduces the slinger to the series, a device attached to your arm for grabbing and firing things at range. Despite the core gameplay relying on the many weapons at your disposal, the game constantly reminds you of the creative ways the slinger can be used in cutscenes and set pieces, often involving dramatically dropping boulders onto foes. This integration of the story and characters into the gameplay experience provides players with a variety of tools and incentives for playing the game solo, much like a traditional single-player RPG.
Wilds’ story is filled with colourful characters, but their presence extends beyond just cheering from the sidelines to directly involving themselves in your hunts. You’re joined throughout by your beloved Palico companion, a cat-like creature who fights monsters alongside you, albeit with smaller, cuter weapons. Palicoes have a history of appearing in Monster Hunter titles as helpful sidekicks, playing a supporting role as you take down monsters. Wilds takes things even further with its NPC followers, hunters fully equipped for battle like yourself but controlled by AI. Should a solo hunt be particularly challenging, or you just prefer to work in a team, you can quickly fire off an SOS flare from your slinger and be joined by a full group of hunters in seconds. The experience feels much like multiplayer, with a monster’s attention divided amongst everyone (offering you important moments of respite to sharpen or reload) and followers supporting you with buffs and healing throughout the fight. They aren’t incessant killing machines however, if left to their own devices they won’t finish the beast and take all the spoils for themselves. They work in synergy with you as the player and allow you to land the big, striking blows as well as the finishing strike. You still feel like the main character defeating creatures many times your size, just with the support of others. I would often switch from taking on smaller monsters solo, wanting to dance with the beast until one of us reigns triumphant, to calling in the full squad to support me for the fiercer titans.
The monster ecology is more alive and complex than ever in Wilds thanks to its seamless sprawling map full of interactive flora, fauna, and natural features. Fights range from fanged beasts hunting together in packs to wyverns traversing and climbing along the environment to utilise it to their advantage. Fighting a Balahara, a sand-dwelling serpentine monster, involves dodging it from above, as it spits mucus and jumps off hanging drops, to evading it from below, as it tunnels beneath your feet and even creates giant pits of quicksand to trap your team. Meanwhile Uth Duna, a massive leviathan only appearing during torrential rain, swims out of range to return for the kill with skyward leaps and resulting tidal waves, before escaping from you up waterfalls, adding a dramatic flair to battles that doesn’t hinge on cutscenes breaking the flow of gameplay.
Weather plays an important role in monster behaviour, environmental conditions, and even the overarching story. Each environment has three changing weather states: fallow, inclemency, and plenty. You’ll begin in each area during the fallow, before an inclemency will occur causing a major weather change ranging from thunderous sandstorms to blazing infernoes. During inclemencies you may have to dodge lightning or use cooling items against the heat, plus there’ll be new environmental triggers to play around with and give you the upper hand in battle. Inclemency is also when each region’s apex predator will rear its head, foes who offer some of the game’s greatest challenges. Finallyoduces Seikrets – feathery raptors who kindly transport you along the environments. They can be summoned in a pinch with one command and will automatically pick you up and carry on running, ideal when a monster is giving you a lot of heat.
There are fourteen types of weapons at your disposal throughout the game, and you can practice with any type in the designated training area. If you’re new to the franchise, Alma will helpfully give you some questions about how you’d like to fight, then offer a weapon suggestion based on your answers: A hunter’s personality quiz, if you will. Each weapon has unique features and you’re welcome to switch around on your journey or find what works for you and commit. Whether you prefer clashing and retaliating against fierce blows or want to nimbly evade rains of fire, there are counter and dodge abilities to explore and practice for deeper gameplay. Though hacking and slashing will usually do the trick. A feature that really helped during my solo venture is the newly introduced focus mode, whereby you can aim your attacks and guards, plus see glowing red wounds which, when hit with powerful focus strikes, drop additional resources.
Monster Hunter: Wilds’ more challenging end game content takes the safety bars off as you leave the main story, but still carves out a path for solo play. After completing the story in ‘Low Rank’, you join ‘High Rank’ for the more intense battles and hardier monsters. Despite a reduced story-focus in High Rank, being less linear means there’s the freedom to take on monsters you’re comfortable challenging. Your rank progresses by completing any High Rank quest, not a set path of quests, meaning you can improve your gear and core skills however you prefer before returning to those monsters that give you extra trouble.
Monster Hunter: Wilds ushers in a new generation of the series with new environmental features and monster interactions, core gameplay mechanics, and immersive story and character implementation. Soloing a Monster Hunter game, arguably a beast I have found more intimidating than any of the deadly colossuses present in Wilds, not only felt possible, but rewarding thanks to the latest entry’s many features geared towards the solo hunter. After all of my solo training, maybe I can pay my friend’s kindness forward and help guide someone else getting acquainted with the series. I’m convinced, however, that even if I’m not around, they’d manage just fine.
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