Summary
Monster Hunterfans are currently on the lookout for new details aboutMonster Hunter Wilds, the next mainline entry for the series coming in 2025. The game’s teaser trailer closed out the 2023 Game Awards and sparked waves of hype across theMonster Hunterfandom that led to an unprecedented surge inMonster Hunter World’s player numbers. WithMonster Hunter Wildsnews promised to arrive sometime in summer 2024, its community should be prepared to receive whatever changes it brings.
As the first major generational leap sinceMonster Hunter Worldin 2018,Monster Hunter Wildsrepresents a wealth of new possibilities for the series. Each mainlineMonster Huntertitle added at least one major gimmick to support its regular gameplay, likeMonster Hunter Tri’s swimming orMonster Hunter 4’s verticality. WhileMonster Hunter Wilds’ biggest change could be going open-world, that’s a larger fundamental difference than what these gimmicks typically entail. Just going off of its teaser trailer, there are already several likely candidates for the main gimmick thatMonster Hunter Wildswill push.
Compounding Gimmicks May Be Monster Hunter Wilds’ Secret Weapon
Several minor features seem to have been grandfathered intoMonster Hunter Wildsfrom prior games, potentially building towards a new, larger gimmick.MH World’s Scoutflies and Slinger were spotted, suggesting thatWildsmay take place in the New World like its predecessor. Meanwhile, the use of a mount was inherited fromMonster Hunter Rise, withWilds’ new bird wyvern replacing the dog-like Palamutes. It appears to have more modes of traversal thanRise’s hunter and Palamute combined, so it should work well alongsideMH Wilds’ large environments.
Its Mount May Be The Key To Monster Hunter Wilds New Features
However, a mount that can fly or climb is fundamentally a grounded adaptation of wall-running and Wirebugs inMH Rise. If the mounted creature is part of a newMonster Hunter Wildsgimmick, it may be something broader that involves a lot of moving around. This could involve tracking monsters over farther distances than normal, carrying a mobile campsite for longer hunts, or engaging in mounted combat. IfMH Wildspermits ranged and melee weapon switching like trailer analysis suggests, there could even be airborne firefights between the player and flying wyverns likeMH’s iconic fire-breathing Rathalos. There are many practical and cinematic features enabled byMonster Hunter Wilds’ mount, but that need not make it the only new gimmick.
Ecological Turbulence Might Be Monster Hunter Wilds’ Most Persistent Gimmick
Other points of interest in theMonster Hunter Wildstrailer were the monster stampedes, including a species that would normally be Large Monster bosses fought one or two members at a time, and the changing weather. The first detail suggests the debut of Medium Monsters, akin toMonster Hunter Tri’s retired Medium Bowgun class, where some wildlife will provide easier filler fights while traveling between real hunts, unless a herd of them is provoked. EvenMonster Hunter’s best Long Sword userswill struggle against more than two opponents at once, making stampedes with five or more monsters a threat no matter how deep intoWildsthey appear.
Weather Could Be Monster Hunter Wilds’ Main Theme
It’s the weather conditions prompting those stampedes that players should watch out for, though. A strong candidate forMonster Hunter Wilds’ biggest gimmickis its extreme weather conditions, including sandstorms and thunderstorms so far, which impact wildlife as much as they do the player. IfMonster Hunter Wildsintroduces long-form hunting, then dynamic weather could add more variety to extended hunts. Certain monsters, including elementally-themed Elder Dragons, may only spawn or invade during corresponding conditions, and some will likely be responsible for the chaotic weather. With even more extreme occurrences like hurricanes, tsunamis, blizzards, and lava flows on the table,Monster Hunter Wildscould turn nature itself intoMonster Hunter’s greatest threat.
