“A pedal-to-the-metal action thrill ride that any newcomer can vibe with"
PC | PS5 | XBOX SERIES
HOW I PLAYED: I played Monster Hunter: Wilds via Steam for PC on my R7 7800X3D , RTX 3080 gaming PC. I was playing on modified High settings at 1440p with Ray Tracing disabled.
STORY — 16/20
INTRO -5
It was only a few years ago when I was exclusively a FromSoftware-only gamer who played a rotation of three titles: Bloodborne, Dark Souls III, and Dark Souls. I specifically remember in 2020 when a friend tried to get me into Monster Hunter World. I bought the game on PlayStation, booted it up, and probably put about three hours into it before I quit. I completely wrote off the game.What was the problem?
I hated that the boss battles were super long and drawn out. There were no boss health bars, and I despised chasing down enemies that kept fleeing from me. I also found the controls to be convoluted and clunky.
So, when I saw the first teaser trailer for Monster Hunter Wilds at the 2023 Game Awards (while only watching for an Elden Ring DLC trailer… which didn’t show), I thought to myself, “Do tons of people actually dig these games?” As more details emerged and gameplay dropped, I got more intrigued. I recalled my Monster Hunter World experience and wondered, “Will I hate this one too?” Then Capcom released a demo for Wilds. I jumped in to give it a spin.
Being the Souls spazz I am, I picked a dual blade build. You know what? I actually liked my experience. The controls reminded me of Capcom’s previous release, Dragon’s Dogma II, so I was kinda familiar with the loose jankiness.
I was super conflicted about this game’s release. I’ve never been into the Monster Hunter legacy, and on the surface, it felt like a mashup of everything I despise in gaming.
I… was… wrong…
Mostly.
It could just be the tweaks they made to welcome newcomers like me. But I’m genuinely stoked that I decided to play Monster Hunter Wilds and finish it.
Monster Hunter Wilds kicks off with a cinematic to drop you into the story. We meet key characters—Nata, Alma, Fabius, and others—and get a sense of the main drive. Nata’s people were attacked by a legendary monster. Out of survival, Nata escapes their village through a secret passage while the others sacrifice themselves to ensure Nata’s getaway.
Our main crew then finds Nata passed out in the middle of the Monster Hunter Wilds world, dubbed “The Forbidden Lands.” It’s decided that a Hunter and Handler should tag along, help Nata return to their village, and uncover why the legendary beast went agro.
You’re then whisked to the character creator to craft your custom hunter and Palico (companion). After that, you’re thrown into a stunning hype sequence where your character dives into danger to save a kid in peril.
Absolute cinema...a killer way to introduce the world and your character!
CUTSCENES -4
The cutscenes in MHW are top-notch. The RE engine flexes hard during these cinematic beats, and Capcom nailed the perfect length for them. I never got bored since I’d be thrust back into action right after. This is what I’m talking about! Use cutscenes to push the story, but respect the player and get them back to the grind ASAP!
No fat, no fluff!!
Epic! 👌🏻
WORLD BUILDING -3
The world building flows through the game’s cinematics. You pick up extra bits from NPC chatter and monster notes in the start menu. Still, I felt like a chunk of the lore assumes you’re a Monster Hunter vet. As a newbie, I didn’t feel lost without prior games, so I’d guess veterans might score some bonus nostalgia from throwbacks.
OVERALL STORY -4
I’ve seen gripes that the story’s too basic or short. For me, though? It was exactly what it needed to be! Was it Christopher Nolan-level? Hell no! But was it campy, fun, and a solid ride between plot points? Hell yes!
Not every game needs a convoluted, dialogue-heavy masterpiece. There’s nothing wrong with a simple, tasty McDonald’s Value Meal of a story, and that’s what Capcom delivers with Monster Hunter Wilds!
Not every game needs a convoluted, dialogue-heavy masterpiece. There’s nothing wrong with a simple, tasty McDonald’s Value Meal of a story, and that’s what Capcom delivers with Monster Hunter Wilds!
I… was… wrong…
GRAPHICS — 13/15
CHARACTER MODELS -5
All the characters in Monster Hunter Wilds look jaw-dropping. Capcom’s always had slick-looking designs, and I’m here for it. There’s a dope mix of diverse characters, all crafted with a killer blend of realism and high-fantasy vibes.
I legit enjoyed the animal companions like Palicos and WudWuds too. Their goofy expressions and rapid-fire chatter had me cracking up, 10/10 comic relief whenever the pace needed a breather.
ENVIRONMENTS -4
The mid-game open-world desert can feel a bit meh, but MHW packs some varied biomes. After tweaking the graphics settings to ditch the washed-out film grain and artificial contrast/brightness boosts, I unlocked some gorgeous visuals. It really made certain zones pop.
They’re not truly next-gen, but they’ve got their moments and vibe perfectly with the game’s atmosphere.
SPECIAL FX -4
It amps up the visuals, especially during monster clashes. Capcom knows their craft!
AUDIO — 13/15
AMBIENCE -4
I dig the chill moments in open areas, hearing wildlife all around. The music and background ambience ramp up perfectly to keep you locked in. Capcom crushed it with MHW’s overall soundscape!
BOSS MUSIC -4
Epic! It’s not quite Final Fantasy or FromSoftware-tier, but it’s damn close! Every boss had a unique track that synced perfectly with the fight and the vibe at that moment. I was hyped for each showdown with a colossal beast, it kept me pumped mid-battle.
SOUND DESIGN -5
The voice acting is god-tier! I loved every character you meet in MHW. Even Nata, who most players find annoying, fit their role perfectly in my book. Playing with solid headphones is a treat; you can pinpoint monsters and enemies around you.
I don't know if it's good enough to do blind folded... but it's still pretty good.
I was also impressed by how much dialogue the player character gets. Picking and tweaking your voice is a dope touch. Maybe one day we’ll record our own lines for games to mimic, but this still pulls you in deep.
I don't know if it's good enough to do blind folded... but it's still pretty good.
I was also impressed by how much dialogue the player character gets. Picking and tweaking your voice is a dope touch. Maybe one day we’ll record our own lines for games to mimic, but this still pulls you in deep.
PERFORMANCE — 6/10
FRAME RATE -3
I’m not sugarcoating this: the framerate is trash for a game that looks and plays like this. Consoles barely hold 60 FPS in performance mode, probably with FSR and framegen cranked, and that’s a joke. PC performance is a crapshoot depending on your rig. Seeing high-end setups struggle to hit 60 FPS? Not a good look.
It’s also sketchy how hard the game pushes frame generation. Framegen’s solid when you’re starting above 60 FPS, but below that, or near 30 FPS, it might boost the number, yet the input lag and gameplay feel like sludge!
Dragon’s Dogma II and Monster Hunter Wilds prove the RE engine isn’t tuned for open-world games. With MHW moving 10+ million copies, I hope Capcom pumps some serious dev time into optimizing it for future drops.
STABILITY -3
I didn’t hit any game-breaking bugs, but I had some weird graphical hiccups. MHW also chugs with framerate and performance dips in busy zones. With all the issues reported across console and PC, I can’t give it more than a 3/5.
GAMEPLAY — 32/40
CONTROLS -4
The controls feel way tighter than Monster Hunter World’s. They’ve still got that “slippery” vibe from Dragon’s Dogma II, but my inputs never felt laggy or off. MHW makes you feel like a beast when your charged attacks or combos land on a monster.
MECHANICS -4
The mount addition in MHW is a game-changer. Chasing monsters on foot in World was a slog, so having a ride that auto-pilots you to the action? Huge quality-of-life win.
The new “wounds” mechanic is a blast too. It’s borderline OP, but going into focus mode and shredding wounds for massive stagger damage felt so clutch.
PACING -5
The pacing in MHW is nuts! I braced for long exposition dumps or lame “tutorial” sections with restricted movement.
NOPE!
NONE!
YOU GO HUNT THE MONSTER! Then you get a pretty cutscene THEN BAMN! You are fighting ANOTHER MONSTER!
LETS FUCKIN GOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Seriously more studios need to take notes of this master of Cut-scene to gameplay ratio.
NOPE!
NONE!
YOU GO HUNT THE MONSTER! Then you get a pretty cutscene THEN BAMN! You are fighting ANOTHER MONSTER!
LETS FUCKIN GOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Seriously more studios need to take notes of this master of Cut-scene to gameplay ratio.
UI/UE -3
The UI is decent but still feels cluttered. Monster Hunter games pack deep mechanics, sure, but basic functions didn’t click intuitively for me.
The tutorials helped me grip the controls and systems better. Still, I ended up hunting YouTube for “How To” vids on stuff like:
"How to replenish healing items"
"How to trap monsters"
BOSS QUALITY -5
Pure cinematic gold! Every boss, even the smaller fry, had killer intros and wicked move sets. I get that monsters repeat across the series, so maybe their moves are recycled from past games. As a first-timer, though? I had a total blast taking on these epic beasts.
ENEMY VARIETY -4
Nailed it! Each biome has its own crew of mini-monsters to farm for mats. Nothing felt stale, it all stayed fresh for me.
GAMEPLAY VARIETY -3
You’re basically hopping from hunt to hunt. Post-game opens up more to boost your hunter rank, with repeat boss fights for crafting gear and weapons. There are minor fetch quests for “exploration,” but they stick close to the core loop.
BUT!
You CAN go fishing! So there is that?
BUT!
You CAN go fishing! So there is that?
REPLAYABILITY -4
Capcom’s post-launch support for Monster Hunter games is unreal. I beat it launch week, and a month later, they’ve already dropped a free content update with more on the way. There might be paid DLC down the line, like Monster Hunter World’s Iceborne.
For many fans, the “real game” kicks in after the credits. There’s a ton of replay value, tweak builds, test new weapons, all from one save file.
For many fans, the “real game” kicks in after the credits. There’s a ton of replay value, tweak builds, test new weapons, all from one save file.
BONUS — 2/3
There are some great colourblind and audio cue options in the accessibility settings in MHW. I was quite surprised because I feel like Dragon's Dogma II was quite lite on accessibility options.
OVERALL — 82/100
Monster Hunter: Wilds is a pedal-to-the-metal action thrill ride that any newcomer can vibe with. Capcom’s done gamers a solid by reminding us what a great game feels and plays like. With its wild success, 10 million copies sold in a month, hopefully they’ll juice up the RE engine to run smoother on mid-tier and entry-level rigs. This is Jimmy from Based Game Reviews, and the guild greenlights you to grab Monster Hunter Wilds and play!
PROS
✅ Fun, engaging gameplay
✅ Amazing boss battles
✅ Great characters with enjoyable dialogue
✅ Incredible character customization
CONS
❌ Poor PC optimization
❌ Bad visuals on console
❌ Overwhelming mechanics & controls
TLDR: 82/100 (GREAT) Monster Hunter Wilds delivers a cinematic kickoff, stunning character designs, and a relentless hunt-cutscene-hunt pace that hooks you fast, though shaky framerate and an unoptimized RE engine bog down performance. Its campy, simple story satisfies, paired with epic boss fights, slick mechanics like mounts, and a vibrant world, all elevated by top-tier audio and replayable content. Graphics shine with tweaks, but cluttered UI and complex controls might stump some, a thrilling ride worth jumping into.
PICK UP MONSTER HUNTER: WILDS HERE:
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