I’ve always been intrigued by the Monster Hunter series, but I’ll admit I was late to the party. For years, the series was tucked away on handheld consoles I wasn’t invested in, and honestly, they seemed to run less smoothly than I’d like. But everything changed with Monster Hunter World; it was my gateway into the rich universe of Monster Hunter, and since then, there’s been no turning back. Currently, I’ve sunk over twenty hours into Monster Hunter Wilds, focusing solely on the main campaign before diving into sidequests. To say it was underwhelming might be an understatement.
The Monster Hunter campaigns have never been hailed for complex narratives or clever twists. They’re primarily there to provide a guided tour of the various game mechanics and systems you’ll become intimately familiar with over dozens of gameplay hours. These campaigns frame the games, much like a guided safari through each game’s lush world.
The storylines usually follow a familiar pattern: your team sets off to track a mysterious creature causing disturbances across different regions. Along the way, you’ll encounter and have to deal with other monsters before finally confronting your primary target. This pattern holds true for Wilds, just as it did for World. However, the specific elements that fill in these broad strokes make all the difference in crafting an engaging adventure or a forgettable journey.
Monster Hunter World’s campaign stood out for me. With the introduction of Zorah Magdaros, a colossal new monster, the game offered an experience I hadn’t encountered before. This beast was so massive it required a whole village’s effort just to slow it down. It was an audacious attempt by the developers to create an innovative encounter within the Monster Hunter framework. Although many players weren’t fans of battling Zorah, due to the more strategic and less action-oriented gameplay of setting up defenses and firing cannons, I found it a refreshing change of pace. It broke up the routine of consecutive monster hunts beautifully and advanced the storyline with every step of Zorah’s path, unlocking new areas and revealing the massive impact it had on the ecosystem.
In contrast, Monster Hunter Wilds doesn’t weave the same sense of grandeur or urgency. The main monster, Arkveld, makes only fleeting appearances, leaving both characters and players without clear explanations. It mysteriously disappears for chunks of the game, only to be brought up momentarily without leading to a satisfying climax. Instead, the final showdown is against an entirely different creature that pops up with little narrative buildup.
Wilds lacks the cohesion of a united effort, a shared threat that brings various communities together. It almost feels as though some narrative threads are missing, with certain monster introductions feeling shoehorned into missions without much context. The storyline hints at a deeper connection between the characters and events, but it never fully delivers on these hints, leaving gaps in the narrative.
The lore of the ancient civilization and their tech, which could control the weather, is handed out in bits and pieces through cutscenes. Unfortunately, these snippets feel more like entries from a history book rather than an integrated story within the game.
In many ways, the Wilds campaign reflects broader issues within the game. It trims down some of the character that gave World its charm in an attempt to make things more approachable, but perhaps not in the areas that needed attention.
While the Wilds campaign might soon fade from memory as the spotlight shifts to other aspects of the game, I find myself pondering what a true follow-up to World could have been like.
