Monster Hunter Wilds Review: The Most Welcoming, Breathtaking Hunt Yet

Monster Hunter Wilds Brings the Thrill of the Hunt to New Heights

I’ll be honest—I’ve tried to get into the Monster Hunter series for years, but something never quite clicked. Monster Hunter World lost me after 10 hours. Rise fared no better, even after giving it a go on both Switch and PC. But Monster Hunter Wilds? From the very first trailer, I was hooked. And as we got closer to release, my hype just kept growing.

Now, after spending serious time with the full game, I can confidently say this might be the most accessible, beautiful, and downright fun Monster Hunter entry yet.

Story & Setting: A Legendary Threat in the Forbidden Lands

Like previous titles, Monster Hunter Wilds puts you in the role of a customizable monster hunter. But this time, there’s more story up front. After a young boy named Nata narrowly escapes an attack by a legendary monster called The White Wraith, you’re tasked by the Hunter’s Guild to venture into the Forbidden Lands—an untamed region shrouded in mystery. Your goal? Track down Nata’s people, The Keepers, and uncover what really happened to the fabled beast.

Cinematic cutscenes now fully voice your character for the first time in series history. While you can’t pick from a wide range of voices, you can adjust the pitch to your liking—for both your hunter and your trusty Palico. It adds surprising personality to a series that’s traditionally left the protagonist silent.

Gameplay Loop: Hunt, Craft, Repeat—But Better

The gameplay loop is classic Monster Hunter: head out from your base camp, hunt increasingly dangerous monsters, collect materials, and craft better gear. Rinse and repeat.

What sets Wilds apart, however, is its seamless exploration. For the first time, you can leave your base without accepting a quest and roam the world freely—no loading screens breaking the immersion. The Forbidden Lands are vast, diverse, and teeming with life. And danger.

New and returning monsters roam these areas. You’ll face familiar faces like Congalala and Gore Magala, as well as newcomers like Doshaguma and Chatacabra. There are even more surprises I won’t spoil—but trust me, there’s no shortage of jaw-dropping encounters.

And yes, Capcom has already promised free post-launch monsters, including Mizutsune, which is expected shortly after release.

Combat & Weapons: Find Your Flow

The combat is fast, satisfying, and full of variety. Early on, you’re encouraged to take a short quiz to help pick your weapon style—a godsend for new players unsure of what fits them best.

There’s a weapon for every playstyle, from slow and heavy to fast and flashy. I personally gravitated toward the dual blades, which offered fluid, combo-heavy action. Every weapon has its own combo system and you can practice freely in a dedicated training area. It’s intuitive, rewarding, and incredibly fun once you find your groove.

New Companions & Traversal: Sykrets & Alma

While your trusty Palico returns, Sykrets—replacing the Palamutes from Rise—are your new rideable mounts. The riding mechanics take some getting used to. Initially, they control themselves, leading to a few wall crashes and “what are you doing” moments. But once you learn how to set their pathing and speed, it becomes smooth and even convenient.

Bonus: you can sharpen weapons, eat, and heal while riding. It’s clunky at first, but ultimately a clever quality-of-life feature.

You’re also joined by Alma, a researcher who documents the wilds with you. She doesn’t interfere with combat, but her occasional observations and commentary add flavor to the world.

Style & Customization: This Hunt Has Drip

Let’s be real: part of the Monster Hunter experience is looking absolutely fabulous while slaying beasts. Wilds doesn’t disappoint.

Armor sets are stunning across the board. I found myself hunting certain monsters just to get their gear, even if I didn’t need it for stats. The fashion game is top-tier, and the RE Engine’s visuals bring every shiny pauldron and fur trim to life.

Visuals & Performance: Beautiful but Pushing Limits

Capcom’s RE Engine once again proves why it’s one of the best in the industry. Monster Hunter Wilds is gorgeous—easily one of the best-looking entries in the series. The lighting, textures, and monster animations are stellar.

But here’s the rub: console performance shows the strain. You can prioritize resolution or frame rate, but the latter introduces some visual fuzziness thanks to aggressive FSR upscaling. It’s still totally playable at 30fps, but if you’re aiming for smoother gameplay, prepare for a visual downgrade.

Sound & Music: Epic All Around

The sound design and soundtrack are fantastic. Roars, environment sounds, the clash of weapons—it all hits hard. The music is orchestral, shifting from calming melodies during exploration to adrenaline-pumping anthems in combat.

The main theme is emotional and sweeping, and the battle tracks had me humming even after I logged off.

Online Play: TBD

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to properly test online multiplayer during the review period. During the beta, I encountered UI issues and strange party bugs—like friends disappearing once we left camp. I’m hopeful these have been ironed out in the final release, but I can’t offer a definitive take just yet.

Final Verdict: A Wild Triumph

Monster Hunter Wilds is a massive, vibrant step forward for the franchise. While it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it makes the formula more accessible, more cinematic, and honestly, more fun.

The seamless exploration, stylish gear, responsive combat, and engaging world make it a must-play for longtime fans—and a surprisingly welcoming entry point for newcomers.

If Capcom nails the multiplayer experience and keeps the post-launch content coming, Wilds could go down as the best Monster Hunter yet.

Monster Hunter Wilds is a roaring success that welcomes hunters new and old with open claws. Dive deeper into monster-hunting madness right here at Land of Geek Magazine!

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