By any measure, I’m relatively new to the Monster Hunter series. For years, these games were tied to handheld consoles that I wasn’t interested in, and frankly, they seemed to run terribly. My first real foray into this world was through Monster Hunter World, and it immediately hooked me; from then on, I’ve been a dedicated fan. As I pen down my thoughts, I’ve clocked over twenty hours playing Wilds. I decided to tackle the main campaign first, putting side quests on the back burner. Unfortunately, that decision left me underwhelmed.
Traditionally, Monster Hunter campaigns aren’t lauded for their storytelling genius or clever setups. They’re more like a series of tutorials, guiding you through the myriad systems and mechanics that you’ll rely on for the 100+ hours of playtime that lie ahead. Structurally, these campaigns function as introductions to the game’s diverse environments and creatures.
You’ll usually find yourself on the trail of a mysterious monster causing chaos in various regions. As you pursue this creature, you’re frequently sidetracked by other beasts until you finally discover the source of your original target’s disturbance. The campaign culminates in a showdown with the big guy, after which you unlock High Rank, marking the true beginning of the Monster Hunter experience.
In broad strokes, that’s also how the Wilds campaign plays out, much like World’s did. However, the devil is in the details, and it’s those very nuances that can distinguish an epic tale from a forgettable experience.
What made World’s campaign so memorable was Zorah Magdaros. This massive beast was an entirely new kind of monster, so large it required a whole village of folks just to slow it down. It was a spectacle: fighting on its back was akin to battling multiple creatures simultaneously with room still to spare.
This was an ambitious move by the development team, introducing a fresh kind of encounter to the Monster Hunter universe. While many fans weren’t thrilled—considering the gameplay involved a lot of setting up ramparts, loading cannons, and generally diverging from traditional Monster Hunter mechanics—I appreciated it. These unique sequences broke any monotony of endless monster battles and propelled the narrative forward.
With each new area Zorah moved into, the game unlocked new zones for exploration, illustrating firsthand the impact of its migration on the local ecosystem. The game kept players in suspense about Zorah’s true purpose almost until the campaign’s end, infusing the story with urgency and a compelling mystery.
In contrast, the Wilds campaign falls short. There’s no Zorah or grandiose looming threat. Arkveld, the flagship creature for this game, makes sporadic appearances, performing actions that baffle the characters until it vanishes, only to reappear hours later. And surprisingly, it isn’t even the final boss—that spot belongs to a slumbering giant introduced just one mission before its confrontation.
The campaign lacks a sense of diverse people uniting against a common threat. Some monster introductions feel awkward, as if Capcom was having trouble integrating them smoothly into the narrative, leading to abrupt encounters.
There’s an impression that some connective tissue—uniting the various camps of characters—was intended but ultimately got cut. Certain NPC conversations hint at deeper layers of the story that never fully manifest. Even the storyline about the ancient civilization, which mastered weather-altering technology to its downfall, feels like a sidebar more suited to a lore compendium than the main narrative.
In many ways, Wilds’ campaign echoes the broader issues within the game: smoothing out quirks in a bid to increase accessibility, yet potentially missing the mark on capturing the series’ inherent charm.
While we might soon overlook Wilds’ main campaign as we engage more deeply with the game’s successes and shortcomings, I can’t help but wonder what a true World campaign sequel might have offered.
