I’ve always considered myself relatively new to the Monster Hunter franchise. For the longest time, I stayed away from the games because they were available only on handheld consoles that didn’t appeal to me. Plus, they seemed to run poorly. When Monster Hunter World came out, that was my first real foray into this universe, and it hooked me completely. I’ve been a devoted fan since then. With over twenty hours invested in Wilds as I’m penning this down, I went through the main campaign before dabbling in side quests. To be honest, it was quite a disappointment.
Campaigns in Monster Hunter aren’t generally celebrated for their stories or intricate plot twists. Their primary function is to guide you through a myriad of tutorials, teaching you the numerous mechanics and strategies you’ll need as you delve deeper into the game, often extending beyond 100 hours. These campaigns are basically like a grand showcase of the creatures each game has to offer.
Typically, the narrative starts with your team tracking a mysterious beast causing disruptions across various regions. Along the way, other monsters interrupt your journey until you finally uncover what’s been affecting your original quarry. After facing off against the main monster, the curtain drops on the campaign, ushering you into High Rank mode where the real Monster Hunter experience begins.
In broad strokes, Wilds’ campaign mirrors that of World. However, the missing details are where one campaign might captivate you while the other barely makes an impression.
What made World’s campaign memorable was its core narrative. Zorah Magdaros was a fresh monster type, so massive it required an entire village to even slow it down. This creature was so huge you could battle multiple monsters on its back and still have room left. Clearly, the developers aimed to introduce a novel gameplay experience with this enormous beast. Although the Zorah Magdaros encounters weren’t universally loved, they involved unique tasks like constructing defenses and loading cannons, activities that deviated from typical Monster Hunter gameplay.
Personally, I appreciated these moments because they broke the monotony of constant monster battles. Moreover, Zorah’s progress through the game world also served as a vehicle for the narrative. Each time it moved to a new area, that location was unlocked for exploration, revealing firsthand how it altered the local ecosystem. This chase imbued the story with a sense of urgency and unfolding mystery.
Contrast that with Wilds. There, you don’t have Zorah or an overarching menace. Arkveld, the flagship monster, makes occasional appearances, doing puzzling things that remain unexplained, then disappears for hours. Surprisingly, it’s not even the final boss. That role belongs to an enormous creature you learn about just one mission before you face it.
There’s no grand unification of different groups to tackle a common foe here. Some of the monster introductions seem awkward, as though Capcom struggled to integrate them smoothly into the storyline, resulting in them being randomly shoehorned into certain missions.
It feels like some connecting thread linking the various character groups might have existed but was later removed. There are hints in NPC dialogues and cinematic exchanges that suggest a deeper narrative, but we never get to see it unfold.
Additionally, the story of the forerunner civilization’s downfall due to weather-controlling technology feels like it was relegated to cutscenes, making it more fitting for a lore compendium than the actual game.
Overall, the Wilds campaign reflects some broader issues within the main game. It cuts out a lot of the charm, trying to refine those rough edges to be more inclusive. Yet, whether those were the right aspects to focus on is debatable.
Soon, we might forget the Wilds campaign itself as the game’s high points and shortcomings become more apparent. Still, I can’t help but wonder how a true follow-up to World’s campaign could have unfolded.
