The Monster Hunter series is legendary because of its high addiction factor and the bombardment of boss fights. But is the new part, Wilds, a good starting point for new series? The NTV.de test gives a clear answer to this: Yes and no.
I would like to start this text with something that rarely happens in this industry: by giving up ignorance. I have never played a “Monster Hunter” part-until now. While hundreds of veterans of the monster hunt still had to wait patiently for the appearance, I was able to get a few days earlier. For everyone who wants to immerse yourself in the franchise and are not sure whether Wilds could be a suitable start, I brave the practical test brave and intrepidly – and can clearly say: Yes and no!
“Monster Hunter” is best described as bombing bombing of boss. Every enemy that we face has either dandruff, huge claws, wings, fishing teeth or arms. And this monster – there is the name of the game program – we chase. The fights are usually demanding, epic and often last between 15 and 30 minutes. After the fights, we get rare materials with which we improve weapons and armor.
In between a bit of story is squeezed and then monsters are hunted again. We get better and better weapons in order to knock more and more monsters – that is the simple and motivating concept of the game. The players have 16 different weapons to choose from and lots of gadgets for which we have to click through countless menus.
So I try all the weapons once and choose the double blades. I get a few combos, I can test my skills a little on a barrel, and then the right clopping starts. In the beginning, Wilds, with its consistently nasty -looking and beautifully staged, amazes. The game also runs smoothly on the test computer. There is nothing to see of performance problems that many players had in the alpha test.
So I beat a big toad, then a dinosaur -like being and a kind of bear. But little by little I notice that I actually only push wild buttons, I really taught nothing and I don't even use the amount of the items and other options. They only confuse anyway.
And that is exactly what distinguishes the entry into “Monster Hunter Wilds” for a beginner enormously. The first hours of “Monster Hunter” mainly stick to the Hanebüche history and the insane variety of options. Everything is overwhelming and underestimated. So many options are available and possible, and little is taught. Panic multitasking is normal in these early hours. I scroll confused through the many different menus to find a certain item and meanwhile the attacks of a massive Lindwurm. Once I need it for so long to find out how to make a dung bomb, equip and use that the generous timer of the boss fight has almost expired when I am ready to make the fight right.
The monsters and the monster hunter.
The difficulty curve only increases leisurely, which could actually be pleasant. But the problem is: You don't really have to learn the game in the first few hours. It is enough to beat the monsters long enough. If developer Capcom would at least use the time to slowly introduce the player into all play areas, the mild start would make sense. But since you are largely left alone, it is more frustrated. The epic staged opponents, the beautiful game world and the feeling: more will certainly come from the epic staged opponents.
And then, at some point, it makes it “click”. After a few videos on YouTube and the first really demanding opponents, a switch is changing, and “Monster Hunter Wilds” suddenly makes sense. The complex menus that were never really explained to me now appear logical, the subtleties of the weapons are understood. Instead of pressing wild buttons, the highly complex battles feel precise and demanding. Even the story, which should only be background noise for the fantastic monster hunts anyway, even feels a little charming. And all in all, it's a damn lot of fun!
Because if “Monster Hunter” grabs you, then with huge flaky steals from which there is no escape. Hours pass and you move a beast to beast. The fights are as satisfactory as little other things that the video game world has to offer. To get around a fat monster and then hit the weaknesses with targeted blows and combos, it is just a lot of fun and allows the player a lot of freedom and creativity.
While I was more of a skeptical camp in the first few hours of my trip with “Monster Hunter Wilds”, I now have to say: Developer Capcom convinced me. Perhaps the initial confusion is a necessary consequence of complexity that “Monster Hunter” offers you. Nevertheless: a little more and a little more introducing the mechanics would certainly not have been harmed. But now enough complained. I still have to hunt monsters.
