Monster Hunter Wilds preview: Jurassic spark

When Capcom revealed Monster Hunter Wilds at The Game Awards last year, I could only watch as my future free time started to slip away from me. And playing the preview build at Gamescom has only reinforced those fears. My action-packed demo had me tackling two stormy, dynamic hunts and trialing some of the refined tools players will have in their arsenal when the game launches in 2025.

After a quick dabble in character customization, which included choosing a ginger coat for my Palico (kitty companion), I was thrust into Monster Hunter Wilds ' opening mission. Across dusty desert dunes, my hunter and their companions (yes, Gemma was there, too) skimmed the sands on a sloop. In the distance, the crew spotted a child being chased by monsters, and within seconds, my hunter dove from the safety of the vessel onto a nearby creature and sped away, signaling the start of my expedition.

As with Monster Hunter Rise , Monster Hunter Wilds provides a rideable companion creature, which in this case is called a Seikret. With a design that’s somewhere between an emu and a hyper-realistic Chocobo, the Seikret can be used to quickly flank a monster in combat as well as the typical resource-chasing strolls through the open world. Whenever I found myself in a bind, I’d let out a sharp whistle, and my Seikret would speedily scoop me up, taking me out of the impact zone of a monster’s swipe or a sudden environmental hazard. Throughout the heart-pounding introductory chase, I also got to grips with my hunter’s toolbelt, including the Hook Slinger, which allowed me to pull down winged enemies and grab resources from hard-to-reach places.

Gone huntin'

It’s no secret that Monster Hunter loves a tasty technical system. As such, I was pleased to see how intuitive and tutorialised new combat elements like Focus Mode felt, an encouraging sign for newer players who might be put off by the complicated mechanics the series has become synonymous with. Here, the action was frenetic and exhilarating, and I could find my footing despite any skill-based knockbacks in my way.

The next portion of the hunting sequence had me facing off on foot against a toad-faced Chatacabra, whose hunched, scaly form and grotesque tongue attacks required speedy dodging and choice swipes to take down. Like previous entries in the series, Monster Hunter Wilds gives you a large pool of weapons to choose from that you can match to your preferred play style.

For this hunt, I decided on the comically large and astoundingly brutal Charge Blade. Balancing speed and damage with the Charge Blade’s mix of heavy axe-based and lighter sword-based attacks, this double threat made it an efficient companion for my first hunt. While I can only speak to my experience with one weapon during the demo, switching styles within its scope was smooth and responsive in a manner that felt familiar, but fresh. After a lengthy duel, I harvested the gooey innards of the beast, and my time with this portion of the demo was complete.

Hungry for danger

The second half of my hands-on took me to a pop-up camp resting above a craggy rockface. Sadly, I didn’t get the opportunity to investigate the nitty-gritty of the area. There were, however, plenty of friendly non-player characters (NPCs) hanging around the space, including an adorable Palico chef, invoking the promise of some gloriously animated cooking cutscenes at launch.

Regardless, I was hungry for danger, so I left the shelter's safety and ventured into the open world. Emerging from the cliffs, I was met with a stunning Saharan horizon and a world of curious creatures – I could hear the Jurrasic Park theme ringing in my ears. I soon found my next target, the jumbo mole-faced Doshaguma, hanging out with some of his buddies in the grass, and the game was afoot.

Where the Chatacabra was solitary, the Doshaguma traveled in packs, and it was clear my initial game plan needed to evolve, lest I get pummeled to death by three beasts at once. After searching through my item wheel of tricks, I pulled out some stinky dung bombs and broke up the group, taking this chance to dive around its quadrupedal form, attempting to knock out its legs. It was impressive how different this monster felt from the last, from its sense of aggression and movement speed - even the way it sauntered around the area felt unique.

Chaos ensues

During this hunt, however, something surprising happened. The Doshaguma lost interest in my evasive maneuvers and turned to attack another group of monsters that were nipping at its heels. It was completely random and highly beneficial. Not only did I get the opportunity to deal free damage, but I also got a taste of how unpredictable a hunt can be.

Still, luck isn’t always on your side in Monster Hunter Wilds . After a boost in damage courtesy of that helpful distraction, the atmosphere shifted, and the world suddenly became dim as clouds coated the sun. Suddenly, lightning started to bolt from the sky, and my fight became much more complicated. While I did my best to avoid the electric hellfire and slash at the monster, I was promptly struck to death in a moment so devastatingly funny I wish I had the recording to share.

Through these uncanny and chaotic moments, it was clear that genuine care had been taken to refine the series’ hallmarks that bolster immersion in combat. For example, if I slashed at the same area of my target, predictably, a wound would appear, and I could serve up more damage by focusing my hits there. Alternatively, if I brandished my weapon early to sneak up on a monster, my movement was restricted because, of course, you can’t run while hoisting a fifteen-meter hunk of steel. These complications enhanced the open world's realism and encouraged my inner strategist when out on a hunt.

During my time with Monster Hunter Wilds , I was most impressed by how friendly it felt to play. Despite being a little rusty with the series going into the demo, I quickly caught up to the pace of action, haphazardly trading simple and complex blows to better prize beasts. And, when I would take a fall and start again, Monster Hunter Wilds ' enticing, unpredictable environments encouraged me to re-calibrate my tactics and try again. Thankfully, it won‘t be too long for the bloodthirsty among us to get caught out in the rain, as Monster Hunter Wilds is coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series consoles in 2025.

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