4/5 ★ – Kalle_Deimos's review of Monster Hunter Wilds.

TLDR: Huntin n Chill Gameplay: Reviewing a Monster Hunter game before it's G-Rank expansion is semi-redundant. By the end of it's life cycle a Monster Hunter game is significantly different and may save it's best features for it's final act. So I'm reviewing Wilds on release and then a review for it's G-Rank expansion. And basically, Monster Hunter Wilds has some of the best combat the series has seen coupled with the most jarring and redundant peripheral features we have ever seen. Monster Hunter has fully embraced the "Monster Fighter" brand. Almost everything that isn't killing a monster derails the entire experience. Capcom hands everything to you eliminating most thoughts that you typically have in MH games. Monsters are present on the map before you even see them. Seikret's auto-taxi you to destinations. Wounds give you a material every time you break them leading to an abundance of materials in every hunt. Aiming for a specefic material isn't necessary as you will likely get everything you need for your upgrade from one extra hunt. Upgrading a weapon down a branching path keeps the origin weapon, no more decision making there. Quests made in the world tell you exactly what bonus rewards you will be getting. Armor skills are plentiful and even weapons are skills that I literally never noticed because they hand them out like it's nothing and then they don't do anything. Cutscenes are "Rockstarred", meaning you sit your ass on your Seikret while characters talk to you for minutes at a time. Lots of story "action" segments where you don't do much of anything and would have been better as a cutscene. The entire game is saying "don't worry about it, just fight the next thing" just for it to put you through the most drawn out Monster Hunter story that isn't that bad but grates on you for HOURS until you hate it. But again, credit where credit is due. The combat is so bomb. Every weapon is noticeable different and cracked tf out. Offset attacks offer a sick counter that is tough to pull off but so worth it. Power clashes are another reason to use a shield. And weapons having built-in adept dodges and perfect blocking gives you much more variety in your defense. Because of this and the big emphasis on the 'open-world', Monster Hunter Wilds is the perfect game to "hunt n chill". Previous MH's are all about joining the lobby, coordinating your hunts, figuring out what you all need and what not. That's a thing of the past. And there is something relaxing about turning off your brain, joining a lobby of friends and just fighting whatever comes your way. Whatever your friends are fighting. It doesn't matter. Because the thinking is gone. Story: Westerners teach the people of the east the value of killing with extreme prejudice. The story is one of the biggest bombs of Wilds not because the content is terrible but it's presentation is total garbage. The amount of dialogue is staggering. There is so many scenes of people sitting around having a meeting and I hate it. The writing needed to be cut down significantly for it to not be annoying. Side quests have so much dialogue about nothing when they in the past were a single blurb of dialogue and were much more interesting that way. And the characters? Well it's like you're hanging out with the Half-Life Scientists. Almost everyone is so bland and uninteresting despite their good designs. It's such a who cares plot. Monster Hunter has never been plot centered but now they WANT to be and it is miserable. If it wasn't constantly in your face it'd be fine but it is and it SUCKS. Graphics: In contrast to Rise, Wilds is absolutely gorgeous. The visual design is amazing, the animations have never felt better. There is some really stunning technology here. Particularly with the sand dunes that can get morphed by monsters like Balahara. My favorite aspects of the visuals is how different the "seasons" look. Much of the seasons of Fallow are drab and muted only for the season of plenty to make the area bright and beautiful. Amazing stuff. Sound: Good sound and sound design. The voiced MC doesn't stick out and he isn't saying things during hunts constantly. Tbh the voiced MC in general is a lot of fun and makes you feel like a real part of the team. Some areas have funky music segues to take you from area to area and returning monsters have some cool renditions of old themes. Extra: It's a Monster Hunter game I'm not writing this section Favorite Thing: Full of Wylk (Wyvern's Milk) Not My Favorite Thing: He found a way to live :)