A living world built for hunting
By Paul Hunter
Monster Hunter Wilds hits PS5 as Capcom’s next mainline entry, and it’s clearly designed around one idea: bigger, better hunting. Wilds takes place in the Forbidden Lands, an area with multiple biomes that feel alive with weather and seasons changes, and monsters that move through areas with their own routines.
Wilds also puts a bigger spotlight on its story campaign than in past iterations. You get proper cutscenes, an expedition setup, and for the first time here, your custom hunter is fully voiced and takes part in the conversations, which helps the whole adventure have more punch.
If you've played Monster Hunter World, you're probably wondering is Monster Hunter Wilds the next big PS5 hunt you should gear up for? Let’s find out!
Monster Hunter Wilds campaign has clear missions that keeps you moving from hunt to hunt with purpose. Your Guild mounts an expedition into the Forbidden Lands, a region treated as uncharted for years, and the story kicks off after encountering a boy named Nata. He shares that his people, the Keepers, live in the Forbidden Lands and they're being hunted by the White Wraith.
The White Wraith mystery stays top of mind as you push further, and the game's flagship monster Arkveld is tied closely to the Wraith, ratcheting up tension. You’re assigned to the expedition’s Avis unit, and set off to explore the Forbidden Lands.
The biggest story upgrade is your custom hunter speaks during cutscenes, which makes briefings and camp scenes more impactful because you’re finally part of the discussion. You also get plenty of story moments alongside Olivia, a veteran hunter on your team, which reinforces that you’re travelling as a cohesive group.
Cutscenes are used often, with dramatic monster introductions and action-heavy scenes that build momentum across the roughly 18 to 20 hour run, building toward the expedition’s final confrontation with the White Wraith threat they came to investigate.
Monster Hunter Wilds core hunt routine will feel familar to fans: pick a target, learn its moveset and defeat, carve your rewards, then turn those rewards into better weapons and armour. Like in previous games, Decorations and Charms still drive your character setup, with the former adding specific skills while the latter providing bonus skills or decoration slots.
Combat gets its biggest upgrade from Focus Mode and the Wounds system. Focus Mode lets you aim your swings against specific body parts, and Wounds give you visible points where you can inflict greater damage. When you’re ready to deal significant damage, Focus Strikes let you exploit those Wounds for a big attack, and it often forces a knockdown.
Wilds also adds more reactive tools. Power Clash rewards last-second guarding with a dramatic struggle that can create a critical opening for you to launch a powerful follow-up attack. Meanwhile, Offset Attacks are powerful, weapon-specific parry moves that let specific moves cut through an incoming hit and trigger a unique counter-attac.
14 weapon types are available, including the Great Sword, Long Sword, Insect Glaive, Gunlance, Switch Axe, Bow, Hammer and more. I spent the most time with the Heavy Bowgun because of its strong firepower at a distance, but can also attach a shield for better guard capabilities.
One of my favourite moments was marking a target, riding out on my Seikret mount, then using Focus Mode to line up a charged Heavy Bowgun hit on a developing wound. I popped it with a Focus Strike, got the knockdown, then sent the monster tumbling down terrain for extra damage.
Monster Hunter Wilds puts a lot of effort into making the Forbidden Lands look and move like a living ecosystem. The weather and seasons completely redo the lighting, the visibility, and the whole vibe of a hunt while you’re tracking targets across a region.
The monster designs are unique and eye-catching (best in the series yet!), armour sets have excellent designs, and the animation of both monsters and hunters look incredibly fluid and lifelike during fights. Cutscenes also have excellent production value, with strong camera work and animation that sells the scale of each monster intro.
Sound design also adds tremendously to the thrill of combat. Weapon clangs hit hard, monster roars can be genuinely terrifying, and the music changes by region so each area has its own vibe. Voice work is strong in cutscenes and camp scenes, and it helps bring out the personality in expedition crew scenes.
On PS5, there are three graphics modes, and each one changes the balance between frame rate and image detail. I stuck with performance mode for a steadier frame rate, and the SSD quick loading made fast travel feel snappy when switching between camp and the hunt.
Final Score: 9/10 - Amazing
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Genre: Action Role-Playing
Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer
A key was provided by the publisher.
By Paul Hunter
Monster Hunter Wilds hits PS5 as Capcom’s next mainline entry, and it’s clearly designed around one idea: bigger, better hunting. Wilds takes place in the Forbidden Lands, an area with multiple biomes that feel alive with weather and seasons changes, and monsters that move through areas with their own routines.
Wilds also puts a bigger spotlight on its story campaign than in past iterations. You get proper cutscenes, an expedition setup, and for the first time here, your custom hunter is fully voiced and takes part in the conversations, which helps the whole adventure have more punch.
If you've played Monster Hunter World, you're probably wondering is Monster Hunter Wilds the next big PS5 hunt you should gear up for? Let’s find out!
Monster Hunter Wilds campaign has clear missions that keeps you moving from hunt to hunt with purpose. Your Guild mounts an expedition into the Forbidden Lands, a region treated as uncharted for years, and the story kicks off after encountering a boy named Nata. He shares that his people, the Keepers, live in the Forbidden Lands and they're being hunted by the White Wraith.
The White Wraith mystery stays top of mind as you push further, and the game's flagship monster Arkveld is tied closely to the Wraith, ratcheting up tension. You’re assigned to the expedition’s Avis unit, and set off to explore the Forbidden Lands.
The biggest story upgrade is your custom hunter speaks during cutscenes, which makes briefings and camp scenes more impactful because you’re finally part of the discussion. You also get plenty of story moments alongside Olivia, a veteran hunter on your team, which reinforces that you’re travelling as a cohesive group.
Cutscenes are used often, with dramatic monster introductions and action-heavy scenes that build momentum across the roughly 18 to 20 hour run, building toward the expedition’s final confrontation with the White Wraith threat they came to investigate.
Monster Hunter Wilds core hunt routine will feel familar to fans: pick a target, learn its moveset and defeat, carve your rewards, then turn those rewards into better weapons and armour. Like in previous games, Decorations and Charms still drive your character setup, with the former adding specific skills while the latter providing bonus skills or decoration slots.
Combat gets its biggest upgrade from Focus Mode and the Wounds system. Focus Mode lets you aim your swings against specific body parts, and Wounds give you visible points where you can inflict greater damage. When you’re ready to deal significant damage, Focus Strikes let you exploit those Wounds for a big attack, and it often forces a knockdown.
Wilds also adds more reactive tools. Power Clash rewards last-second guarding with a dramatic struggle that can create a critical opening for you to launch a powerful follow-up attack. Meanwhile, Offset Attacks are powerful, weapon-specific parry moves that let specific moves cut through an incoming hit and trigger a unique counter-attac.
14 weapon types are available, including the Great Sword, Long Sword, Insect Glaive, Gunlance, Switch Axe, Bow, Hammer and more. I spent the most time with the Heavy Bowgun because of its strong firepower at a distance, but can also attach a shield for better guard capabilities.
One of my favourite moments was marking a target, riding out on my Seikret mount, then using Focus Mode to line up a charged Heavy Bowgun hit on a developing wound. I popped it with a Focus Strike, got the knockdown, then sent the monster tumbling down terrain for extra damage.
Monster Hunter Wilds puts a lot of effort into making the Forbidden Lands look and move like a living ecosystem. The weather and seasons completely redo the lighting, the visibility, and the whole vibe of a hunt while you’re tracking targets across a region.
The monster designs are unique and eye-catching (best in the series yet!), armour sets have excellent designs, and the animation of both monsters and hunters look incredibly fluid and lifelike during fights. Cutscenes also have excellent production value, with strong camera work and animation that sells the scale of each monster intro.
Sound design also adds tremendously to the thrill of combat. Weapon clangs hit hard, monster roars can be genuinely terrifying, and the music changes by region so each area has its own vibe. Voice work is strong in cutscenes and camp scenes, and it helps bring out the personality in expedition crew scenes.
On PS5, there are three graphics modes, and each one changes the balance between frame rate and image detail. I stuck with performance mode for a steadier frame rate, and the SSD quick loading made fast travel feel snappy when switching between camp and the hunt.
The Verdict
Monster Hunter Wilds is a polished, high-energy hunt experience on PS5 and a worth successor to Worlds. The map's shifting weather and seasons makes every hunt feel different, while the story presentation gives your hunter a much stronger role in the expedition. The new combat upgrades make battles even more exhilarating, and the endgame content is plentiful once High Rank opens up. Toss in crossplay and simple co-op matchmaking, and it’s a game you can hunt with friends, night after night.Final Score: 9/10 - Amazing
Monster Hunter Wilds details
Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PCDeveloper: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Genre: Action Role-Playing
Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer
A key was provided by the publisher.