Capcom’sMonster Hunterfranchise has always been about balancing intense battles with deep exploration and complex resource management. With the upcomingMonster Hunter Wilds, however, the series is set to take a bold step towards embracing open-world game design by streamlining core features around this idea. While its predecessors have all adhered to the same basic formula, through which players are able to go on controlled expeditions in between hub town visits, it’s now been confirmed thatMonster Hunter Wildswill introduce the ability to change quest objectives in the middle of an outing in the game’s Forbidden Lands.
The large quantity of different monster-based assignments throughout the series has always been capable of keeping players busy for potentially hundreds of hours, but it could also be said that a decent amount of this time would be dedicated to the busy work of taking on new quests in the hub zone. This has typically entailed the tedious task of manually turning in and picking up new quests upon their initial completion, something that many other action RPG franchises have long since shed. WithMonster Hunter Wilds' changes to quests, targets and goals can be switched on the fly while out in the field in a way that will guarantee less downtime.
Streamlined Assignments Can Make Monster Hunter Wilds' Hunting Experience the Smoothest Yet
Quest Flexibility Complements World Diversity
A way that the freedom-centric design ofWildshas been shown in action is through the option to change the target monster mid-hunt. If a player is initially hunting the apex predator Rey Dau in theWindsward Plains ofMonster Hunter Wilds, but randomly encounters a pack of Doshaguma fanged beasts, their objective can be quickly switched to accommodate this change instead of requiring a full return to base. While it’s only been shown in a limited capacity so far, this feature has the potential to largely eliminate backtracking.
The Potential for Multi-Objective Expeditions
In addition to being able to swap out objectives, players can also undertake multiple quests at once and tackle them during the same outing. When it comes to dealing with the likes ofMonster Hunter Wilds' Balahara, who are more common during a harsh weather effect in the Sandtide, this kind of flexible approach to questing allows for the player to be able to take advantage of rare opportunities to hunt when they arise. In a series where grinding for materials can be vital, this could lead to much more efficient paths for grabbing multiple varieties of resources in one go.
Monster Hunter Wilds' Seamless Quest Design Highlights Its Open-World Advantages
Furthering Dynamic Monster Interactions and Apex Predator Representation
By making the player’s hunting more open-ended and therefore unpredictable,Wildsis fostering more spontaneous encounters between monsters. The lack of singular quests makes it more likely for monsters outside the current objective to appear and face each other, creating organic opportunities for the food chain to visibly come into play before the player even enters a battle. While multi-monster quests had to be specifically assigned in previous entries for possibly some ofMonster Hunter’s peak multiplayer gameplay, this will be included as an inherent trait ofWild’s living world in a newly supported manner.
Traveling Across Changing Ecosystems
On top of the removal of hub-based restrictions, there will be the ability to explore multiple locales in a single expedition. Players can transition intoMonster Hunter Wilds' watery Scarlet Forestafter beginning in the arid Windsward Plains, and then start tracking a new objective accordingly. In a format where several monsters across multiple environments can now be faced in succession, the only factor limiting their player is their own survival skills and combat ability.
