Monster Hunter Wilds Unveils New Gameplay Details, Monsters, and Story NPCs 

The latest entry in the Monster Hunter series, Monster Hunter Wilds, just got a wild new gameplay trailer packed with details and elements to look into.

As part of today’s PlayStation State of Play showcase, Capcom casually dropped a big bombshell of a gameplay trailer for Monster Hunter Wilds that reveals a snippet of the game’s narrative, its new roster of characters and monsters, and cool new weapon moves.

The trailer is just so jam-packed with story, gameplay mechanics, and various other details for fans to gush about, but thankfully the official Monster Hunter Wilds website, along with a PlayStation Blog post helps ease the information overload.

Environment

Before we dive deep into the monsters and other exciting features, we need to look at the environment these majestic beasts inhabit first.

The main setting in Monster Hunter Wilds is called the Forbidden Lands, and the first locale we will be setting foot into is called Windward Plains. This land is described as a vast sand plain with a variety of areas made up of deserts, swaying grasslands, and twisting rock formations.

One key feature of Monster Hunter Wilds is the more dynamic climate where the environment could change with extreme weather conditions. It was even mentioned that when you encounter a large monster while exploring, you will be able to begin the quest seamlessly – unlike how you could only begin hunt from the player hub in previous titles.

Image Credit: Capcom

Image Credit: Capcom

Monsters

Now let’s look at the new materials we will be hunting for our new hats in Monster Hunter Wilds. Starting with the large monsters, the big target of our hunts – we have Doshaguma and Chatacabra.

Doshaguma is the confirmed name for the “desert Goss Harag” of the game. We first saw them in the initial reveal trailer, likely hinting it to be one of the very first monsters we face.

These guys are part of the Fanged Beast family with an ursine body like their cousins Goss Harag, Arzuros, Lagombi, and Volvidon. They are described to be highly territorial, have a wide habitat range, and can be very aggressive. Also, they can be spotted in a large pack.

Next up is Chatacabra, a monster just freshly revealed in this new trailer. Our licky friend here is a new Amphibian with a body frame that reminds me of Garangolm.

With a tongue like that, you could expect it to be its main weapon, which yes, this creature would use its adhesive saliva to attach ore and other yucky substances to its forelegs to strengthen itself.

For the poor innocent “small” monsters that will become prey for us hunters and other large monsters, we have Ceratonoth, the armadillo-Iguanodon hybrid herbivore that we see throughout both trailers.

These herbivores form large herds with the male ones at the center, protecting the females of their species with impressive dorsal horns that can catch lighting and release them to the ground.

As you may have seen, another big part of Monster Hunter Wilds is the increased monster density, with large herds of monsters gathering around to heat up your GPU.

The other herbivore with a name revealed is Dalthydon, a herbivorous wyvern that changes its habitat depending on the season. These guys would take up a defensive posture and fight back with their big hard head shell when they sense danger.

Seikret 

Moving on to the hunter, a.k.a. you the players. In Monster Hunter Wilds, you will be accompanied by a new trusty raptor-like mount called Seikret.

Goodbye my dear buddies Palamute, you will be missed. Anyways, like the Palamute, the Seikret allows you to ride it to traverse the environment. You can also use items while on the move, such as chugging your Potion, sharpening your weapon, or gathering materials.

What is cool is that you can access and switch to a secondary weapon while riding the raptor, without needing to return to camp. This might open up interesting ways to build your character or strategies for certain hunts.

Also, the slinger returns, but this time it comes with a small hook rope that allows you to collect items from a distance. No worries, it does not seem to work like a Clutch Claw.

Focus Mode 

Arguably the coolest part of this new Monster Hunter Wilds gameplay trailer – the new moves Great Sword is seen styling. First off, Capcom has confirmed that all 14 weapon types will make their return.

Now to focus on the highlight, the Focus Mode! This is a new action that is described as giving hunters “more precise control over how they guard, aim, and attack in order to target a monster’s weak points for big damage”.

Focus Mode, a way for hunters to have more precise control over how they guard, aim, and attack.

Aiming at a monster’s weak points in Focus Mode can also lead to special actions that inflict heavy damage!#MHWilds pic.twitter.com/ZMecihLDLQ

— Monster Hunter (@monsterhunter) May 31, 2024

Sounds like it is some form of a stance system, where some weapons are also said to have distinctive moves while under this mode. In the trailer, we can see the Great Sword having a rather unique guarding stance, and the hunter is seen utilizing various new moves.

One such move is the hunter straight up performing a running dash with their sword out like the Extreme Style from Monster Hunter Frontier. The hunter is also seen performing a very cool dragging slash through a monster after confirming a hit.

This is just Great Sword, so imagine what other weapon could get with this new mechanic.

Characters

You may not play Monster Hunter for the story, but it is still there to add context to your journey. From the trailer, it looks like Monster Hunter Wilds is stepping up their narrative game. Much like in Monster Hunter Rise, all NPCs have names now rather than going with their job titles like Handler or Admiral.

The Hunter

Image Credit: Capcom

Image Credit: Capcom

The Hunter is you. You are the hunter. In the story, you are appointed to the Forbidden Lands Research Commission by the Guild. The hunter will be fully voiced in the story this time, for the first time. Also, cool starting gear!

Palico

Everyone’s favorite Felyne companion is back! And shockingly… your Palico speaks. You are not hallucinating, your Palico speaks the same language as you.

Alma

Your new handler for this game. She is responsible for relaying monster hunt requests and authorizations as well as managing your quests.

Gemma

Gemma is the Research Commission Smithy, and she will be in charge of crafting your armor and weapon. So get her your materials for those cool new hats.

Nata

“A mysterious child that accompanies the investigation crew, Nata will play a key role in the game’s story.”

Go Play Iceborne Now!

Last but not least, if you have save data from Monster Hunter World and Monster Hunter World: Iceborne on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, or PC, you will get some free bonuses.

The bonus in question is the Palico starting gears from both Monster Hunter World and Monster Hunter World: Iceborne – the Felyne Leather and the Felyne Duffel.

The hype for Monster Hunter Wilds is not over for this summer because producer Ryozo Tsujimoto will take on the stage during the Summer Game Fest on June 7, 2024, to reveal new footage and details.

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