Monster Hunter Wilds Redefines the Series with Open World Gameplay

Building on the monumental success of Monster Hunter World, Capcom is poised to redefine the series with Monster Hunter Wilds.

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A New Era of Hunting Grounds

Monster Hunter Wilds boldly reimagines the series, transforming epic hunts into a vibrant, interconnected world with a dynamic, real-time ecosystem.

In a Summer Game Fest interview, producer Ryozo Tsujimoto, executive director Kaname Fujioka, and director Yuya Tokuda revealed their vision for Wilds. The emphasis is on seamless gameplay and an immersive environment that reacts to player actions.

Like previous titles, players are hunters in an uncharted territory brimming with new creatures and resources. However, the Summer Game Fest demo showcased a significant shift from the traditional mission structure. Wilds features a seamless open world for unrestricted exploration, hunting, and environmental interaction.

"Seamlessness is fundamental to Monster Hunter Wilds," stated Fujioka. "We aimed for detailed, immersive ecosystems demanding a seamless world filled with freely huntable monsters."

A Dynamic and Living World

The demo displayed desert settlements, diverse biomes, various monsters, and NPC hunters. This new approach eliminates timed missions, offering a more freeform hunting experience. Fujioka stressed the importance of world interaction: "We focused on interactions like monster packs pursuing prey and their conflicts with human hunters. Their 24-hour behavior patterns create a dynamic, organic feel."

Monster Hunter Wilds also boasts real-time weather changes and fluctuating monster populations. Director Tokuda explained the technological advancements enabling this: "Creating a massive, evolving ecosystem with more monsters and interactive characters was a huge challenge. Simultaneous environmental changes are something we couldn't achieve before."

Monster Hunter World's success provided invaluable lessons shaping Wilds. Producer Tsujimoto highlighted the importance of their global approach: "We approached Monster Hunter World with a global mindset, focusing on simultaneous worldwide release and extensive localization. This helped us reach players unfamiliar with the series."