Monster Hunter Wilds is on my GOTY list for a reason, but after a messy year I just want Capcom to wipe the slate clean with Master Rank DLC

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I want to apologize again to Yuya Tokuda, the director of Monster Hunter Wilds. Despite playing for over 100 hours, I haven’t used the weapon swapping feature at all. I know the Capcom team put a lot of effort into letting players quickly change weapons during hunts, even adding new armor skills to support it, but it hasn’t clicked for me. This really highlights how inconsistent the experience can be in Wilds.

It’s been ten months since I gave Monster Hunter Wilds a 4.5/5 rating, and I still feel strongly about that score. It’s easily one of my favorite games of the year. Since then, the game’s development seems to have gone back and forth. While Wilds is a fantastic combat-focused game with amazing boss fights and beautiful equipment, it’s also been held back by some inconsistencies. Capcom has had trouble deciding on a clear vision for the game, trying to satisfy different players and struggling with a PC version that, even after ten months, still doesn’t run well.

With the game nearing its one-year mark and the Master Rank DLC on the horizon, I’m hoping Capcom will address all the remaining issues and refine the experience. While some new concepts might need to be cut, there are others I’d strongly defend. Beyond just adding more monsters, what I really want from Master Rank is a fresh start for the Wilds area, making it polished and streamlined.

A balancing act

Monster Hunter: World has a bit of an identity crisis when it comes to difficulty. When the game first came out, it was relatively easy, which likely aimed to attract new players. As someone who enjoys challenging games, I didn’t mind this, and I was more focused on learning the combat system. However, Capcom started adding harder monsters through updates just as I was getting comfortable. The problem is these updates have been disorganized. With a mix of different quest levels, special events, and increasingly powerful monster variations, the game feels unsure of how difficult hunts should be.

Unlike previous games, I don’t feel the same steady sense of improvement in Wilds. It feels more uneven and stop-and-start. Games like Monster Hunter Rise had a clear path forward – each new monster was harder, but also gave you better equipment to help you progress. That game consistently increased in difficulty. In Wilds, the difficulty feels more like it fluctuates, going up and down rather than steadily climbing.

The new quests have wildly inconsistent difficulty. I might breeze through a fight in minutes, then struggle with the same monster for an hour. Some enemies feel overly durable, while others fall too easily, even with basic gear. While nothing feels impossible, the unpredictable difficulty makes it hard to get a feel for the game. It’s like the difficulty levels were mixed up, possibly to please both dedicated and casual players. This inconsistency makes it difficult to understand what truly makes each monster dangerous, both in the game’s story and in practice.

A big part of what’s going wrong with the game might be trying to appeal to absolutely everyone. Dragon Age’s David Gaider pointed out that really good, dedicated games can actually create passionate fans. Perhaps Capcom needs to focus on making a strong, focused experience, even if it means not everyone will like it – kind of like forcing people to eat their vegetables.

The changes to the armor system, separating weapon and armor skills, feel unbalanced. When the game first came out, we didn’t have many skill options, but now, with the new armor and talismans, we can create High Rank builds that are better than older, high-level gear – even some recent Master Rank sets. I appreciate having tougher monsters and more armor choices, but the difference between the weakest and strongest options feels too extreme. Capcom seems to have gone too far in one direction after a rocky start. The only major issue that hasn’t been addressed is the disappointing performance of the PC version, and we’re still waiting for promised improvements this winter.

Old dogs, new tricks

Capcom has been addressing issues with the PC version, but I want to talk about something else I’m disappointed with: Artian weapons. When they were first announced, I was excited because they seemed like a return to the beloved relic weapons from Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. Now, though, I see them as uninspired crafting options that take away from the core satisfaction of building powerful weapons from monster parts.

The process of gathering basic materials, hoping to create the weapon you need, and then relying on chance to upgrade it with monster parts just feels awful. It’s so frustrating that it brings to mind the repetitive artifact farming in Genshin Impact, which should be a huge warning sign for the game developers. Monster Hunter’s strength lies in its combat and crafting, but these new Artian weapons are undermining the crafting system, making quests feel pointless and reducing the desire to progress. I really think they need to be removed, perhaps like the unpopular Rampage quests from Rise, though keeping them as cosmetic options would be fine – some of them do look good.

I’ve become completely reliant on Focus Mode, the targeting system introduced in Monster Hunter Wilds, and I don’t want to play any future Monster Hunter games without it. The more I play, the more I realize it should be a permanent feature, unlike the temporary Wirebugs in Rise. I was immediately convinced of its value when I was able to smoothly recover from a missed attack with a charged greatsword, something that would have been impossible without it. For some weapons, it just makes things more comfortable, but for others, it drastically improves gameplay. Overall, it might be the best combat improvement Capcom has made to Monster Hunter in years.

It’s high praise, because the Wilds update really improved all my favorite weapons – lance, greatsword, and hammer. The hammer, in particular, is amazing now after a recent overhaul that gave it a lot more versatility and damage output. The greatsword is even better than before, and the lance got almost all the upgrades I wanted. My only issue is with the charge blade, which feels stuck between two playstyles – focusing on powerful axe attacks or rapidly using phials – and it’s a bit too slow for fighting many of the newer monsters.

It’s easy for me to get caught up in negative thoughts about this game, worrying about design flaws and even questioning my initial positive review. However, the moment I start playing – wielding a lance or hammer – everything feels right again. When my character skillfully swings a weighty weapon, breaking through enemy defenses, the game feels perfect. The combat in Wilds is simply excellent, and it’s so central to the experience that it overshadows any other shortcomings.

Monster Hunter: World remains incredibly enjoyable, and I’m still eager to dive back in, despite a busy year for gaming. It often feels like the game is almost perfect, just needing one more update to truly shine. I’m hoping the upcoming Master Rank expansion will build on the game’s strong foundation, clean up the issues that have accumulated over time, and deliver the consistently excellent experience it’s capable of – especially with combat that feels as good as it should. A well-optimized PC version would be fantastic too.

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2025-12-30 18:11