If there’s a way to describe the launch of Monster Hunter Wilds, it’d be “big monsters, bigger success”. The latest entry in Capcom’s flagship series has enjoyed record-breaking popularity, hitting an all-time high of over 40 million concurrent players on Steam, and selling eight million copies in three days.
In an interview with The Nikkei (thanks, Automaton!), producer Ryozo Tsujimoto shared the reasons behind the game’s thriving status, highlighting story emphasis, heightened immersion, and cross-play – hardly a surprise – in particular. The narrative-focused approach is an interesting answer, as storytelling was never a priority for a franchise that’s all about hunting and capturing giant beasts, but Monster Hunter Wilds does put in the effort to flesh out its lore, even if it isn’t necessarily the best stab at doing so.
Making up the rest of the experience is a fully-voiced cast, including the player hunter and their trusty Palico companion, spruced-up cutscenes (courtesy of Capcom’s in-house RE Engine), a likeable cast of characters, and a more forgiving pace that eases newcomers into the swings of things instead of throwing them in at the deep end like before.
It seems the series’ recent shift to accessibility has worked in its favour, despite sparking concerns of a potential identity loss. Veterans are also finding the hunts a little easy for their liking, but that’s about to change in early April – the first major post-launch update for Monster Hunter Wilds will introduce a monster of “formidable strength at a level above Temprered,” alongside a new endgame area to gather.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
