Monster Hunter Wilds: PC/PS5/Xbox

[hudson]

I'm not entirely sure about Environment hunting, but I have seen an option if you view lobby quests from Alma. Pressing L3 I think switches the quests to show Low Rank. Outside of this, you may need to Environment link with a low rank player. I know, Capcom have convoluted their online into oblivion

[Finsbury Girl]

Hmm. I really am interested in this now. Will resist, too many big games in the backlog.

Tobal yeah I read elsewhere they've really dumbed it down for the "filthy noobs"

I prefer the kind of guardrails in Dark Souls - if you're getting killed over and over and over - take the hint go somewhere else or level the F#$% up

[Golgo]

I wouldn't say it's dumbed down per se. The systems are every bit as opaque and excessive as they've always been, the menus remain an incoherent, unexplained mess of colour-coordinated buffs and synergies. And once new players get out of the story they'll be every bit as confused/overwhelmed as normal. So in that sense it's classic MH. Hell, some of it is even more obstructive than before: try to find the quest giver or forge wench when you need them for something like a weapon upgrade, and they'll likely have wandered off somewhere for a chat, sometimes with no icon to help find them. The story, however, basically seeks to 'onboard' new players by recasting MH as a 3rd person action adventure that rushes you from one urgent 'boss' encounter to the next. To be honest I think it succeeds quite well as this kind of genre, and if the story wasn't such gash I'd enjoy it even more.

[hudson]

I've now finished the main campaign. Spent my time joining other players via Lobby quests, mainly going for mobs that I may need for Side Quests or specific mob materials. I mainly went after High Rank Rathian kit, which I now have (why? I just like the look of it. It's green and I like green ). Next is to get more Armour Spheres to upgrade a couple more of my armours to MAX.

Without the campaign looming in the back of my OCD/completionist mind, I can now just chill, hunt, help, try other weapons and more importantly team up with my squad mates. We have events and challenges to tide us over until more mobs are dropped - love it!!!!

[Golgo]

"Forge Wench, craft me a dainty new hat from these here feathers, and let's be having none of your silly palava!"

"On it!"

/Smashes molten iron from the forge and sharpens blade on grindstone.

[Tobal]

witness body swapping horror.

[Golgo]

Well, I finished the campaign, forcing myself to endure every moment of teary-eyed, mewling melodrama -

->Open Spoiler<-

a thought-provoking tale about moral conscience and free will and ultimately empathizing with the monsters, that ultimately was resolved to everyone's satisfaction by butchering all the monsters.

It was execrable, and that's the last I'll say of it. But combat was really good. The new wounding system is excellent, I think, and with a bit of planning/timing you can get monsters effectively 'wound-locked' and unable to get up for much of the fight. Alma the walking-talking quest board cum playground monitor is a mightily irksome addition to the game. The seikrat (chocobo) is a good addition, though. A kind of item cabinet on legs, it can rescue you from a sticky situation fast, carries your spare weapon, and it's auto-taxi feature is cool for getting through environments that are extremely twisty-turny but not all that memorable,

->Open Spoiler<-

especially in the grey and dreary caves of the final third.

I was much more impressed by the environments in World which felt like they had more landmark features and were more like real places, but maybe that was because you were forced to explore them methodically, tracking monsters on foot. The monsters themselves were amazing, though, and all the battles enjoyable and wonderfully animated. I solo'd the campaign with a combo of long sword and bow which I've never tried before and that provided great options for overcoming the beasties (it wasn't massively hard by any means, but I found the difficulty enjoyable and was carted a few times but didn't fail any missions). The best monsters are the newest and weirdest ones, for me. Wyverns are wyverns, seen one you've seen 'em all,

->Open Spoiler<-

but this also offered a couple of mind-bending octopus variants, a couple of spiders one of which very elegant, an oily bird that inflates and deflates like a balloon, a farting ape-hippo, that iconic loose-faced lion thing, and a komodo dragon flatfish.

They were ridiculous and great, and it was a thrill to wonder what bizarre creature was coming next. I redid some missions/side-quests to team up in multiplayer for materials, but for some reason I'm not left with much of a hankering to pursue things through the higher ranks this time. I did really enjoy the fights/monsters in the campaign, though, so I've had good value from this. Took me about 20 hours over the week.

EDIT: producer says huge sales success of MH Wilds is due to its excellent story, so this ****e is probably locked in forever now lads and lasses! I just hope they resist the temptation of extending the narrative with these particular characters in future, as it was a bit ominous to see that tremulous brat

->Open Spoiler<-

Nata turning up in a hunter costume post-credits.

https://www.eurogamer.net/monster-hu...eries-producer

[Tobal]

I've been working my way through High Rank up to chapter six (sadly you do get a couple more slow walk and talks), took some time to make rarity 6/7 mixed defensive sets for all resistances and all level 1 charms made, which helps as the 'harder' end of High Rank with monsters not seen in low rank and Tempered monsters have started hitting hard enough to not just shrug it off.

Messed around burning up some of my earned silver vouchers to new npcs for deco making and custom weapon builds (at rarity 6 so far), seems worth doing if you need a weapon built quickly to cover some element you don't have covered.

[hudson]

Yeah you want to farm those lvl7&8 Tempered Monsters for

->Open Spoiler<-

Hunter Symbol III vouchers - these are mostly needed to forge Rarity 8 gear

My current look...

->Open Spoiler<-

[hudson]

Drop it!

->Open Spoiler<-

[Tobal]

While i never expected it have massive amount of content at the start as it never does, but when comparing it to the start of World and Rise, the combination of how easy the game is(many reasons for this and not just improved player skill) and the low amount of missions and no arena challenges or mission content between HR40 to HR95, i assume HR100 will be the next optional mission bit and probably the last of it as there is only one monster left to re-fight.

As for how easy it is, the main problem is how easy it is to stun lock monsters for a minute at a time using the mainly the wounds and mixing in KO, blast and paralyse, and then you factor in flashes, environmental damage, toads, mounting, power struggles, slinger ammo to wounds and traps they just staying a cycle of flinching.

the palico being a super helper this time, having all the kit in one (healer, tank, dd, support buffs, stealer).

NPC helpers on SOS, which i'm fine with, they don't use up the cart tally and help players that need assignment clears to get that help instead of hoping someone comes along.

taking attack decos off the armour stops players going with terrible defence, i think is the second major change (i'm sure they did this in Rise to).

No effort in finding the monster, 1 kill of a monster gives you all the attack and defence needed information in the logbook, no effort needed to capture them for this info.

Where's my Egg missions Capcom, you cowards

Definitely got my monies worth and i'm mostly happy with what i've played. I'm about finished with the game for now, between HR40 and 95 where am at i mixed it up using most of the weapons side from IG, SA and CB and i'm left with making some lower end sets for style appearance and grinding R8 weapons and level 3 charms. Currently settled on SnS Blast and HBG, though am not a fan of how we have to farm the ammo herbs/shrooms atm using the villager npcs.

[hudson]

Decent looking update. Free Title Update comes April 3rd/4th (depending where you re in the world).
Roadmap:


A sneaky peak of Title update 2 at the end (Is that you

->Open Spoiler<-

Lagiacrus

)

[Tobal]

Most of MH standards getting put in at last, makes me happy enough, Main Hub, Kitchen and Arena quests. The trailer got a laugh from me for Alma's 3rd outfit.

[hudson]

I wonder if there will be underwater combat then in the 2nd update?

[hudson]

Title Update 1.010.00 is now live. There are lots of additions, fixes and balance changes. Detailed here