Monster Hunter Wilds Review | The Apex of them All

Ever since Monster Hunter first debuted in 2004, the franchise has cemented itself as one of Capcom’s most consistent and beloved series. What started as a niche action RPG has evolved into a global sensation, becoming one of Capcom’s flagship titles alongside Resident Evil and Street Fighter. The formula has remained largely the same—track, hunt, and carve giant monsters while crafting better gear to take on even harder quests. Yet, with each installment, Monster Hunter has refined itself through strong attention to detail, immersive world-building, and an ecosystem that feels truly alive. Now, with Monster Hunter Wilds, Capcom has taken its biggest leap forward yet, delivering what is undeniably the most ambitious, accessible, and polished entry in the franchise’s storied history. Here’s our Monster Hunter Wilds review.

For the first time in the series, Wilds leans heavily into storytelling, offering a much more structured and cinematic experience than its predecessors. The game features a whole host of well-animated cutscenes and a clear narrative direction that pushes the player forward. While this initially risks feeling overwhelming for traditional Monster Hunter fans who are used to a more gameplay-driven approach, the story retains the franchise’s signature charm and lightheartedness. Fully voiced protagonists, including your hunter and Palico companion, add a new dynamic to interactions, though it may take some time for longtime fans to adjust to their characters engaging in full conversations rather than relying on body language and subtle animations. It’s a bold move that doesn’t break the experience but does make Wilds feel distinctly different from previous titles.

Historically, one of Monster Hunter’s greatest hurdles has been its slow, often tedious opening hours. Wilds manages to remedy this by integrating early tutorial missions with actual hunts, ensuring that even basic gathering or exploration tasks remain engaging. Instead of simply collecting honey or scouting an area, these moments frequently lead to surprise monster encounters, instantly transforming routine objectives into more exciting active gameplay moments.

The world itself feels more alive than ever, with characters—whether it’s the handler, your Palico, or other NPCs—engaging in dynamic conversations about the mission, the environment, and the ecosystem. These changes make the onboarding experience far more digestible for newcomers while keeping veterans entertained.

The smoothest hunt

One of Wilds’ most impressive achievements is its seamless world design. The maps are massive, teeming with wildlife, foliage, and resources to collect. Not a single loading screen between areas; you can travel from one end of a biome to another, as well as between safe hubs and hunting zones, in uninterrupted gameplay. This level of immersion enhances the hunting experience dramatically, allowing players to fully appreciate the game’s incredible environments. The franchise has always excelled in creating vibrant, living ecosystems, but Wilds elevates this to a new standard, making it the most immersive Monster Hunter experience to date.

A strong opening hunt is crucial to setting the tone of a Monster Hunter game, and Wilds does a fairly good job with the Chatacabra. This grotesque fusion of a gorilla and a dinosaur serves as a great introductory challenge, showcasing the game’s environmental interactions while easing players into the deeper combat mechanics. While not particularly difficult, Chatacabra provides a visually and mechanically engaging hunt. It’s loud thuds definitely sound great with a nice pair of headphones. More importantly, its armor set looks fantastic—an area where Wilds significantly improves over World, with nearly all armor sets boasting more interesting and unique looking designs. Even staple and generic armor pieces have been revamped.

One of the greatest joys of Monster Hunter is encountering new monsters for the first time, and Wilds does not disappoint. While I won’t delve too deeply into specifics, I can confidently say that these are some of the best-designed, animated, and sounding monsters Capcom has ever created. And even ones that are making a much-welcome return from previous titles all have amazing touch-ups to already iconic looks. The variety and creativity in their designs are breathtaking, and knowing Capcom’s track record, we can only expect the roster to expand further in future updates and expansions.

Refining what’s already perfect

At its core, Wilds retains the deep, methodical combat that has made the franchise legendary, but with a host of refinements that elevate the experience. Combat animations across all weapon types feel more fluid than ever, and for the first time, players can carry two weapons and swap between them mid-hunt using the Seikret system. This adds a whole new layer of strategy and variety to encounters. Getting bored of melee? Switch to a bowgun or bow. Greatsword is too slow? Whip out some dual blades. It gives you more room to experiment and to see which weapon type would better suit the scenario at any point.

That said, the early hours of Wilds do feel a bit easier than past entries. With the added mobility, extended storage, and support options—such as AI-controlled hunters, an improved Palico companion, and the instant SOS flare for co-op assistance—the game initially feels more forgiving. While this makes Wilds the most newcomer-friendly entry to date, it may leave seasoned hunters craving a greater challenge early on. But the difficulty does eventually ramp up in future hunts. And so does the monster designs. Even if you’re someone who has watched all preview materials, some of the monster introductions here will sweep you off your feet.

Monster Hunter Wilds Review Final Verdict – 9/10

Monster Hunter Wilds represents the culmination of two decades of refinement, balancing accessibility with depth, and innovation with tradition. It takes the best elements from past games while being brave enough to get involved with a more significant narrative, world design, and gameplay fluidity. Every aspect of the game—from its fantastic environments and meticulously designed monsters to its fine-tuned combat mechanics—feels like a natural evolution of what Monster Hunter has always strived to be.

Playing on PC, I only ever encountered one major crash. There is still a fairly noticeable case of texture and geographical pop ups, but I was more focused on the hunts to have these minor things completely ruin my immersion.

With Capcom’s proven track record of post-launch support and expansions, Wilds is poised to only get better with time. Whether you’re a longtime veteran or a newcomer looking for an entry point, this is one of the best Monster Hunter experiences ever crafted. It’s a must-play and easily one of the strongest contenders for Game of the Year—and it’s only the first quarter.