By most standards, I’m relatively new to the Monster Hunter universe. I stayed away from the franchise for quite some time because it was mainly available on handheld consoles that didn’t pique my interest, and to be honest, the games didn’t appear to run too smoothly anyway.
It was Monster Hunter: World that truly drew me in, sparking a fascination that has kept me hooked ever since. With two dozen hours already spent in Wilds, I’ve focused on completing the main story before diving into the side quests. Unfortunately, that decision led to quite a disappointment.
Traditionally, Monster Hunter campaigns aren’t celebrated for their storytelling prowess or inventive plotlines. They mostly serve as a guided introduction, helping players master the numerous systems and mechanics essential for the endless hours ahead. Essentially, they offer a guided tour of the game’s diverse creatures.
The narrative often follows a similar path: your team is tasked with tracking a mysterious creature whose presence is unsettling the world’s regions. Along the way, other monsters disrupt your quest, until you unravel the source behind your original target. After a big showdown with the main beast, the campaign concludes, and you unlock the High Rank mode, which many consider the true start of the Monster Hunter experience.
At a high level, this formula applies to Wilds’ campaign as much as it did to World’s. However, the details that fill in the gaps can make one campaign thrilling while leaving another notably dull.
World’s campaign stood out because of its engaging premise. Zorah Magdaros was an unprecedented monster, so massive it required an entire community working together just to slow it down. On its back, battles could unfold against multiple monsters, highlighting the scale and ambition of the developers’ vision.
Although Zorah Magdaros wasn’t to everyone’s taste due to its unique gameplay challenges, such as constructing defenses and operating cannons, I found them quite appealing. These elements broke the campaign’s potential monotony and added narrative depth as Zorah journeyed through various locations.
Each new area unlocked for exploration allowed players to witness the ecological impact firsthand. The game maintained an air of mystery regarding Zorah’s true intentions right until the end, injecting the storyline with urgency and intrigue.
In contrast, Wilds’ campaign lacks a similarly monumental antagonist. Arkveld, the prominent monster here, pops up sporadically, performing enigmatic actions and then disappearing for extended periods. It’s not the climactic foe; that role falls to an obscure sleeping giant introduced a mere mission before its confrontation.
There’s an absence of that thrilling sense of diverse alliances uniting to confront a common menace. Moreover, some monster introductions feel forced and somewhat out of place, as if they were abruptly inserted into missions rather than thoughtfully integrated.
There’s a suggestion of interconnected character narratives in NPC dialogues and cutscenes, but it feels like something substantial was left incomplete.
While the underlying mystery of an ancient civilization and their climate-altering technology is vaguely intriguing, it unravels in disjointed cutscenes that better fit a lore book.
The Wilds campaign mirrors many of the game’s broader issues. In an effort to streamline and make it more accessible, it loses some of the franchise’s essential charm and character.
Soon, as Wilds’ triumphs and shortcomings become more apparent, many will likely overlook the campaign itself. Yet, I can’t help but wonder what a true continuation of World’s engaging saga could have been like.
