Monster Hunter Wilds is evolution without abandoning its roots 71635o

Over the years, Monster Hunter has undergone several transformations, adjusting its approach without losing its identity. Now, in 2025, we receive the third chapter of this phase of the franchise – Monster Hunter: Wilds -, and the showmetech had the opportunity to play it a lot to see how it fits into the pantheon of the beloved series for players with a hyper-focus on epic hunts for giant creatures. Check out our impressions in the review below. 4d5j3e

The magic formula of over 20 years 6u5n5o

Let's start by getting the obvious out of the way: if you've played any of the Monster Hunter previous ones, in particular World ou Rise, you know exactly what's waiting for you in Wilds. The formula has not changed and the main additions of the two most modern titles are present in it, even if in a slightly different way and which, depending on how purist you are, can positively or negatively impact the experience.

Having just completed 20 years, the franchise Monster Hunter is, today, one of the pillars of Capcom, with their games easily suring millions of units sold and it is not difficult to find players who have dedicated hundreds of hours to obtain better armor and weapons. To achieve this popularity worldwide, since 2018 there has been a shift in games (from Monster Hunter: World) so that they are less daunting to beginners and utilize Western tropes more frequently – and both in the aforementioned title and in Rise, the result was pleasant.

In fact, it's kind of funny to talk about puritanism with Wilds, as it is the result of seven years in which the franchise has been moving away from the extremely oppressive presentation of the era's titles. PS2-PSP-3DS for something more enjoyable for all types of players. Having experience with the franchise since Freedom Unite, I was once part of the chorus of those who thought that there was a distortion of what made the series so special, but then I turned 30 and realized that there were more important things to worry about in life in general.

But priorities aside, it is undeniable that playing Wilds, even though the magic formula of the gameplay loop is present and more addictive than ever, with the battles being intense and true megalomaniac spectacles of destruction of digital fauna, it is still an extremely different experience from the versions of the 2000s.

The game chews and has a series of mechanics that make sure to make the game more bearable in the initial hours, not leaving the player lost and also carefully explaining each mechanic of the weapons, mounts and the slingshot. After finishing the first boss, I already understood how the maps and the game itself would work, being a perfect mix between the open worlds of World e Rise with an even greater possibility of intense and theatrical experiences thanks to the new graphic power – but this also confirmed to me that the slower and, perhaps an exaggeration on my part, frightening pace of the gameplay from the previous era of the franchise has definitely been lost forever.

Maybe I'm an old man shouting at the clouds, like things were better back in my day, but the truth is that maybe I just miss the things that were less designed for intense attention sessions for a short time. With the ease of understanding and accessing all the game's mechanics, even with the number of damage that the weapon deals to the monster changing to indicate when you're attacking a weak point or a wound, there's no longer as much of the atmosphere of discovery that I previously felt in the franchise.

But that's not bad! Even with this difference in pace (which, I emphasize, isn't that different for those who have played World e Rise), the game is one of the most enjoyable experiences in video games and, without a doubt, like its predecessors, will be part of the list of great games for current-generation consoles. What may not please many again is the presence of a story throughout the main campaign, which once again presents set piece interesting, but not quite engaging enough. Personally, this is the only point I wish they had actually eliminated.

Excellent performance, but with minor flaws 3n2mx

With a generational leap in relation to Worlds (as Rise is a game primarily aimed at Nintendo Switch, and so we will not enter into a direct comparison here), it is undeniable that Wilds features significant improvements on several fronts, from maps to monster behavior and combat options. The game's evolution is palpable and offers players a more dynamic and immersive experience, without losing the essence of the franchise.

One of the most notable aspects of Wilds is the way the game's regions behave. They are no longer just static combat areas like in previous titles, now the landscapes feel much more alive, dynamic and reactive. For example, when facing a Rathalos, we can see the creature's wings flapping so hard that the surrounding trees go into a frenzied movement, and the flames from its blasts create sparks all over the battlefield.

These creatures, which once seemed to be in absolute control of their surroundings, now act much more realistically, showing how they are primitive manifestations of an impressive nature. As hunters, it has never been so evident how small we are in front of them, in a stunning visual representation of our fragility in such a vast and imposing world.

Additionally, monster design has been enhanced to make each hunt more epic and memorable. Creatures are now even more detailed, both visually and in their behavior, creating an unparalleled sense of challenge and immersion. These monsters are not just enemies to be defeated, but rather displays of a natural force that seems intent on taking over the world. Wilds, it's as if hunting is an attempt to tame the wildness of nature, and this is perfectly reflected in the changes to the maps and the behavior of enemies.

However, as is to be expected with graphical and technological improvements, the classic optimization problems also arise. Although these problems are not as glaring as in betas or tests carried out at game fairs over the past year, they are still present, especially in moments of greater graphical intensity. From the second quarter of the main campaign missions, when larger monsters begin to appear, the performance drops become more noticeable.

Not only do these monsters have an expanded repertoire of attacks that affect the environment, but they also interact more dynamically with the combat arena, changing it in a more comprehensive way. This added complexity can be difficult for some platforms, especially when many elements come into play simultaneously, causing a noticeable drop in frame rate.

During my time playing on PS5 base, prioritizing frame rate performance, I could notice these drops. Although the game runs well most of the time, the more chaotic moments, with large monsters and multiple environmental effects, can cause performance to drop significantly. I imagine that, depending on the computer or console used, the situation could be even worse. Xbox series s, for example, this performance swing may be more severe given the hardware limitation compared to more powerful versions such as PS5 ou Desktops with more advanced graphics cards.

Overall, the graphical and gameplay improvements of Wilds are quite impressive and bring new life to the game. However, these optimization issues, while not as problematic as before, still need to be adjusted to ensure a smoother experience, especially for players on more modest platforms. Still, Wilds manages to deliver one of the most immersive experiences in the franchise, with more vivid and dynamic maps and monsters, making hunts even more challenging and rewarding.

Multiplayer and content 1n1417

Monster Hunter has always been a game made to be played in a group, and Wilds does not stray from this tradition. The online mode, which I had the opportunity to try before the embargo, is, without a doubt, one of the great highlights of the franchise once again.

There's not much new in relation to what we've seen in other titles in the series, the main highlight is that, when the SOS is triggered for other players to the hunt, an internal timer starts counting, if the time runs out, hunters NPC's appear to assist in the fight until a human player s the session.

The quality of these virtual helpers varied quite a bit in my testing, but overall they serve a good purpose while we wait for some incredibly high-level, impressively armored player to come and take down the monster alone. This was a smart choice for me, as it ensures that the player doesn’t have to wait around indefinitely, keeping the experience fun.

We also pack any Monster Hunter Wilds offers an impressive amount of content, with many additional monsters promised throughout the year. This is great for those looking for more challenges and new things, but I imagine the lack of an equivalent to G-Rank, present in previous versions of the series, may bother some older fans. However, in this modern era of the franchise, where frequent updates and DLCs are common, this lack is something we end up having to accept. The game world now follows the logic of DLC, with the developers constantly expanding the content and keeping the community engaged.

In short, the new Monster Hunter delivers a solid group hunting experience, with nice improvements to the online mode and plenty of content to keep players entertained. The lack of some traditional elements may seem strange to veterans, but adapting to modern times seems to be the key to the franchise's success.

Availability 5683v

Monster Hunter Wilds will be available from February 28th for PC (Steam), PS02 and Xbox Series. On consoles, The price of the game is R$ 339,90, while in Steam the title can be obtained for R$ 279,90.

PC minimum requirements 581yy

	Minimum Requirements	Recommended Requirements
Operational system	Windows 10/11 64-bit	Windows 10/11 64-bit
Processor	Intel Core i3-12100, Intel Core i5-10400 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600	Intel Core i3-12100, Intel Core i5-10400 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Memory	16 GB of RAM	16 GB of RAM
Video card	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 or AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Super or AMD Radeon RX 6600
DirectX	Ver. 12	Ver. 12
Storage	SSD with 75GB	SSD with 75GB
Performance	30 FPS at 1080p	60 FPS at 1080p (with frame generation)

Conclusion a5r1x

Lastly, Monster Hunter Wilds Is it good? A critic's job is often difficult when you're talking about something that's so beloved, with strong impressions of the franchise's past and its new beginnings – but as time goes by and we accept that the current reality is different, nostalgia becomes just nostalgia, and we start to accept the new.

My experience with Wilds That's exactly it, the weapons I love are present, old and new monsters are still really fun and the new features, along with the new tone of the franchise that began in 2018, continue to mark the evolution of the title. This creates a complete package that pleases both old fans (with some reservations, depending on their degree of purism) and new ones. The latter are certainly impressed by the tangible quality of the title, which proudly carries the symbol of Capcom, the company that in the last decade has regained all its weight and importance in the industry.

The more questionable choices, such as special hair for characters being paid items, are problematic, yes, but they reflect a larger problem in the video game industry as a whole, rather than a specific flaw in the title. However, the presence of these items ends up leaving a slightly bitter taste for those who value the total customization of their characters. For those who don't mind this, the experience will not be affected and the game will continue to be one of the most interesting gameplays of the current generation.

In short, Monster Hunter Wilds é Monster Hunter, and that already makes it an incredible video game. The new features and different decisions do not change the magic formula that made the franchise successful for more than 20 years, regardless of the purists who the past or the new fans, the game is another great success of the Capcom in this generation of consoles.

Have you played Monster Hunter: Wilds? Tell us what you thought of the game in the comments!

Text proofread by: Thiago Almeida in 05 / 03 / 2025.