Monster Hunter Wilds BETA Review

Since its debut in 2004, the Monster Hunter series has provided players with an exhilarating experience of hunting and trapping large monsters in their natural habitats. Originally a niche game launched on the Sony PlayStation 2, it grew to become a massive success in the Japanese market. The release of Monster Hunter World on the PlayStation 4 introduced this captivating experience to a global audience, allowing players around the world to enjoy what the Japanese audience had loved for nearly two decades. In 2025, Monster Hunter Wilds will continue the adventure, and the recent beta has given us a glimpse of this exciting new expedition.

Gameplay & Controls

Monster Hunter Wilds reintroduces all the classic weaponry from the series, along with new control mechanics for each weapon. It features the standard fourteen weapons, ranging from the Heavy Bowgun to the Gunlance. This installment shifts away from the level structure seen in Monster Hunter Rise, opting instead for an expansive open-world experience reminiscent of Monster Hunter World, but on a larger scale.

In Monster Hunter Wilds, we introduced a new movement companion called the Seikret, which replaces the Palimute from Monster Hunter Rise. Unlike the Palimutes, the Seikret moves in a straight line, and you guide it by turning it in the desired direction. This change creates the sensation of truly riding a living creature. I found it incredibly enjoyable to navigate this beast through the Riverlands and Desert of Monster Hunter Wilds.

To discuss the weapons in Monster Hunter Wilds, our team played with all of the following weapons: Great Sword, Sword & Shield, Hammer, Lance, Switch Axe, Insect Glaive, Heavy Bowgun, Long Sword, Dual Blades, Hunting Horn, Gunlance, Charge Blade, Light Bowgun, and Bows. We have compiled a list of the best weapon types categorized by tier. It’s important to note that not all of these weapon types will suit everyone’s playstyle.

Capcom has introduced a new weapon feature that demonstrates their attentiveness to user feedback. Players can now carry two different weapon types simultaneously and can easily swap between them by mounting the Seikret. It would be great if this system could be further developed to allow players to carry two of the same weapon type, enabling more complex hunts with their favorite weapons.

Monster Hunter Wilds introduces true crossplay for the first time, allowing players on Steam, Xbox Series X, and PlayStation 5 to join the same lobbies and participate in hunts together. This feature promotes teamwork and fosters new friendships across platforms.

Graphics & Presentation

To say that Monster Hunter Wilds isn’t breathtaking would be an understatement. This beautiful game showcases the RE Engine’s capabilities with its stunning atmospheric weather patterns and impressively detailed character models. However, it does have its issues. As expected from a beta version, there are some hiccups, such as frame rate drops and low-polygon resolution models, which can break your immersion in the world of Wilds.

From a technical standpoint, the consoles are in a great-ish position, but the PC Specs require you to have some players to consider new PC Components for Christmas as seen in the chart below of required and minimum recommended specs.

The specifications mentioned are not particularly extreme, as most of the components listed are standard for PCs from the last two years. However, some users on Reddit have reported crashes and encountered the notorious “Origami Monsters” error while trying to achieve 1060p resolution and 60 fps. Since this is beta software, it’s difficult to determine whether these issues will be resolved by the time of the official launch. The purpose of a beta test is to identify and fix such problems.

Final Thoughts

While we typically have much more to discuss in an in-depth review of a game, this is simply a summary of our experiences. The Windward Plains offered us plenty of enjoyment during the BETA test, but it also left us with several lingering questions about the basic story elements. We seek more information regarding the new Elder Dragon, Arkveld, and are curious about the connection between the young companion, Nata, and this Elder Dragon. We plan to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the game upon its release. We are very excited to experience the full game on February 28th, 2025.

Rating: TBD (Final Product Required)

Monster Hunter Wilds Game Information

Release Date: February 28^th, 2025
Price: $69.99
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Director(s): Yuya Tokuda
Producer(s): Ryozo Tsujimoto
Platform(s): Microsoft XBox Series S|X, Sony PlayStation 5 (Enhanced on 5 PRO), and Steam
Purchase: Playstation Store
Purchase: XBox Live
Purchase: Steam

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