Monster Hunter Wilds is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam for a price starting at $69.99. This is the latest installment of Capcom's co-op action-RPG where players take on a series of missions to hunt down giant, fantastical monsters.
In Monster Hunter Wilds, players will journey to the Forbidden Lands in search of the "White Wraith." Players have access to 14 weapon types that should be familiar to fans of the series.
The game already seems to be a hit, at least as far as sales are concerned. Monster Hunter Wilds surpassed any other Capcom Steam release in terms of peak player counts. Last night, Wilds saw a peak count of over 1.3 million players. Even now, there are over 710,000 people playing Monster Hunter Wilds just on Steam.
However, Wilds is also sitting at a very firm "Mixed" review status on Steam. Top among the list of complaints is the fact that many are constantly crashing before even getting to any gameplay. Those that do get to play are running into some very severe performance issues.
Digital Foundry's analysis of Monster Hunter Wilds says that the title has "profound performance problems." The console versions aren't much better at all either. The game becomes a blurred, muddy mess in performance mode while failing to maintain a steady 60fps.
The already scaled back visuals probably aren't helped much by the 900p internal render resolution for the high framerate mode. The Resolution mode, which targets 30fps, runs at a 1656p average resolution. For those planning to play on the Xbox Series S, good luck. Digital Foundry notes that the Series S has a single mode that targets 30fps. The Series S fails to maintain a steady 30fps and ends up looking worse than the PS5 and Series X running in the high framerate mode.
It seems like regardless of platform, there are some very rough edges to contend with for Monster Hunter Wilds.
Venture to the Forbidden Lands
After rescuing the young boy Nata on the border of the reportedly uninhabited Forbidden Lands, the Hunter’s Guild gathers its resources and forms the Forbidden Lands Expedition Team to investigate Arkveld, the mysterious “White Wraith,” that attacked Nata’s village. Fully voiced for the first time in the series, the player’s Hunter is joined in the Expedition Team’s Avis unit by Alma the Guild-appointed Handler, Gemma the reliable Smithy, and the Hunter’s trusty Palico.
Upon arriving in the Forbidden Lands, the Expedition Team encounters multiple biomes with dynamic identities that players can experience seamlessly between cutscenes and gameplay. The ecosystems of the Windward Plains, Scarlet Forest, Oilwell Basin, and more rapidly shift between vibrant seasons of “Plenty” brimming with life, and unforgiving periods of “Fallow” where monsters fight over limited resources. The sudden shift in the landscape known as the “Inclemency” drastically impacts both the creatures that live there and pushes hunters to adapt their tactics.
A Whole New World
Monster Hunter Wilds features a variety of new creatures alongside series mainstays like the iconic Rathalos, ranging from herds of small species to large monsters – some of which roam the Forbidden Lands in packs. Every creature hunters encounter in the wild has carved out a special place in its habitat and possesses unique attacks and behaviors. The Apex predators of each region such as Rey Dau, Uth Duna, and Nu Udra are heralded by a period of Inclemency that reshapes the environment around them. The Seikret, an agile new mount native to the Forbidden Lands, enables hunters to track monsters across the shifting scenery, perform actions like wielding the Hook Slinger to gather materials on the move, and easily switch between two weapons while out on hunts.
The Monster Hunter™ series’ acclaimed action-packed gameplay is back and more exciting than ever with an array of new moves, special abilities, equipment, and more. Utilize the new Focus Mode to carefully aim attacks and guards while identifying weak points on a monster, then target wounds with Focus Strikes to deal massive damage. Some weapons also have the ability to disrupt monsters’ attacks using either Offset Attacks that counter monster attacks with an attack of their own, or Power Clashes that can physically overpower a monster after an intense struggle. As you master these new additions to combat and enjoy the rich story of Monster Hunter Wilds, you can play solo, join up to three other players across any system with cross-platform online multiplayer, or receive aid from notable story characters with the new Support Hunter NPC ally feature.
The Road Ahead
Beyond today’s highly anticipated release, Monster Hunter Wilds will continue to evolve with post-launch content updates. Event Quests will be introduced starting next week, with special armor that players can earn as rewards. The first free major Title Update is planned to release in Spring 2025 and will see the return of fan-favorite monster Mizutsune, the sleek dancing Leviathan that ensnares its prey with immobilizing bubbles. Additional details on limited-time quests and the other exciting content coming in free Title Update 1 will be revealed soon. Please also stay tuned for details on future free Title Updates, including this summer’s Title Update 2 in the near future.
Product Details
Monster Hunter Wilds is available on physical and digital formats. It is available on PlayStation 5 with PS5 Pro Enhanced support, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam in Standard, Deluxe, and Premium Deluxe editions. The Deluxe Edition features the Monster Hunter Wilds base game and the Deluxe Pack, which includes a variety of cosmetic DLC, such as Hunter Layered Armor and sticker sets. The Premium Deluxe Edition includes the Monster Hunter Wilds base game, the Deluxe Pack, a Premium Bonus available now, a Cosmetic DLC Pack 1 coming in Spring 2025, and Cosmetic DLC pack 2 planned for release in Summer 2025.
After rescuing the young boy Nata on the border of the reportedly uninhabited Forbidden Lands, the Hunter’s Guild gathers its resources and forms the Forbidden Lands Expedition Team to investigate Arkveld, the mysterious “White Wraith,” that attacked Nata’s village. Fully voiced for the first time in the series, the player’s Hunter is joined in the Expedition Team’s Avis unit by Alma the Guild-appointed Handler, Gemma the reliable Smithy, and the Hunter’s trusty Palico.
Upon arriving in the Forbidden Lands, the Expedition Team encounters multiple biomes with dynamic identities that players can experience seamlessly between cutscenes and gameplay. The ecosystems of the Windward Plains, Scarlet Forest, Oilwell Basin, and more rapidly shift between vibrant seasons of “Plenty” brimming with life, and unforgiving periods of “Fallow” where monsters fight over limited resources. The sudden shift in the landscape known as the “Inclemency” drastically impacts both the creatures that live there and pushes hunters to adapt their tactics.
A Whole New World
Monster Hunter Wilds features a variety of new creatures alongside series mainstays like the iconic Rathalos, ranging from herds of small species to large monsters – some of which roam the Forbidden Lands in packs. Every creature hunters encounter in the wild has carved out a special place in its habitat and possesses unique attacks and behaviors. The Apex predators of each region such as Rey Dau, Uth Duna, and Nu Udra are heralded by a period of Inclemency that reshapes the environment around them. The Seikret, an agile new mount native to the Forbidden Lands, enables hunters to track monsters across the shifting scenery, perform actions like wielding the Hook Slinger to gather materials on the move, and easily switch between two weapons while out on hunts.
The Monster Hunter™ series’ acclaimed action-packed gameplay is back and more exciting than ever with an array of new moves, special abilities, equipment, and more. Utilize the new Focus Mode to carefully aim attacks and guards while identifying weak points on a monster, then target wounds with Focus Strikes to deal massive damage. Some weapons also have the ability to disrupt monsters’ attacks using either Offset Attacks that counter monster attacks with an attack of their own, or Power Clashes that can physically overpower a monster after an intense struggle. As you master these new additions to combat and enjoy the rich story of Monster Hunter Wilds, you can play solo, join up to three other players across any system with cross-platform online multiplayer, or receive aid from notable story characters with the new Support Hunter NPC ally feature.
The Road Ahead
Beyond today’s highly anticipated release, Monster Hunter Wilds will continue to evolve with post-launch content updates. Event Quests will be introduced starting next week, with special armor that players can earn as rewards. The first free major Title Update is planned to release in Spring 2025 and will see the return of fan-favorite monster Mizutsune, the sleek dancing Leviathan that ensnares its prey with immobilizing bubbles. Additional details on limited-time quests and the other exciting content coming in free Title Update 1 will be revealed soon. Please also stay tuned for details on future free Title Updates, including this summer’s Title Update 2 in the near future.
Product Details
Monster Hunter Wilds is available on physical and digital formats. It is available on PlayStation 5 with PS5 Pro Enhanced support, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam in Standard, Deluxe, and Premium Deluxe editions. The Deluxe Edition features the Monster Hunter Wilds base game and the Deluxe Pack, which includes a variety of cosmetic DLC, such as Hunter Layered Armor and sticker sets. The Premium Deluxe Edition includes the Monster Hunter Wilds base game, the Deluxe Pack, a Premium Bonus available now, a Cosmetic DLC Pack 1 coming in Spring 2025, and Cosmetic DLC pack 2 planned for release in Summer 2025.
