Monster Hunter Wildspromises to be the biggest entry to the series to date, but it won’t feature any new weapons classes, and the game’s devs have now explained why. The same 14 weapon types that appeared inWorldandRisemake a return in the latest game, albeit with some tweaks, and there’s a purpose behind that relative consistency. WhileMonster Hunter Wildsmay not offer any more variety in this area than previous titles, the game’s creators believe that’s for the best.
To be sure, the lineup is not exactly the same as it was in the past fewMonster Huntergames. All the overall weapon types remain the same, butMonster Hunter Wildsmakes major changes to bowguns and bows, alongside the usual gameplay adjustments fans would expect to see across the board. Thanks to some recent explanations from the people who worked on it, it’s now clear why these changes have taken precedence over adding an entirely new weapon type.
In aninterview with PCGamesN,Monster Hunter Wildsdirector Yuya Tokuda explained that it would be difficult to fit a 15th weapon into the game without overlapping too much with existing classes. There’s already a considerable amount of variety between the well-established 14 weapon types, so adding something new that feels like it deserves to be its own thing is far from easy. FansloveMonster Hunter’s bow for its versatility, the dual blades for its speed, and the great sword for its high-risk but high-reward gameplay. In many ways, it feels like there’s already something for every play style, and the devs behind the series are well aware of that balance they’ve been able to strike.
Keeping the Same Weapons Helps Monster Hunter Wilds Perfect the Existing System
Tokuda went on to say that by focusing on the existing 14 weapon classes, devs can spend more time adjusting and improving what’s already there. While the team had considered bringing new weapons intoWildsand previous titles, it ultimately decided that their time and resources were “better spent bringing the whole lineup to a better place than to simply start adding another new one.” Capcom tries hard to ensureMonster Hunter Wildsfeels both new and familiar, and optimizing the established slate of weapons instead of adding one that may not fit as well into the balance as the others is one way it can capture that feeling.
It certainly seems fans are not too upset about the series not expanding its weapons lineup. In January,Monster Hunter Wildsbecame the most-wishlisted game on Steam, surpassing the long-awaitedHollow Knight: Silksong. When the game is released in full on February 28, it will become clear how well Capcom’s efforts to make the most ofMonster Hunter’s weapons have paid off.
Monster Hunter Wilds
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The unbridled force of nature runs wild and relentless, with environments transforming drastically from one moment to the next. This is a story of monsters and humans and their struggles to live in harmony in a world of duality.Fulfill your duty as a Hunter by tracking and defeating powerful monsters and forging strong new weapons and armor from the materials you harvest from your hunt as you uncover the connection between the people of the Forbidden Lands and the locales they inhabit.The ultimate hunting experience awaits you in Monster Hunter Wilds.
