Since 2004, the Monster Hunter saga has provided a broad spectrum of battles for hunters to hone their skills. Now, hunters face a new and unknown threat, one that could shatter the balance.

This significant change will come in the form of a new game to the saga. Monster Hunter Wilds, the upcoming installment arriving in 2025, promises to be a seismic shift. With whispers of a new change in the genre of the series and the ever-evolving combat the series is known for, Wilds could redefine the hunt entirely.

“Capcom has taken the stage at the Geoff Keighley gala to present Monster Hunter Wilds, a new installment of the well-known hunting saga that will arrive in 2025 on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S,” David Arroyo, a writer at MeriStation, said.

While Monster Hunter World took the series to new heights with its seamless open environments and accessibility, Monster Hunter Wilds seems to be taking a step back. With its focus on segmented zones and a return to a more traditional art style, Wilds might be a spiritual successor to the beloved 4th generation of Monster Hunter titles.

“The real star of today’s trailer has got to be the wyvern monster that our hunter rides and glides around in those detailed environments. That’s the clearest remnant of Monster Hunter Rise and its canine mounts, and it’s a welcome addition to World’s open-world formula, which could get a bit cumbersome at times,” Austin Wood, a writer at GamesRadar.com, said.

Some of the new additions that can be seen in the Monster Hunter Wilds trailer are features such as a riding wyvern that hunters can use to travel around, and also what seems to be the character carrying two weapons at a time. This shows that the saga is keeping liked features such as the malamute on Monster Hunter Rise, and improving on concepts that were previously mentioned in the saga.

“A big portion of the new Monster Hunter Wilds Trailer was focused on the new wyvern mount. We watched as a hunter equipped with a Greatsword rode on the back of this mount, however, the real news was what this mount was carrying. If you take a look at the big orange holster attached to the wyvern mount, you can spot what looks like a Light Bowgun. If I had to guess, it looks like you can now take two weapons out on the hunt in Monster Hunter Wilds,” Scott McCrae, a writer at Mirror.com, said.

Having sunk its teeth into a more open-world format in Monster Hunter World, Capcom seems to be taking Monster Hunter Wilds further. This new title embraces the series; it seems to focus on wider, open, and connected zones, unlike the earlier entries. This shift might cater to players who enjoyed the more structured gameplay of, say, Monster Hunter World and Rise, offering a familiar yet potentially revitalized experience.

“The environment of Wilds is, if nothing else, dynamic, and the world seems to be as formidable a threat as its monsters are. This focus on exploring a living area is a trend that started with Monster Hunter World, and one way that Wilds can push the idea forward is by featuring a truly open world,” Tessandra Zoe, a writer at GameRant.com, said.

Monster Hunter World’s success with a wider audience is undeniable. The ecology that surrounded each area of the maps created an ecosystem where you didn’t interact only with the monsters but also with the microfauna that could be found in each habitat. Enter Monster Hunter Wilds. This upcoming title appears to bring back the 4th generation, with one of the directors of Monster Hunter World, and gameplay that shows more details than before.

“One of the features that I most enjoyed in the 3 generations of games that I have played of Monster Hunter, the one that I most enjoyed was the ambient interactions of Monster Hunter World. Being able to use the environment to your advantage, whether it is to do damage to the monsters or knock them out, is a great feature that I hope Monster Hunter Wilds brings to the table. It doesn’t make you feel as if you were fighting a monster, but rather as if you were in this magical world, and everything around you affected your gameplay and experience,” Samuel Aristizabal, a senior, said.

Throughout the Monster Hunter series, each iteration has honed the core gameplay loop, introducing new mechanics, streamlining processes, and crafting a more refined hunting experience. From the foundational elements in the first game to the innovations of Monster Hunter Rise, the series has consistently pushed boundaries. Now, with Monster Hunter Wilds on the horizon, the potential for a humongous leap forward is undeniable; hunters await, as their new adventure is soon to be explored.

“Wilds’ trailer makes it evident that the developers at Capcom intend to take full advantage of the increase in power. 2018’s Monster Hunter World brought the franchise into even greater popularity because of its massive leaps forward in presentation and its environments, and its portable Switch follow-up, Rise, continued to build on the World’s focus on exploration. To succeed, Monster Hunter Wilds must double down on its commitment to these themes while implementing other changes,” Tessandra Zoe, a writer at GameRant, said.