Monster Hunter Wilds, the next installment in the popular action hunting game series will release on February 28 on PS5. I had the opportunity to play Story Quest at Tokyo Game Show 2024, where I immersed myself in the gameplay from the new story introduction to the intense battle against the frog-like amphibian monster, Chatacabra.
Monster chase in Windward Plains
Quest The story begins with the exciting process of creating my character. I had the freedom to customize every detail of the hunter’s appearance and even the appearance of the hunter’s trusted partner, the Palico.
As the story begins, I find myself traveling across the Windward Plains on a sand ship with the Forbidden Lands Research Committee. Through flashbacks, you will learn how your character became part of the committee. Suddenly, the scene turns into a tense chase, where a herd of desert-dwelling Balahara are in hot pursuit of a girl riding a Seikret. Without any hesitation, I jumped on a Seikret and chased after to rescue the girl.
The Balahara chase
During this chase scene, my Seikret was on autopilot to catch up with the girl. However, with some freedom to control the camera view and my playable companion, I immersed myself in the action as I jumped over rocks and dashed through the air to close the gap .
When I finally caught up with the girl, it was my turn to be chased by the formidable Balaharas in a heart-stopping chase. They relentlessly closed in on us from every possible direction as I charged across the desert, attacking them with my slingshot to fire sonic bombs.
Seikret joy trip
When he discovered the young girl was lost from her brother, the hunter decided to look for him. To gain a better understanding before embarking on the mission, I sought the advice of the Handler, Alma. She gave me valuable advice on whether I should carry one of the 14 available weapons on my journey.
Luckily, the girl’s Seikret remembered the scent of her missing brother and knew exactly where to go. Even though I was guided to my destination automatically, having full control over Seikret’s movements was liberating. I can accelerate and decelerate using R1 and R2 respectively, while holding them will cause it to rush forward or stop quickly. With the left stick, as expected, I steered my mount in the direction I wanted. Occasionally, I take detours, stopping at places that catch my attention. I even took advantage of the hands-free trip to gather hunting items, materials, and use my weapons.
New wound system and SOS flare in the Chatacabra hunt
Immediately after arriving at this location, a simple mission to find the brother quickly escalated into a hunt for a formidable enemy when I discovered the girl’s brother was in danger from the attack. by Chatacabra. Taking advantage of the new wound system, I repeatedly attacked the same weak point to deal significant damage. Also new to Monster Hunter Wilds, Focus mode is activated by holding down the L2 key to display an on-screen box with instructions on where to attack and a red marker on the monster’s wound for easy aiming than. The ability to change target points, even during attack movements, allows me to effectively attack weak points even using heavy, slow-moving weapons like the Great Sword.
By pressing R1 in Focus mode, I discovered the strategic Focus Strike. This special attack works by connecting with a wound or weak point, and it is shown to deal massive damage and stun enemies. Certainly one of the most satisfying moments in the game was when I destroyed multiple wounds with a single Focus Attack.
During hunting, you can summon your Siekret by pressing the directional pad for quick mounting. Once on my horse, I strategically drank a healing potion to restore my health and used a whetstone to sharpen my weapon.
Another unique feature is the SOS Flare, a tool that calls for help from NPC support hunters. The monster’s fury will likely shift when other hunters join the fight. This is a great way for those new to the series to redirect damage. While this feature isn’t available in the offline single-player demo, I learned that you can recruit other players while summoning support hunters while online.
New stories take place in forbidden land
After defeating Chatacabra, I hurried back to camp with my rescued brother. The main quest in the first chapter ends with the newly reunited siblings sharing stories to catch up.
Story Missions are rich in content, from the exciting Balahara chase to taking advantage of the wound system and Focus mode in the challenging hunt for the Chatacabra. As players enter the main quest, I have no doubt that new hunters and those about to discover the series for the first time will find themselves enthralled by the world that opens up when Monster Hunter Wilds launches on November 28. 2 on PS5.
