The Monster Hunter series is packed with detail – from 14 weapon types, each effectively changing what kind of action game you’re playing, to its many items, to the huge range of monsters to take down – which can also make it overwhelming to a new player. With Monster Hunter Wilds (launching on Xbox Series X|S today) offering the biggest, most seamless hunting experience yet, it’s good to go in armed not just with a massive weapons, but with knowledge.

With that in mind, we spoke to the game’s developers to get their tips on using some of Wilds’ newest features, ensuring that you enter The Forbidden Lands with the know-how to succeed, whether you’re a new hunter or an old hand.

Choosing Wisely

As I mention above, just picking a weapon in Monster Hunter can be a difficult decision. With a huge variation in attack types, and some real depth to their abilities, new players can get lost in that simple choice. Thankfully, Wilds has a solution:

“Another key learning from past games relates to the 14 weapon types. This is quite a lot of choice for first-time players and many people weren’t sure which weapon to choose, resulting in them choosing weapons that weren’t a good fit for their personal play style. To help avoid this, Monster Hunter Wilds includes an NPC conversation where players are recommended the best weapon for them to start from.”

Don’t skip the chance to speak to your Handler Alma for a breakdown of what you want to use (but don’t forget that you can switch to a new weapon at any time you’re at camp, so don’t be afraid to experiment, either!).

An Unexpected Hunting Tool – Other Monsters

Building on the team’s work in Monster Hunter World, the new game doesn’t just build a world, but an ecosystem. With multiple monsters, large and small, wandering the maps, you’ll find that different species will react to one another, even if you’re not starting the fight. And, crucially, that can be a major advantage:

“Wilds features much larger maps than any previous Monster Hunter title, and they have lots of monsters in them. This means that not only will you see turf wars happen between large monsters as in past titles, but there are also times when aggressive small monsters take their chance to attack large monsters. Players can utilize this behaviour to their advantage by luring their hunt target into such an attack.

“The game is also more seamless than ever before, allowing you to hunt monsters you encounter out in the locale by seamlessly making them into quests, without having to go back to the base camp, so you can explore the area, discover a monster, hunt it, and once it’s defeated decide on what to do next. While all this is happening, there are turf wars and other encounters happening in real time, so you may for instance come across a wounded monster who’s just come out of a fight you weren’t even involved in!”

Seikret Techniques

A key part of Monster Hunter Wilds is the addition of Seikrets, animal mounts that can track monsters, and help you travel to them at speed. But they also come with the added bonus of being rideable at any time – meaning you can use them to your advantage in battle. You can also attack while mounted on your Seikret.

“The actions you can perform while mounted on a Seikret are limited, so you generally need to dismount in order to dish out any substantial damage to the monster. However, while you are on it your Seikret it will avoid monster attacks to an extent and you can use items, so hopping on when you’re in a pinch can be a smart way to recover during a hunt.”

Switching Approach

Another key change to proceedings is that your Seikret will allow you to switch between two chosen weapons, even mid-fight. This is a major shift in how Monster Hunter works – you could pick a longsword for melee combat but switch to a bowgun when your quarry flees, or use a hammer to deal stun damage, before switching to a greatsword when your target is sufficiently hazy. The developers also suggest a more nuanced approach:

“The most appropriate weapon for a given hunt or situation can vary greatly depending on the monster type and attack patterns, breakable parts and so on, so it’s definitely a good idea to switch weapons depending on the situation. If you really like a particular weapon, you could take two of the same weapon type with different elemental properties and use them strategically that way.”

Sharp Focus

A big change to your battles in Monster Hunter Wilds comes through a new system:

“Wilds introduces a new “wound” system where, as you attack monsters, you will open up wounds on their body and can then attack them for increased damage. Keep attacking a wound and it will break, for even bigger damage.”

However, Monster Hunter’s enemies often have wild attack patterns, making concentrating on a single part of their body tough – so the developers have layered in another new system to help. Focus Mode will lock you onto a monster, letting you exploit those weak spots, even using new attacks to do so:

“Focus Mode is not only a way to let players more precisely control the camera when aiming attacks, it also highlights those wounds, making them easier to aim for. You can also use a special Focus Strike on wounds while in this mode, so it’s a good way to make it easier to aim your attacks even for less experienced players – you just need to get the distance right and line it up. You can also use Focus Mode to aim for breakable parts of a monster’s body and make it easier to break them and get the extra rewards that brings.”

Show Your Skills

Another big change comes in the form of your skills. In previous Monster Hunter games, only your armor would offer you extra skills – from gathering materials more quickly to dealing more damage. Monster Hunter Wilds adds more freedom by adding skills to your weapons, too:

“In past titles only armor had skills on it, but with the new ability to carry two weapons, this would mean that any armor skills specific to a particular weapon would not be useful when changing weapons. This would mean players would be limited in the gear they could wear, or their weapons could be less effective. To avoid this, we’ve moved attack/weapon related skills such as Attack Boost or Guard to the weapons themselves, while more generally applicable support skills such as Speed Eater remain on the armor pieces, to allow players to bring the most effective skills for each hunt.”

Make sure to pay attention to skills across your loadout, and ensure you’re building something that complements how you want to play.

Monster Hunter Wilds arrives for Xbox Series X|S today.

Monster Hunter Wilds

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Pre-order to receive a bonus!

【Pre-order Bonus】
Receive this bonus content by pre-ordering Monster Hunter Wilds:
●Hunter Layered Armor Set: Guild Knight
●Talisman: Hope Charm

*The bonus content listed above may be available by alternative means at a later date.

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.
Story
A few years past, a young boy named Nata was rescued at the border of the Forbidden Lands, an unexplored region the guild has yet to survey.
After hearing the boy’s tale of his lone escape from a mysterious monster that attacked his village, the Guild organized an expedition into the Forbidden Lands to investigate.
A Living World
Environments within the Forbidden Lands can drastically change as the weather shifts constantly and suddenly. During the harsh Fallow and perilous Inclemency periods, ravenous monsters will venture out to hunt in packs, yet during the Plenty periods, wildlife is rich and abundant.
Monsters
The monsters who inhabit these environments have been forced to adapt to the dynamic changes that occur, using their unique characteristics to survive and thrive.
Hunting
As the world around them changes, so must the hunters and their tactics. Not only will hunters have a multitude of weapons and armor to choose from, but the art of the hunt itself has evolved as hunters learn to anticipate monsters’ behavior and familiarize themselves with their environment.
Characters
From hunting partners to fellow expedition members, you’ll encounter plenty of those who will support you on your journey.