Hunched over in the dark, sweaty hands tightly gripped and with breath drawn in ragged gasps, this is the moment that I had been waiting for, the moment to strike down. I paused for a brief moment, comprehending the enormity of what I was about to do. After this, there was no going back, no redos, no second chance. I did what I came to do, what I had to do: press X to play.
I am pressing X to play a pre-release preview of the upcoming Monster Hunter Wilds, thus had the opportunity to fight a whole new slew of beasts in my epic quest for new ludicrous weaponry and fashionable, yet impractical outfits. Whilst there have been numerous mechanical changes and quality of life improvements since our last trip to the Forbidden Lands, today I want to focus on the heart and soul of the game, the monsters themselves. So, let’s take a look at what you can be expecting to fight for your life with later this month.
Doshaguma or more accurately the Alpha Doshaguma is the bear-dog-lion thing that I had previously faced in another hands-on. It’s a behemoth to behold, a shaggy hulk that would just as soon batter you into the ground with huge paws as it would tear you to pieces with its gaping maw. Its size sits in stark contrast to its swift spins and open-jawed lunges. It’s a daunting sight as you stand at barely knee height to it and attempt to chop (or hammer or shoot or stab) it down to size. Get it riled up enough and the Doshuguma will rear up on hind legs before smashing down, exploding the ground around you into gravel. Just do try not to be in the path of destruction as it happens. Trust me when I say it won’t end well.
The Quematrice is a fiery cockerel with a temper to match. Whilst this one may put you in mind of delicious Sunday lunches with Grandparents, this foul fowl will attempt to turn the tables. Using its long tail to try to whip you off your feet, this will often result in a flame fringed blast that will knock you on your ass and leave you singed in the dirt. Whilst not the toughest of fights, try to think of this one more as a Cucco on steroids. And we all know what happens to Link when you mess with the wrong chicken…
You will run into the Lala Barina as you study the Scarlet Forest. Beautiful yet deadly, this insectile monstrosity will attempt to impale you with its retractable stinger whilst distracting with an abdomen shaped like a flower in bloom. Firing out florets, small red tufts of hair that will paralyze on contact, you’ll have to dodge and weave to stay one step ahead of the deadly swipes of its spiked legs and creepy clawed “hands”. It’s the fight that I enjoyed most on my playthrough, injecting a change of pace into the proceedings as you’ll have to stay continuously mobile to stay alive.
Uth Duna is certainly one of the weirder looking creatures that I’ve come across in all of my years with the series. Coming across as a huge flappy stingray crossed with a catfish with legs, you’ll be in a desperate fight for your life in a water-logged version of one of the game’s later areas (which I’d rather not spoil for you here). This one will flip and flap around the locale, tentacles and gelatinous wings whipping about, filling almost the entire screen before attempting to belly-flop you into the mud. Much like Namielle from Monster Hunter World, don’t be fooled by the shimmering colours dancing across glistening skin. Whilst very pretty, this absolutely colossal beast wants nothing more than to flatten you into the dirt as you attempt to ride out the barrage of waves it produces as it hauls itself toward you. Whilst unable to actually defeat Uth Duna, I eventually did enough to repel it from the area and I can’t wait for Round Two later this month.
I also got an opportunity to fight with a couple of foes from the later game areas, Rompopolo and Nersyclla. Rompopolo is another bizarre looking beast, putting me in mind of a bubbly-bodied ant but with a shockingly sharp spiked tail and the scythed arms of a praying mantis. Whilst initially comedic, it actually began to gross me out a little the further that I got into the fight. Inflict enough damage and your opponent will deflate, allowing you to get in those all important critical hits on your now skinny target, all hanging flesh and spindly limbs. With the ability to produce bubbles from the ground around itself (again, avoiding spoilers about the area) you have to stay on your toes and look for the telltale movement around your feet to avoid being splattered and thrown around. Try not to forget to look up every now and again to avoid the poisonous clouds of gas being emitted in your direction. Whilst the initial attack damage is rarely fatal, it’s the chip damage that’ll get you in the end.
Nersyclla is a returning arachnid nightmare, first seen in Monster Hunter 4. It creeped me out back then, especially in glorious 3D on the Nintendo 3DS and sure enough, it still bloody does now. Hanging from a single gossamer thread, this spikey looking nightmare fuel is just waiting for the right moment to swing across its den and attempt to cut you in half with poison spewing mandibles. Whilst terrifying enough whilst you are still mobile, get caught in a blast from its webbing and you’ll find yourself incapacitated, helplessly wriggling to escape before this monstrosity can bear down on you. It’s genuinely horrifying. As if things can’t get much worse, just wait until you come across the brood of spiders that are awaiting you in the depths of this eldritch webspinners dank lair. I’m just hoping that there’s a sword and shield set shaped like a giant bit of A4 paper and a huge pint glass.
Thus ended my 4 or so hours playing Monster Hunter Wilds and even though I know that this is still a preview release of an in-development title, I can’t wait to get my grubby little hands on the full release. From all that I have seen so far, this promises to be the biggest, baddest Alpha in the Monster Hunter pack, chock full of engaging narrative beats, the best on-boarding for new players that I’ve seen in the series, and of course, some of the most fearsome creatures ever committed to screen. After what has already felt like the longest January in human history, this is going to be an even longer February whilst waiting for the 28th to come around. Whilst you would think that the recent open beta would be enough to satiate my hunting hunger for a little longer, all it has done is unleash my appetite for even more hunting.
Monster Hunter Wilds is coming to PC, Xbox Series S|X, and PlayStation 5 on February 28th.
