Open World Revolutionizes 'Monster Hunter'

Monster Hunter Wilds Redefines the Series with Open World Gameplay Building on the monumental success of Monster Hunter World, Capcom is revolutionizing the series with Monster Hunter Wilds.

Capcom Aims for Expanded Global Reach with Monster Hunter Wilds

Reimagining the Hunt: A Seamless Open World

Monster Hunter Wilds Redefines the Series with Open World Gameplay Capcom's ambitious Monster Hunter Wilds reimagines the franchise, immersing players in a dynamic, interconnected world with a living, evolving ecosystem.

In a Summer Game Fest interview, producer Ryozo Tsujimoto, executive director Kaname Fujioka, and director Yuya Tokuda detailed Wilds' transformative features, emphasizing seamless gameplay and a responsive environment.

Like previous entries, players are hunters exploring uncharted territory, encountering new creatures and resources. However, the Summer Game Fest demo showcased a radical departure from the series' mission-based structure. Wilds presents a boundless open world for exploration, hunting, and environmental interaction.

"Seamlessness is a core design principle for Monster Hunter Wilds," Fujioka stated. "We aimed to create detailed, immersive ecosystems demanding a seamless world brimming with freely huntable monsters."

A Dynamic, Living World

Monster Hunter Wilds Redefines the Series with Open World Gameplay The demo featured desert settlements, diverse biomes, a variety of monsters, and NPC hunters. This new approach grants players unprecedented freedom in target selection and actions, eliminating time constraints for a more fluid hunting experience. Fujioka stressed the importance of world interaction: "We focused on interactions like monster packs pursuing prey and their conflicts with human hunters. These characters exhibit 24-hour behavior patterns, creating a more dynamic and organic feel."

Monster Hunter Wilds also boasts real-time weather changes and fluctuating monster populations. Director Yuya Tokuda explained the technological advancements enabling this dynamic world: "Creating a massive, evolving ecosystem with more monsters and interactive characters was a significant challenge. Environmental changes occur concurrently—something previously unattainable."

Monster Hunter Wilds Redefines the Series with Open World Gameplay The success of Monster Hunter World provided invaluable lessons shaping Wilds' development. Producer Ryozo Tsujimoto highlighted the importance of a global perspective: "We approached Monster Hunter World with a global mindset, prioritizing simultaneous worldwide release and extensive localization. This global approach helped us cater to players unfamiliar with the series or long-time fans returning to the hunt."