Adding new weapon types to Monster Hunter is “very difficult”, says Wilds director

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In Monster Hunter Wilds, there are new tinctures of wyverns, toads, and arachnids added to the legendary monster stew, but the differences may not be immediately noticeable from the weapon types. The designs appear more intricate with adjusted or expanded move sets, yet they still resemble familiar creatures beneath their extra layers of skin and machinery. Many of these monsters I recognize as they were in my old copy of Monster Hunter Freedom 2, released back in 2007.

Capcom has introduced some new features like the Insect Glaive from Monster Hunter 4 over time, but as stated by Wilds director Yuya Tokuda, the developers prioritize refining and adjusting the current equipment rather than providing entirely new gameplay methods at this point in time.

In a recent interview with PCGamesN, Tokuda stated that when they begin creating games like World and Wilds, they ponder if it’s the right moment to introduce a new weapon type. It’s not ruled out for any specific reason; they simply haven’t made a firm decision about incorporating it in their latest titles yet.

The game at present features 14 distinct categories of large animal disembowelment, ranging from the user-friendly Greatsword to the more intricate Hunting Horn, often referred to as the ‘Magic Murder Trumpet’. Tokuda mentioned that it’s challenging to imagine a 15th weapon that would fit seamlessly into this lineup and maintain the same validity as the other weapon types without overlapping excessively.

He explained, “Making each title is quite challenging. We frequently tweak all the weapon types and introduce innovative ideas to keep them feeling fresh. Additionally, we add complexity with new combinations and moves. The effort and time required for these changes is something that, in every instance since the last weapon was introduced, we’ve opted to invest in improving the entire collection rather than just adding another new one.

In dealing with Wilds, Capcom has faced the challenge of deciding what aspects to reintroduce from Monster Hunter: World’s Iceborne expansion, their last home release targeted at advanced players. As Tokuda explained to the site, “Players who were using a specific weapon in Iceborne were presumed to have already grasped the fundamentals and were moving forward with new combos, moves, and abilities.

Recently, I haven’t found myself yearning for new weapons in Monster Honker. Instead, I’ve been preoccupied by the rumors of terrifying educational spiders. However, expanding and fine-tuning Monster Hunter’s toolkit seems more captivating than doing so for a game like Call of Duty, as every weapon in Monster Hunter must be derived from a monster.

I ponder if Capcom might have thought about separating their monster design teams into specialized units, providing them with an abundance of fermented berries as a creative boost, and setting up a competition with their blacksmiths by creating a zoo filled with creatures that can’t be weaponized conventionally. For instance, imagine a unique wyvern comprised entirely of balloons! Or consider a monster of insectoid nature constructed from interlocking triangles! How about a dinosaur so slender it can only be perceived from the side? I challenge you to design another Gunlance using those as materials.

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2025-02-18 21:25