Action RPG

Monster Hunter Wilds’ biggest struggle is working out what it wants to say about nature

BBG News

Monster Hunter Rise is an enjoyable experience for me, being a long-time fan since the series debuted on PSP. I find that it leans towards the ‘slightly simpler’ side, but the combat has never felt more refined, and there’s a clear effort to deliver a fun narrative before diving into the endgame. However, as the games seem to be incorporating more dialogue, the core creative team should gather and decide on what meaningful messages they wish to convey about nature and hunting in their future creations.

wielding enormous hammers to strike fearsome wyverns and using weapons to slash and shoot beasts mercilessly. While the game boasts visually stunning landscapes, the Monster Hunter series has historically been quite violent. Addressing the balance between its violent nature and a progressive environmental message can seem challenging, if not impossible. Well, it’s not exactly easy.

It’s undeniable that navigating this river can be challenging. On one side, it’s crucial to fulfill the fundamental aspect of slaying numerous monsters to create stylish hats and powerful swords. At the same time, there’s a need to express significant ideas because games that rely solely on atmosphere are becoming less common. Additionally, attracting more players is essential to boost revenue, and people appreciate compelling narratives. The truth is, it’s all part of a strategy; the ultimate aim is to keep gamers engaged in Monster Hunter’s primary gameplay loop: hunt, loot, craft, which forms the essence of its identity.

Examining the initial monthly data suggests that Capcom has achieved significant success in some manner or another. However, whether a main quest heavily focused on cutscenes was the key ingredient the series needed to draw more viewers seems unlikely, particularly when considering Wilds’ narrative becomes less compelling upon closer inspection.

Past conversations

In essence, before World Monster Hunter lacked a comprehensive storyline. Each quest came with minimal details and a sketchy backstory explaining why you had to eliminate a colossal creature. However, by investing time, one could uncover more about the world, its lore, and the hunters’ role. Generally speaking, it was believed that the hunters served as a defensive force, safeguarding cities, towns, and small settlements from overly aggressive giant beasts.

In 2018, Monster Hunter World introduced a more serious tone by presenting a genuine narrative, complete with cutscenes and plot twists. However, this new approach introduced complications. The New World is experiencing alterations due to Elder Dragons, and there’s also a menacing creature named Nergigante causing havoc among the other Elder Dragons. This chain of events seems unusual, yet we’re consistently told they’re natural occurrences, though they don’t typically happen frequently. Given that the relationships between humans, Wyverians, Troverians, and Lynians (the four intelligent species in this world) with nature were always portrayed as sustainable, it raises concerns. Fortunately, the expedition that arrives to the New World doesn’t aim to build cities or exploit resources from the land, so at least that aspect remains unchanged.

As the world demanded larger plot points and more formidable adversaries, these natural cycles were perceived as impending disasters that needed to be prevented, thereby transforming hunters into superheroes. Unknowingly disrupting the balance of a recently discovered continent, ‘mankind’ intervened, unaware of the natural order, and fabricated reasons to eliminate creatures who were simply living their lives. Oops.

What did we learn today, kids?

Shifting focus towards narrative development, addressing previously overlooked questions such as “why” and “how”, Monster Hunter may have unintentionally limited its own creative possibilities.

Following a more traditional approach, Monster Hunter Wilds emphasizes the theme of preserving nature from itself, featuring an increased number of cutscenes and tranquil strolls in this installment. After multiple terrifying monster confrontations and probes to uncover the ‘White Wrath’ creature, there comes a surprising plot twist that accuses the ancient Wyverian civilization and a source of energy for destruction. Although it couldn’t rectify the tension in World’s narrative, it provided an excellent means to make Wilds both carry significant consequences and justify the continuous hunting of every monster behaving monstrously across the Forbidden Lands. In simpler terms, “Our actions have upset nature’s balance; we must rectify past mistakes.

After the ending credits, the storyline continues in Monster Hunter. The once damaged landscapes have been restored, and original creatures are back. This means hunters can resume their usual tasks. A key character, Fabius from the Hunters’ Guild, expresses his belief that hunters will always restore what’s broken. However, deciding what needs to be ‘fixed’ or hunted isn’t straightforward because, unlike humans, monsters don’t harm the environment in the same way we do.

Beyond this point, Gore Magala arrives, causing chaos and disrupting everyone’s week with its virus and unexpected challenges that intensify the pressure on the hunters. The narrative also maintains a tense, volatile shift as Nata grapples with the emotional burden of having to eliminate monsters gone astray, and Fabius feels compelled to correct every alteration in the surroundings. It seems like we’re longing for mundane justifications such as preserving roads or livestock again after addressing the half-resolved theme of ‘a civilization has failed’.

Instead of focusing more heavily on story and exploring “whys” and “how’s,” which were previously less emphasized, Monster Hunter might have unintentionally limited its creative possibilities. If the series aims to grow and adopt a more serious tone due to higher ambitions, establishing a coherent narrative would be an ideal first step. Currently, the thematic discussions on nature in Wilds are somewhat confused and struggle to rise above the demands of the video game itself.

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2025-03-29 17:10

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