The Monster Hunter Wilds beta taught me two things. The first is that more games should be like Monster Hunter, or rather, specifically, like Wilds. It's bursting to the seams with content, even in the limited beta, it has an incredibly dynamic open world that's unlike any other and has largely functional multiplayer that's both immensely intense and relaxingly casual, a seemingly impossible feat executed well by few. I'm very grateful, in this regard, that I got to try out the beta prior to launch.

The second thing the beta taught me is that Monster Hunter isn't for me. I've spoken about this a little, but the beta proved that, while certainly a step up in a lot of regards and substantially more -friendly, it is still packed with the same grindy content that, at least in the beta, hasn't been fixed. That's not to say that content is bad, but rather that it isn't for me. Nevertheless, I keep coming back to that first aspect, the genuinely great and innovative things Wilds has achieved, and it makes me hope that more games follow suit.

I Love Monster Hunter Wilds' Open World

It's Incredibly Dynamic

One of the most controversial changes in Wilds was the introduction of the open world. As someone who grew up on Freedom Unite, I'm used to the smaller interconnected areas separated by loading screens, so I can understand the worries fans may have had. However, the Monster Hunter series has always been moving in this direction, with World and Rise experimenting with much larger environments. Of course, it could have always stagnated and stuck to this formula, but I'm glad that they didn't.

Taking inspiration from Dragon's Dogma 2's style of open world - which was also developed by Capcom - Wilds features more freedom than any previous Monster Hunter game without sacrificing its identity. Despite not quite gelling with Monster Hunter Wilds' general gameplay loop, I never grew tired of exploring its gorgeous open world. Even despite the technical issues, the sandy dunes were endlessly inviting, in large part thanks to just how dynamic they are.

From varied weather effects, including sandstorms and the most breathtakingly terrifying storms I've experienced in a game, to monsters grappling with one another in the middle of a hunt as I venture through cramped caves, Monster Hunter Wilds feels truly alive at all times. It's something I've felt is really missing from other games, especially RPGs - outside the innovative Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, of course - which is why it was so refreshing to see it here. Capcom has put a considerable amount of effort into Wilds' world, and yet somehow has stayed true to the series' foundations.

Monster Hunter Wilds' Never Feels Overwhelming

Its Linear Map Design Helps

What made the original Monster Hunter world design so compelling, at least in my opinion, was how manageable it all was. Each map was split into distinct regions with their own biome types and monsters to hunt. It was easy to know where to go based on this, which prevented hunts in later entries from becoming too messy. It's hard to lose track of Monster Hunters' most iconic monsters when one is being funneled through expansive yet ultimately linear corridors. Changing to an open world as free-form as Skyrim, for example, would make the series' gameplay impossible to enjoy.

However, Capcom didn't go down this path but rather learned from its own open-world style. Instead of endless expansive fields surrounded by towering mountains, Wilds' open world is split into large areas connected by winding, linear paths. It blends the more restrictive world design of the older titles that allow for contained hunts with the desire for an open world, ensuring that players don't have to load in and out of regions every time they want to collect resources. I cannot overstate just how much the seamlessness of Wilds' open world fixes so many of my gripes with Monster Hunter.

I also think that while catering to both old and new fans, there's a functional purpose for this more restrictive form of open-world design. Wilds has clearly been designed to be the most accessible Monster Hunter game, with the inclusion of an open world obviously intended to draw in a whole new audience. However, combining Monster Hunter's more tailored and cinematic gameplay with an expansive open world would feel far too overwhelming. Making it accessible means more than just shifting genres; it means ensuring that onboarding newer players is easy.

Monster Hunter Wilds should not be Breath of the Wild, and I think that's a good thing.

It will very likely be the case that future regions in Wilds' open world are more expansive, much like how Dragon's Dogma 2 slowly opens up over the course of its story. However, I'm glad that the first desert biome is more restrictive as it gives a taste of what Monster Hunter Wilds can be while ensuring that the player doesn't venture off aimlessly. Monster Hunter Wilds should not be Breath of the Wild, and I think that's a good thing.

More Games Need Smaller Worlds

They Feel More Familiar

On a more personal level, I'm glad that Monster Hunter Wilds is featuring a smaller world. Naturally, in today's gaming landscape, Wilds' world will still be enormous. However, its linear-open-hybrid design will keep its scale down, ensuring it is more manageable and, more importantly, familiar. I find it significantly easier to become accustomed to a smaller world, one that's more intimately designed and detailed - such as the Yakuza series' phenomenal Kamurocho - than a much larger and substantially more empty one.

RPGs especially have become a tad gluttonous when it comes to their open worlds, building bigger and bigger worlds that end up feeling devoid of personality as a result. It's why I was so happy that Avowed ditched its open world in favor of open areas. It affords the developer a greater level of control over each area while avoiding having to overstretch the environment design to make every square foot feel interesting and lived in. It also prevents the player from getting burned out, while still uncovering exciting details as more can be packed into a smaller space.

Regardless of whether people see the switch to an open-world format as one of Monster Hunter Wilds' many improvements, it is further proof of Capcom's ionate attempts to innovate and experiment. I couldn't be happier with the direction Capcom is taking, with it taking risks on smaller games like Kunitsu-Gami, bringing back cult classics like Okami, and investing more resources into its biggest franchises like Monster Hunter. I may not be as enthused as others are for Monster Hunter Wilds, but I can see the potential its world design has to inspire future generations of games, and that is exciting.