Monster Hunter Wilds is a phenomenal masterpiece that Capcom should absolutely be proud of. However, the same cannot be said for its dreadful PC performance which has dragged the game down massively, and even hurt its review scores. Fans have been complaining since the game launched, which has prompted many to not only worry about the state of the game but also the state of PC ports in general, which, as of late, have been consistently poor and often unjustifiably broken.

However, despite Wilds' performance dropping its review scores on platforms like Steam, it continues to be a runaway success, the likes of which most developers can only dream of. It has been so successful, that it has even broken numerous records. Naturally, this prompts a more nuanced examination of the state of PC ports, and just how important a stable and playable PC build is when the likes of Monster Hunter Wilds can get away with such an unplayable experience.

Rough Performance Hasn’t Stopped Monster Hunter’s Steam Success

It Is A Record-Breaking Game

It is no secret that Monster Hunter Wilds is a humongous success for Capcom. Wilds beat Baldur's Gate 3 and Elden Ring when it comes to having the highest 24-hour concurrent player count on Steam. It also, according to IGN, is seemingly responsible for Steam breaking its own concurrent player count across the entire platform, with it seeing over 40 million people on the platform at one time during the weekend that Wilds released.

Monster Hunter Wilds is also Capcom's fastest-selling game, managing to hit eight million copies in just three days, a feat so staggering that most AAA games don't manage that in their lifetime. To put it into perspective, Elden Ring sold five million copies in its first week, Monster Hunter World sold 1.2 million, and, for something a little less niche, Hogwarts Legacy, the game based on a best-selling franchise, sold 12 million copies across its first two weeks.

Yet, despite it all, players continue to tolerate it as Monster Hunter Wilds is simply worth it.

Of course, this is all despite the fact that Monster Hunter Wilds' PC port is famously terrible. Players have suffered numerous crashes in Wilds, as well as progression-based bugs that have caused them to lose progression and be unable to progress further. There have been multiple graphical issues, poor performance, and a plethora of other issues that fans have had to suffer through just to be able to play it. Yet, despite it all, players continue to tolerate it as Monster Hunter Wilds is simply worth it.

Troublesome PC Ports Are Criticized But Tolerated

Some People Are Happy To Wait For Patches

Monster Hunter Wilds isn't the first PC port to have poor performance yet still do well financially, but it is perhaps the most successful example. Previously, the likes of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and PlayStation's buggy Marvel's Spider-Man 2 PC port have performed well commercially, but not critically. They're often riddled with issues that fans are seemingly content with putting up with simply because it is better than nothing.

This is often the case with PC ports of console exclusives, including the aforementioned Sony titles, as it gives PC players an opportunity to experience games they otherwise wouldn't be able to. However, this isn't the case with Monster Hunter Wilds, which is what makes it rather surprising. It is perhaps even more surprising considering that Capcom has a track record of releasing badly optimized PC ports, such as the dreadful Dragon's Dogma 2 port.

It had awful performance and a myriad of issues when it launched, a lot of which still haven't been completely fixed. It still retains its Mixed review score on Steam, indicating it never got to a satisfactory state to help tip the balance. Players evidently had enough faith in Monster Hunter Wilds as a game that they weren't concerned that Capcom simply wouldn't be able to rectify the many issues with its PC port that the media was heavily covering prior to its release.

Monster Hunter Wilds Is The Kind Of Game That Can Forge Ahead

Capcom Is Already Updating It

Fortunately, it doesn't look like Monster Hunter Wilds will suffer quite the same fate as Dragon's Dogma 2. Capcom has already delivered a number of Monster Hunter Wilds DLC, including new monsters, quests, and more. It is actively listening to the community, which is a great first step in ensuring that the PC port lives up to the game's otherwise impeccable quality.

So, while Monster Hunter Wilds may have started off with a buggy PC release, it will hopefully not end that way. However, as great as it is that Capcom is addressing the plethora of issues with Wilds' performance across all platforms, it is still unacceptable that PC ports remain inconsistent when it comes to quality. While PC players may be willing to put up with a lot, they absolutely deserve better, especially when it comes to games like Monster Hunter Wilds that have become so overwhelmingly hyped that everyone feels compelled to play them.

Source: IGN