The Monster Hunter series is packed with detail \u2013 from 14 weapon types, each effectively changing what kind of action game you\u2019re playing, to its many items, to the huge range of monsters to take down \u2013 which can also make it overwhelming to a new player. With Monster Hunter Wilds<\/a><\/em> (launching on Xbox Series X|S today) offering the biggest, most seamless hunting experience yet, it\u2019s good to go in armed not just with a massive weapons, but with knowledge.<\/em><\/p>\n With that in mind, we spoke to the game\u2019s developers to get their tips on using some of Wilds<\/em>\u2019 newest features, ensuring that you enter The Forbidden Lands with the know-how to succeed, whether you\u2019re a new hunter or an old hand.<\/p>\n As I mention above, just picking a weapon in Monster Hunter can be a difficult decision. With a huge variation in attack types, and some real depth to their abilities, new players can get lost in that simple choice. Thankfully, Wilds<\/em> has a solution:<\/p>\n \u201cAnother key learning from past games relates to the 14 weapon types. This is quite a lot of choice for first-time players and many people weren\u2019t sure which weapon to choose, resulting in them choosing weapons that weren\u2019t a good fit for their personal play style. To help avoid this, Monster Hunter Wilds<\/em> includes an NPC conversation where players are recommended the best weapon for them to start from.\u201d<\/p>\n Don\u2019t skip the chance to speak to your Handler Alma for a breakdown of what you want to use (but don\u2019t forget that you can switch to a new weapon at any time you\u2019re at camp, so don\u2019t be afraid to experiment, either!).<\/p>\n Building on the team\u2019s work in Monster Hunter World<\/em>, the new game doesn\u2019t just build a world, but an ecosystem. With multiple monsters, large and small, wandering the maps, you\u2019ll find that different species will react to one another, even if you\u2019re not starting the fight. And, crucially, that can be a major advantage:<\/p>\n \u201cWilds<\/em> features much larger maps than any previous Monster Hunter title, and they have lots of monsters in them. This means that not only will you see turf wars happen between large monsters as in past titles, but there are also times when aggressive small monsters take their chance to attack large monsters. Players can utilize this behaviour to their advantage by luring their hunt target into such an attack.<\/p>\n \u201cThe game is also more seamless than ever before, allowing you to hunt monsters you encounter out in the locale by seamlessly making them into quests, without having to go back to the base camp, so you can explore the area, discover a monster, hunt it, and once it\u2019s defeated decide on what to do next. While all this is happening, there are turf wars and other encounters happening in real time, so you may for instance come across a wounded monster who\u2019s just come out of a fight you weren\u2019t even involved in!\u201d<\/p>\n A key part of Monster Hunter Wilds<\/em> is the addition of Seikrets, animal mounts that can track monsters, and help you travel to them at speed. But they also come with the added bonus of being rideable at any time \u2013 meaning you can use them to your advantage in battle. You can also attack while mounted on your Seikret.<\/p>\n \u201cThe actions you can perform while mounted on a Seikret are limited, so you generally need to dismount in order to dish out any substantial damage to the monster. However, while you are on it your Seikret it will avoid monster attacks to an extent and you can use items, so hopping on when you\u2019re in a pinch can be a smart way to recover during a hunt.\u201d<\/p>\n Another key change to proceedings is that your Seikret will allow you to switch between two chosen weapons, even mid-fight. This is a major shift in how Monster Hunter works \u2013 you could pick a longsword for melee combat but switch to a bowgun when your quarry flees, or use a hammer to deal stun damage, before switching to a greatsword when your target is sufficiently hazy. The developers also suggest a more nuanced approach:<\/p>\n \u201cThe most appropriate weapon for a given hunt or situation can vary greatly depending on the monster type and attack patterns, breakable parts and so on, so it\u2019s definitely a good idea to switch weapons depending on the situation. If you really like a particular weapon, you could take two of the same weapon type with different elemental properties and use them strategically that way.\u201d<\/p>\n A big change to your battles in Monster Hunter Wilds <\/em>comes through a new system:<\/p>\n \u201cWilds <\/em>introduces a new \u201cwound\u201d system where, as you attack monsters, you will open up wounds on their body and can then attack them for increased damage. Keep attacking a wound and it will break, for even bigger damage.\u201d<\/p>\n However, Monster Hunter\u2019s enemies often have wild attack patterns, making concentrating on a single part of their body tough \u2013 so the developers have layered in another<\/em> new system to help. Focus Mode will lock you onto a monster, letting you exploit those weak spots, even using new attacks to do so:<\/p>\n \u201cFocus Mode is not only a way to let players more precisely control the camera when aiming attacks, it also highlights those wounds, making them easier to aim for. You can also use a special Focus Strike on wounds while in this mode, so it\u2019s a good way to make it easier to aim your attacks even for less experienced players \u2013 you just need to get the distance right and line it up. You can also use Focus Mode to aim for breakable parts of a monster\u2019s body and make it easier to break them and get the extra rewards that brings.\u201d<\/p>\n Another big change comes in the form of your skills. In previous Monster Hunter games, only your armor would offer you extra skills \u2013 from gathering materials more quickly to dealing more damage. Monster Hunter Wilds<\/em> adds more freedom by adding skills to your weapons, too:<\/p>\n \u201cIn past titles only armor had skills on it, but with the new ability to carry two weapons, this would mean that any armor skills specific to a particular weapon would not be useful when changing weapons. This would mean players would be limited in the gear they could wear, or their weapons could be less effective. To avoid this, we\u2019ve moved attack\/weapon related skills such as Attack Boost or Guard to the weapons themselves, while more generally applicable support skills such as Speed Eater remain on the armor pieces, to allow players to bring the most effective skills for each hunt.\u201d<\/p>\n Make sure to pay attention to skills across your loadout, and ensure you\u2019re building something that complements how you want to play.<\/p>\n Monster Hunter Wilds<\/a> arrives for Xbox Series X|S today.<\/em><\/p>\nChoosing Wisely<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/figure>\nAn Unexpected Hunting Tool \u2013 Other Monsters<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/figure>\nSeikret Techniques<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/figure>\nSwitching Approach<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/figure>\nSharp Focus<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/figure>\nShow Your Skills<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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