Monster Hunter Wilds Review (PC) – The Best Entry Yet

When Capcom released Monster Hunter World, I was convinced they had reached the pinnacle of the series, and there was no way they could top it. Then came Monster Hunter Rise, which, while enjoyable, just didn’t have that wow factor to dethrone MHW. But then Monster Hunter Wilds was announced, and the hype leading up to its release had me both excited and skeptical. After finally getting my hands on it, though? I can sum it up in just one word… damn.

Not only has Capcom surpassed Monster Hunter World and Rise (IMO), but Wilds delivers just about everything fans have been begging for—and then some. The game is everything we wanted and more, evolving the series in ways I never expected. This isn’t just a step forward; it’s a leap.

Game Name: Monster Hunter Wilds
Platform(s): PC (reviewed), PlayStation 5, Series X|S
Developer(s): Capcom
Publisher(s): Capcom
Release Date: February 28, 2025

Before diving into this lengthy review, I want to take a moment to thank Capcom for providing The Outerhaven with early access to Monster Hunter Wilds. I’ve literally played nothing else since getting my hands on it, and for good reason, as I’ll explain in this review. But to put it simply: if you loved the last two mainline entries in the series, you’re going to enjoy this one—maybe even more.

If you’ve played Monster Hunter at any point in time, no matter when you joined the series, you’ll feel right at home here. The gameplay loop hasn’t changed, and that’s exactly what I love about it. You hunt monsters, carve them for parts, gather resources, craft weapons, and gear, take on even bigger monsters, and rinse and repeat. There’s nothing complex about this formula, and I appreciate that Monster Hunter has thrived for decades with this core loop. What’s even better is that the series constantly evolves with every release, refining and improving on what came before it to keep fans coming back. Monster Hunter Wilds is no different. While it doesn’t reinvent the gameplay, it fine-tunes everything so beautifully that even the smallest issues from previous games feel almost non-existent.

Now, Wilds brings a ton of new changes—many of which we’ve been asking for—that elevate the experience. Even if the core gameplay remains the same, these updates make all the difference.

Welcomed Quality of Life Changes

Say goodbye to the Clutch Claw and say hello to the Fire Hook Slinger and Fire Hook—a perfect blend of familiar mechanics with a thrilling new twist that makes hunting smoother and more engaging than ever.

The Fire Hook Slinger lets you gather items from a distance, so you no longer have to painstakingly walk up to every resource. And if you’re in a hurry, just use the Seikret to grab materials on the go without even slowing down. But it’s not just about convenience—this tool is a game-changer in combat. Swing across the battlefield, fire Flash Pods, Slinger Pods, and Paint Pods at monsters, or launch elemental ammo to exploit their weaknesses. Even better, you can trigger environmental hazards to set traps and deal massive damage, much like in Monster Hunter World. Timing it right for devastating attacks? Pure satisfaction.

Next up is Focus Mode, which amplifies your damage and lets you create monster wounds—essentially the evolution of the Clutch Claw’s tenderizing mechanic from Iceborne. But Capcom has fine-tuned it to make it even better. When you do enough damage, Focus Mode reveals weak points on the monster that, if attacked, let you deal even more damage. Sure, it can get a bit tedious holding an extra button to activate it, but when you start landing those critical hits and seeing the damage numbers explode? There’s nothing more satisfying.

The updated map is a complete game-changer for tracking monsters, resources, and even those missed carves. The ability to filter between monster hunts and resource gathering is a feature I never knew I needed. When I’m not in the mood to hunt, I can just open the map, highlight what I need, and get straight to it. And the best part? I can set a waypoint and let my mount auto-move there. It’s pure genius. That said, the UI can feel a bit cluttered at first, so it’ll take a little time to get the hang of it. But once you do? You’ll wonder how you ever played without it.

One of the standout additions for me is the new day, night, and weather systems. Hearing about it is one thing, but experiencing it is mind-blowing. The idea of hunting during the day or night is cool enough on its own, but having the weather change dynamically during a hunt? Now that’s next-level stuff. Watching a monster get struck by lightning right as it’s about to pounce on me? Chef’s kiss. Or seeing a desert storm roll in, only for the landscape to transform into a lush, thriving ecosystem with a whole new set of monsters—it’s breathtaking. These environmental shifts add so much depth and immersion to the world. I could go on, but I’ll leave it there for now to avoid spoiling too much. Trust me, though: the weather mechanics are something you’ll want to experience for yourself.

I Will Love Him And Call him George

One of the things I loathed in Monster Hunter Rise was the introduction of the Palamute mount. After sinking so many hours into Monster Hunter World, it felt like Capcom was shoving in our faces that if we wanted to mount up, we had to leave MHW behind. It was frustrating, to say the least. But now, with Monster Hunter Wilds, we finally get the Seikret, and let me tell you—it’s a game-changer.

This dinosaur-like companion isn’t just a mount; it’s a versatile powerhouse. It lets you zip across the map at lightning speed or get out of harm’s way if needed and even better, you can set a waypoint and let the Seikret auto-move to it. Carry and swap out another weapon whenever you need it by just jumping on and pressing a button. Plus, you can attack while riding, use items, and even treat it as a pack mule when your item pouch is overflowing. No more leaving behind precious materials—your Seikret can carry it all. You’ll also be able to customize your Seikret, changing its colors and even giving it a name. Take that, Palamute!

We Finally Got Crossplay

Capcom has finally delivered on a long-requested feature, and it’s a total game-changer—co-op gameplay with full crossplay! YES! After years of resistance, crossplay is finally here, and it works beautifully. Players on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC can now team up seamlessly, and honestly, it’s about damn time.

That said, getting it up and running isn’t as straightforward as I’d like. Some games have spoiled me with their effortless matchmaking, so having to jump through a few hoops is a minor annoyance. But if it means being able to play with more friends—regardless of platform—I’ll take it.

In my time testing online co-op, the experience was smooth, playing much like the Monster Hunter Wilds beta. Of course, once the full game launches and more players flood the servers, we’ll see how well it holds up. But for now? It works exactly as it should, and that’s a huge win.

I Need Something To Hit Something

Just like Monster Hunter World and Monster Hunter Rise, Monster Hunter Wilds brings back all 14 weapon types, giving players plenty of ways to get down and dirty in the hunt. If you’re a veteran, you probably already know your weapon of choice. But if you’re new to the series, don’t worry—Gemma, the ever-persistent smithy, will grill you about your playstyle and suggest a weapon to try. To no one’s surprise—well, maybe a little—I was steered toward the sword and shield, the same weapon I’ve been rocking since the very first Monster Hunter. 

I didn’t get the chance to test every weapon, but I can say the sword and shield feel noticeably different, thanks to its revamped moveset. It has more aggressive options that make the weapon feel more dynamic than ever. Plus, that frustrating hit-stop issue from the Monster Hunter Wilds beta? Gone. And while I can only speak for a handful of weapons, I can confidently say that each of them feels great to use.

Slightly Frustrated At Monster Hunter Wilds PC Performance

After Monster Hunter Wilds’ betas suffered from widespread performance issues—especially on PC—I was hopeful that the review build would show significant improvements. While optimizations have been made, my experience was still a bit frustrating.

When testing on a high-end rig (Ryzen 9 9800X3D, RTX 4090), I expected a smooth 4K experience in high settings. However, even at native 4K, maintaining a consistent 60 FPS was impossible. The same held true for 4K with DLSS + DLAA enabled. It wasn’t until I dropped down to DLSS Quality that I could sustain above 60 FPS, and things improved further when lowering additional settings. But on hardware this powerful, why should that even be necessary?

At 1440p, performance was much better—I could keep high settings without issue. However, playing at 1440p on a 4K display feels like a compromise, even if the image quality remains solid. It raises the question: Are the long-standing criticisms of the RE Engine’s scalability on PC justified? Ultimately, I returned to 4K, found a settings balance that worked, and had a smoother experience. But the fact that I had to tweak so much on top-tier hardware is concerning. Capcom still has time to improve things before launch, but as it stands, PC players should temper their expectations—especially for playing at 4K. Of course, this could all change with newer drivers that aren’t yet available for my GPU.

Unlike the last two major Monster Hunter releases on PC, I didn’t encounter any stuttering—except for a brief hiccup when transitioning from in-game visuals to actual gameplay. Once the battle began, though, every clash with those magnificent beasts was smooth and stutter-free, and I couldn’t have been more appreciative.

It Might Be Too Easy, But You Can Make It Harder

After I posted our review, I saw some people expressing their frustration with how “Easy” Monster Hunter Wilds is, and I wanted to possibly help with that. Sure, it does feel like the game is a bit easy, but That can’t be helped as the franchise has gone mainstream now. Capcom wants as many people playing the game as possible, so the entry point has been lowered. Still, there are things you can do to introduce more of a challenge. For starters, you can disable the Palico so that it doesn’t accompany you on quests so you don’t get those extra heals or taunts. You also don’t need to use the auto-move/auto-pilot, the Seikret in battle, or the Focus Mode.

These are systems that were added for those who want to use them. If you’re a veteran and you feel that these cheapen the experience, then don’t use them. It’s that simple. How you want to play the game may not be how everyone else wants to play it. You play how you want and let others enjoy the game how they want.

Lastly, Capcom and Niantic are hosting a collaboration with Monster Hunter Now, the mobile version of Monster Hunter that has captivated iOS and Android gamers, that will be taking place on February 28th, 2025. As part of this collab, a monster that is making its debut in Wilds, the Chatacabra, and a new layered armor that makes you look like you are riding a Seikret, will also be available in Now.

Capcom Has Done It Again