What if I told you Monster Hunter is finally fully open world? So I drop into Monster Hunter Wilds expecting the usual routine. Track a monster, smack the monster, maybe get carted by a cat after taking rathalos’ firebreath head on. But instead the game opens with this wide desert storm set in a completely open world. There is something about this world that doesn’t rush to explain itself. It just drops you in and lets you figure out for yourself, putting you in the series’ first fully open world Monster Hunter. So as satisfying and in depth the combat mechanics are, we’ll be focusing more on how this game does as an open world.
When the world opens up and lets us wander, I noticed I could use the grappling hook to yoink up sparkling plants and bugs while riding this big bird called “Seikret”. Then wander aimlessly across the plains and well… ten minutes later I’m knee deep in mushrooms, bones, bugs I don’t want to think about, and a very confused mount who probably thinks I have no idea what I’m doing. To be fair, I did not. Gathering here kind of fooled me with its variety.
Eventually, I got back on track and faced my first real hunt. I went with the gunlance because every time I promise myself I’ll try something new, I walk into the training ground, hit a few buttons on another weapon, and instantly chicken out. Fourteen weapons is a lot to commit to, and I know myself. If there is a weapon that lets me pretend I’m cooler than I am, I will take it. Still, the training area does a good job of nudging you to experiment. Especially with each weapon having its own complex movesets.
Once I finally got brave enough to actually go after something, the world started to make sense. Wilds is built around the monsters. Not in a figurative way. I mean everything bends around their routines. Weather shifts, areas change from safe to shaky, and sometimes you walk into a canyon and instantly realize you are not supposed to be there yet. Monsters don’t politely wait for you to gear up or psych yourself out. They’re just there, doing their thing, and you’re interrupting.
There was this moment where I set up my first pop up camp. I thought I was being clever placing it near a cliff with a good view. Five minutes later a big creature barreled through and tore it down like it was made of cardboard. That’s when I realized camps aren’t trophies. They’re temporary shelters in a world that does not care about my interior decorating. And repairing them honestly feels like fixing a tent someone ran through while I was out getting groceries.
As I moved through the regions, the sense of scale kept messing with me. From a distance, everything looks massive and open due to its unified map nature, but once you start exploring, you notice all these narrow passes and chokepoints that kind of funnel you around. It’s not bad, just noticeable. The transitions between regions feel like tunnels, and every time I passed through one I caught myself wondering if I had taken a wrong turn or walked into the world’s most dramatic hallway. It all works, it just made the open world feel shaped rather than truly open.
The regions themselves though, they stick with you. The desert plain with a big weird circular rock structure. Then the Iceshard Cliffs where you always need hot drinks. And the Scarlet Forest that gives mysterious vibes with the red scarlet river. Every place is memorable with diverse beasts to hunt.
While I was moving through those regions, I kept noticing how the world sits in this odd middle ground. The ambience is great, with each area having its own personality, but the actual life in the wilderness is almost entirely monsters. I mean I get that the wilderness is overrun by monsters but don’t you think it’ll feel more believable if we at least occasionally saw wandering hunters or travelers out there? Camps feel a bit static too. NPCs are helpful, but they behave more like stations you visit rather than people living their own routines. It fits the tone of the game, but it does make the world feel more like a stage built for hunts instead of a place full of moving parts.
Somewhere early on, I caught myself thinking about why this game feels the way it does. The whole world is designed around monsters in a way that’s rare. Your sole purpose in the game is to hunt big monsters, the boss monster kind. Because really, fighting these monsters are where you’re supposed to be. And you’re rewarded for it, both with a good fight and the rewards you get from it. And the immersion of it too, the world feels like a living ecosystem where the monsters feel like their fighting over their turf, and using the environment against them is really satisfying. Other games dabble in this type of immersion, but Wilds is the one that commits, making it unique.
Crafting ended up being the biggest time sink for me. You hunt a monster, carve it, make gear out of it, then find a bigger one and repeat. It is the familiar loop, but Wilds gives you enough flexibility that it becomes a mini strategy game. Changing one piece of armor shifts your whole rhythm in fights. Talismans tweak your style. And Artian weapons… let’s just say I spent way too long rerolling bonus stats like I was trapped in the world’s friendliest slot machine. Then there are the smaller things you do along the way. Event quests, bounties, odd little gathering errands, fishing, even bowling in the hub. It’s all tuned toward making you a more prepared version of yourself.
The engagement loop hits hard because every monster feels like a new challenge. A new challenge that is unlocked through the main story progression. Especially when the monsters have different movesets and weak spots so that paired along with its complex weapon combat system is just so satisfying. And the monsters drop different materials you can use for crafting. Even when battles stretch toward that hour mark, there is this stubborn part of me that refuses to stop. But I totally get why some players might, maybe along the half way mark or even early on. Cause the grind is real. Still, the freedom to pick up any weapon whenever you want helps the fatigue a bit. But I will tell you that there are players out there who enjoy putting hundreds of hours for this type of gameplay loop.
So yeah, Monster Hunter Wilds doesn’t chase cinematic flair or a chosen-hero arc. It asks you to exist in a place ruled by giants and earn progress one hunt at a time. For players who enjoy worlds built around big boss fights, that feature feels refreshing. You feel the environment push back and shift, even if it isn’t packed with daily bustle. It’s an ecosystem that demands respect, and that’s the game’s tone.
Side Activities
Most of the side content is compact but tightly connected to the core loop. Event quests, bounties, odd gathering errands, and small diversions like fishing or hub minigames never stand on their own. With pop up camps, you can cook anywhere now, and when you can boost your stats with them, this becomes a major game changer in gameplay prep. And I almost forgot, the infamous meat grilling scene you get. So in short, all these activities feed into gear, crafting, or prep. This makes the world feel cohesive rather than cluttered, even if the variety itself is not massive. There is always something to do, but it never pulls you too far from the main reason you are here.
Area of Freedom
The unified map gives the sense of a large open land, but once you explore deeper, you start noticing the narrow funnels, chokepoints, and guided routes woven through each region. You can roam freely either by Seikret or on foot, but the paths still gently shape where you end up. It is not restrictive, but it is structured. For some players this clarity feels natural, while others might miss the wandering freedom of more open designs.
Liveliness
The ambience is strong, with memorable biomes and weather shifts that make each area feel distinct. But actual life outside of monsters is limited. You will not see wandering travelers or roaming hunters. Maybe just smaller to medium sized wildlife that might or might not attack you. Camps feel more like functional stops than living hubs. The world works for the style of game Wilds is aiming for, but compared to more socially active open worlds it can feel quiet.
Customization
Build experimentation is one of the biggest strengths here. Armor skills, talismans, and weapon perks create noticeable shifts in your fighting style. You can even change the appearance of the armor with layered armor, so you can always mix and match to look cool, but the deeper system is about performance and synergy. Wilds rewards players who enjoy tinkering and optimizing, but it stays focused on combat effectiveness rather than expression.
Engagement
Every monster is its own puzzle, and that alone keeps the loop engaging. The game never pushes you along a strict path. Instead, it pulls you into the constant drive to prepare better, hit harder, and survive longer. The freedom to swap weapons at almost any time helps keep the rhythm from getting stale. The long fights and heavy grind might wear down some players.
Uniqueness
What sets Wilds apart is not its map size or a groundbreaking twist. It is the commitment to the monster centered ecosystem. Everything exists because these creatures exist. Camps can be destroyed, weather can shift, and environments bend around their routines. Other titles touch the idea, but Wilds builds its entire identity on it. Its detailed execution in giving an open world centered around living beasts is what puts it in a league of its own.
Overall, the game’s still a solid choice. So, Monster Hunter Wilds lands as a B Tier at GameTyr.
