Monster Hunter Can Play Like Dark Souls or Devil May Cry, Depending on Your Weapon

For newcomers to Monster Hunter, the abrupt occurrence of Wilds mightiness look similar it came retired of nowhere. But Capcom has been fine-tuning its massively palmy Monster Hunter bid for planetary domination for years and the effect is what looks to beryllium 1 of the best-selling games successful the series.

With over a cardinal concurrent players connected Steam, everyone is playing Monster Hunter Wilds. But if you’re feeling similar an outsider looking in, unsure however oregon wherever to start, I person the concealed to maximizing your Monster Hunter enjoyment with this 1 elemental instrumentality – uncovering the limb that champion suits however you privation to play.

In Monster Hunter Wilds, players tin instantly take from an astir overwhelming arsenal of weapons, each with their ain unsocial playstyle, whether that’s heavy, brutish weapons similar the Great Sword, thing much nimble similar the Dual Blades, oregon ranged weapons similar the Bowgun.

There’s a temptation – I deliberation partially due to the fact that it is Monster Hunter’s astir iconic limb – to commencement retired utilizing the large swords and power axes first, but these cumbersome weapons person to beryllium utilized successful a precise circumstantial way, prioritizing intentional swings alternatively of brute force. As such, they’re not the easiest happening to get to grips with astatine first. Instead, I’d opt for thing a small much nimble similar the Dual Blades, which unlocks a satellite of speedy attacks and dodges. The quality is transformative: erstwhile maining a large sword, Monster Hunter echoes the considered combat and cautious attack of Dark Souls; utilizing Dual Blades, it’s reminiscent of Devil May Cry’s action-focussed combat.

Indeed, compared to erstwhile Monster Hunters, Wilds changes up the combat to marque it a spot much in-line with modern enactment games. While you inactive request to sheathe your limb if you privation to heal, combat feels much intuitive to anyone who’s played an enactment RPG from the past 5 years. That said, the main quality – and wherefore picking a limb that champion suits the mode you play – is dissimilar different enactment RPGs, which fto players customize the mode they privation to play done accomplishment trees, successful Monster Hunter it’s each down to limb choice.

The determination you marque astatine the commencement defines the acquisition you’ll have, then. If your penchant is thing ace accelerated and combo heavy, that makes you consciousness similar Dante’s been transported to the Monster Hunter series, spell for the Dual Blades, which relies connected accelerated attacks, speedy dodges, and gathering up a metre that, erstwhile full, tin unleash a accelerated combo connected downed enemies.

On the flip side, if you similar thing that tin woody dense harm portion keeping your defences up and support mobility, the sword and shield is simply a large starter weapon. The lance – 1 of the slightest fashionable weapons successful the crippled due to the fact that it favors defence implicit flashy attacks – combines some a large limb and shield. Its parries and counter-attacks aren’t for everyone, but signifier and you get a precise unsocial combat experience.

There are besides ranged weapons similar the Bowguns, which are arsenic if not much almighty than melee weapons. If you’re going to prime 1 of these, retrieve to battalion capable ammo and marque definite you’re bringing the champion ones for the peculiar monster you’re fighting.

There are 14 weapons to take from, each with unsocial abilities and characteristics, but they’re efficaciously divided into 3 main types – heavy, which woody monolithic harm successful speech for speed, airy weapons that woody accelerated attacks, and method weapons. But determination are besides those that beryllium betwixt these archetypes – the Gunlance has scope capabilities, the Charge Blade tin go a large axe oregon smaller leaf with a fastener press, and the Insect Glaive and Hunting Horn tin beryllium utilized to summation unsocial buffs with the close combos.

There’s a ton of prime but don’t get overwhelmed. Try retired each limb successful the game’s tutorial earlier you afloat commit, due to the fact that you volition decidedly find the close acceptable for you, whether that’s kicking up a frenzy similar Dante oregon prioritizing strategy similar Dark Souls.

Matt Kim is IGN's Senior Features Editor.