The growth of the Monster Hunter franchise over the last seven years has been extraordinary to see.

From handheld only titles, to spin-offs, to massive, open worlds filled with incredible epic battles and full cross-platform multiplayer, this IP is going from strength to strength.

Monster Hunter World really helped put the franchise on the map and in the mind of the general consensus, moving from just being a Nintendo exclusive to a global hit on PlayStation and Xbox.

And Monster Hunter Wilds not only continues that expansion, but grows it to even greater heights. Where World was a game I enjoyed playing, Wilds is a game I’ve lost myself within.

I boot up my PlayStation and immediately want to dive in. Tackling the optional assignments to gather more resources to complete my armor sets. Taking on random encounters to level up my Palico, and progressing the story which has surprisingly go its tendrils into me.

But equally, to see the amazing creatures in full 4k epic scale and scope. Wilds proves that while these games started out as predominantly handheld experiences, they’ve never truly been able to fulfil their true potential until now.

Seeing these beasts take over an entire screen, tear you to pieces with their critical blows and blast you to smitheerens with reckless abandon, these are battles that come alive, get the heart pounding, and give life and soul to your 4K TV.

And those environments you find yourselves in, they’re vast, open and rife for exploration. Riding your Seikret to climb vines to then get the drop on enemies from on high and even to disrupt the environment by dropping boulders and stone on your enemies heads is immensly satisfying.

Even using spots to hide, bait your enemies, use your support force to take some of the aggro off you while you pepper from range, or load up a trap to try and goad them into danger. Monster Hunter is as much a game about smashing the attack button as it is about conducting strategy. And Wilds goes deeper than the series has before.

One criticism I’ve had for these games is that it often feels like you’re just hitting enemies endlessly, over and over, running the timer down and while you’ll eventually see some damage on the enemy when they try to run away from you, dragging a leg, hobbling for their escape, it can feel like a slog.

Wilds addresses this pretty well with ‘Wounds’. Essentially you can lock onto your enemies to use your weapons and keep up your attack focus, but in so doing, as you’re striking at your enemies, you’ll start to see flashing red spots on their body. These are weak points you’ve softened up by striking them over and over. Aim at the then and hold in R1, and suddenly you’re going right at those to ‘Open up’ the wounds and weaken the monster even more.

This can eventually cause the Monster to topple over and fall on its side or back and make it even more vulnerable to an all out assault. It’s a really great way to keep the pressure up, to see the effects of your striking and to give you some idea of how close a Monster might be to death or capture.

Where Wilds seems to succeed more than others have, everything feels streamlined in a way anyone can dive in, but also more optimised than before so previous MH players can feel at home while also notice marked improvements.

There’s vast weapon variety here for starters, which lends itself to any gameplay style. A conversation at the beginning will help decide which weapon to opt for so you can then switch them out at any time should you want to mix things up. Wild’s combat is one of its biggest strengths, it’s so deep, varied with the options of upgrading weapons and finding sub-variants of the ones you’re already using. The benefits each weapon brings and even their drawbacks, all factors into each assignment you undertake, meaning you need to think about scenarios individually.

But Wilds doesn’t just lean into those combat moments in so much as it also presents grand, epic moments that really make those confrontations feel special and grand. Weather effects, sandstorms, reactive environments, even accidental collisions with other monsters. That’s the beauty of Monster Hunter – the unpredictability. Everything could work out perfectly and go off without a hitch, your trap works to perfection, your team works together excellently, you find just the right spot to trap them. Or the opposite happens.

Those non-scripted moments just make the game feel so unique in its own regard and nothing else is quite doing that in the same way, especially with these grand, dominant creatures that seem completely infallible and indestructable. The closest I can even compare it to is a Souls-game where you could have been beaten a hundred times by the same boss, but that one battle happens where everything seems to go right, when you get a bit lucky, when everything just clicks and you somehow pull it off. Monster Hunter gets you in much the same way.

This is also a game with a wonderful sense of humor and purpose, though. The adorable Palicos are, of course, stars of the show with their cutting wit and personality, but they’re also super helpful in a pinch, dropping health on you when you most need it. Gathering resources, even fighting alongside you. They’re the absolute best of companions and ones you just can’t stand to be without. The option to customise them to such a high standard that they look like your own pets just adds another layer to the whole thing, too.

And even the game’s story is easily the best of the franchise to date, really adding some consequence and meaning to you travelling from place to place, hunting creature to creature. You really see the world come to life in ways it hasn’t before and it feels more fresh and different because of that – not least because of the beautiful scenery and set-pieces at every turn.

The biggest difference for me, though, is how much better multiplayer feels and how instrumental it has become to the experience. It’s not essential to play Wilds with people, you’ve got some super well put together AI to help with that and fight alongside you, but when you throw up that SOS flare and people come running to fight at your side with their quality armor and weapons, it massively evens the odds. To the point where some have even said the game is too easy.

I’d argue against that in that later bosses are still hard as nails and are more than a match for you. And that’s before you finish the main story – just wait until you’re on the other side of it. The ease of drop-in and drop-out multiplayer was a must form of progression for this series and it just makes everything so much more enjoyable and digestible. Where past MH games have felt quite slow and methodical, Wilds really injects pace into everything and it helps give the game a more balanced, all-round feel.

That said, there’s an oddness to the UI of multiplayer, that can be a bit confusing and off-putting at first between the different lobby types and options. And it’s fair to say that a team of 4 who know what they’re doing and have halfway decent gear, can destroy almost anything. It’s almost certainly something Capcom will address with future updates, but there’s no escaping the fact content can be breezed through once you throw up an SOS flare.

Wilds is such a blast, though. It’s easily one of my favourite games in 2025 so far, it keeps me logging back in for the daily rewards, to get updates to my armor, to help people out and to discover as many hidden secrets as I can. Just when I think I’m done, I get the itch to play more. To see more. And the game is due to get much more in the months to come. That’s the best thing about Wilds – right now it feels like we’re at the very beginning of something quite extraordinary.

Capcom have got this wonderful rhythm going with their games right now. They have found a way to balance the massive AAA budgets you come to expect from these global franchises, while also making them appealing and enjoyable for everyone, different enough that they don’t stagnate too quickly, and keep pumping them full of content to keep you invested and coming back for more. Wilds feels like their crown jewel and despite so many big name franchises launching in 2025, this is one I know I’m keeping installed and will be coming back to again and again.

Verdict

Monster Hunter Wilds is the definitive Open-World Monster Hunter experience. Where Rise feels a more traditional game that fans of the classics will appreciate more, Wilds truly opens the door to everybody and continues to build on the success of World. From the grand, epic battles that leave a lasting impression, to a surprising story that compels, an enjoyable abundance of quests and items to find and combat variety unlike anything else out there. Monster Hunter Wilds is just starting life as the game you’ll keep coming back to in 2025 and once more establishes Capcom as the most consistent, reliable, and high-quality AAA publisher in the world today.

Pros

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Monster Hunter Wilds is out now on PC, PS and Xbox

Played on PS5

Code Kindly Provided by Capcom for review purposes