Monster Hunter Wilds: The Ultimate Guide to Get Started for Beginners

Understanding the Unique Elements of Monster Hunter

Monster Hunter Wilds, while retaining the core mechanics of the series, simplifies the onboarding process through a guided story mode. This makes it easier for newcomers to jump into the action without feeling overwhelmed by complex menus. However, some fundamental aspects set it apart from other action RPGs.

1. Monsters Don’t Have Health Bars

Unlike typical RPGs, Monster Hunter Wilds lacks explicit health bars. Instead, you must observe the monster’s behavior, posture, and visual cues to gauge its condition. This encourages strategic observation and thoughtful combat decisions, making every encounter more engaging and tactical.

2. Sheathing Your Weapon is Essential

• Sheathing your weapon allows for increased movement, dodging, and item usage.
• Draw attacks can be triggered by attacking while moving.
• Manually sheathing can be done by pressing Square/X. Sprinting automatically sheathes your weapon, enhancing fluidity during movement.

3. Stamina is a Defensive Resource

Stamina in Monster Hunter Wilds is primarily for sprinting and evasive maneuvers, unlike games where stamina fuels attacks. Managing stamina efficiently is vital for surviving and effectively countering monsters’ attacks.

4. Item Selection Takes Practice

Selecting items requires a specific method. Holding L1 allows cycling through your inventory. Use Square/Circle to select the desired item. Releasing L1 and pressing Square again confirms the selection. Alternatively, a radial menu is available with the right stick, offering quicker item access.

5. Your Palico Companion is Autonomous

Your Palico companion, a helpful feline, provides periodic healing and can distract monsters. However, it acts independently and doesn’t take commands. If you play in a squad with more than two players, your Palico automatically retreats to the camp.

Choosing Your Weapon

Monster Hunter Wilds offers a diverse range of fourteen weapon types. Don’t feel pressured to stick with one initially. Feel free to experiment and discover which weapon suits your playstyle best, as weapons can be switched freely throughout the game, allowing you to adapt to different monster types and combat strategies later on. Weapon-specific controls can be found in the main menu “info” section.

Training Mode is Essential

The training area allows you to experiment with various weapon types without facing the dangers of the main game. Crucially, it offers combo suggestions, input history, and damage displays. The option for “smash mode” also allows assessing your defensive abilities against a dummy. Utilize the training mode to understand weapon mechanics and develop your preferred combat strategies.

The Core Gameplay Loop: Prep, Hunt, Craft, Repeat

The core loop of Monster Hunter Wilds hinges on preparation, hunting, and crafting. Story missions unlock new areas, monsters, and game mechanics. Optional hunts further enhance your skill development.

Starting a Hunt

• Alma: Initiate hunts through Alma at camp for both posting and joining optional quests.
• Wild Encounter: Hunting can begin by attacking wild monsters in the open world.
• Map Interaction: Locating a monster on the map allows creating a hunt.

Allowing other players to join a hunt is governed by in-game permissions.

Eat Before Every Hunt

Eating before a hunt is crucial for increasing your health and stamina capacity. In contrast to previous installments, Monster Hunter Wilds enables eating anywhere using your portable BBQ grill. The suggested meal option usually provides ample buffs, but different ingredients provide unique and specialized benefits like attack boosts or elemental resistances.

Use Loadouts to Stock Up on Items

Before any hunting session, ensure your item pouch is fully stocked. Access your tent, transfer items, and select your item pouch. Loadout 1 serves as a good starting point, though additional loadouts can be made for variety.

Efficiently Navigating the Open World

Your mount, the Seikret, provides an effective means of navigating the open world. Auto-guiding is enabled by pressing up on the D-pad. If there’s no response, tap the D-pad again to restart the function. Items from the quest can be accessed with the left D-pad button while mounted. Environmental resources can be collected by targeting them with L2, followed by pressing Circle.

Mastering Combat

Effective combat involves recognizing individual monster attack patterns. Learning these patterns enables striking during opportune moments and avoiding counterattacks. For instance, specific monster attacks, like Rathalos’ spinning tail swipe, occur in predictable sequences.

Don’t Worry About Skills Right Away

Skill effects, which are displayed in the equipment info menu, are passive buffs. While important later, prioritize understanding combat mechanics over optimizing skills initially. Focus on mastering basic attack patterns and timing over skills in the early game.

Wishlist Items for Easy Crafting

If you’re crafting specific items and lack materials, add the item to your wishlist to mark monsters with relevant materials on your map. This approach streamlines the gathering of required items for crafting. Open the info tab in the game menu to see your wishlists.

The Hunt Never Ends

Congratulations! You’ve now started your Monster Hunter Wilds adventure. As you progress through the game, new mechanics and challenges will emerge, taking you on an evolving journey. After completing the story, advanced hunts and new obstacles await, promising an extended journey of exploration and challenge. The game encourages continuous progression and discovery, keeping you immersed in the thrill of the hunt.