Monster Hunter Wilds: Weapon Tuning and Design Philosophy

With each new Monster Hunter installment, players eagerly anticipate experiencing their favorite weapons in a fresh context. Monster Hunter Wilds, aiming for a seamless hunting experience, presents unique challenges and opportunities for weapon design. To understand the development process, we spoke with art director and executive director Kaname Fujioka, and director Yuya Tokuda.

IGN First Monster Hunter Wilds Oilwell Basin Artwork

The interview revealed the conceptual and developmental journey for each weapon, addressing player feedback from the November 2024 Open Beta Test.

Seamless World Adjustments

Wilds' seamless map and dynamic weather necessitated significant weapon adjustments. Tokuda highlighted substantial changes to Light and Heavy Bowguns, and the Bow, addressing the challenge of resource management without the traditional base-return mechanic.

"We designed it so basic damage sources are usable without resource expenditure," Tokuda explained. "Normal, pierce, and spread ammo for Bowguns and coatings for Bows have unlimited use, managed by a gauge. However, pre-prepared or field-gathered materials allow crafting powerful attribute ammo."

These changes extended beyond mechanics to weapon design. Fujioka emphasized the visual clarity of actions, particularly Bowgun charging animations, enhanced by technological advancements. Improved transitional animations between actions impacted hunter capabilities.

"A shared concept is natural weapon use in any situation, even without input," Tokuda stated.

This allowed for actions like healing while moving, unlike previous titles.

Fujioka highlighted the new Focus Mode, enabling directional movement during continuous attacks, aligning with player expectations. He emphasized the importance of adapting to evolving gaming trends and player desires.

Focus Strikes

Wilds introduces a wound system, where continuous attacks on a specific monster body part create wounds, amplified by Focus Strikes in Focus Mode. While the visual animations for Focus Strikes differ drastically between weapons, Tokuda confirmed that the underlying damage is standardized to prevent extreme weapon imbalances.

The wound system adds a strategic layer to combat, offering new options and unexpected outcomes through environmental interactions and monster turf wars. Tokuda highlighted potential additional rewards for hunting wounded monsters.

Monster health and toughness were adjusted to maintain appropriate playtime and player satisfaction, with Focus Mode intended to create more impactful, concentrated hunting experiences.

Great Sword Tempo

The development team utilized a phased approach, starting with the Great Sword as a prototype, then iterating on weapons like the Sword and Shield and Heavy Bowgun, applying learnings to subsequent weapons. The Great Sword’s development heavily influenced animation design.

"Weapons with a heavy tempo like the Great Sword are rare," Tokuda noted. "It’s a Monster Hunter standard to ensure its fun. Other weapon concepts differentiate from the Great Sword."

The Great Sword's balanced design—offering blocking, area-of-effect attacks, and consistent damage—serves as a benchmark for tuning other weapons. Fujioka highlighted the importance of balancing weapon tempos to maintain the core Monster Hunter feel.

Weapon Personality

The developers prioritized unique weapon design over uniform ease of use, aiming to maintain weapon individuality while addressing potential imbalances identified during the open beta. Tokuda used the Hunting Horn as an example, emphasizing area-control damage and the unique use of sound effects.

The team acknowledged the existence of weapon-monster matchups and aimed to avoid overly efficient builds that trivialize the challenge. They emphasized the importance of player skill and experimentation in overcoming these challenges. The ability to carry two weapons further enhances strategic options.

Skill Builds

The decoration system in Wilds is similar to Monster Hunter World, allowing for separate weapon and armor skill activation. The introduction of alchemy for single-skill decorations eliminates the frustration of unattainable skills.

Finally, the developers shared their personal weapon preferences, highlighting the importance of player feedback in refining the gameplay experience. The Lance, while a favorite of Fujioka, received significant player feedback during the beta, leading to substantial adjustments for the release version. The developers emphasized their commitment to incorporating player feedback to create the best possible hunting experience.