The Monster Hunter series is renowned for its thrilling battles against colossal beasts, but Capcom is keen to highlight a more profound theme in the upcoming Monster Hunter Wilds: the intricate relationship between hunters and the natural world. Dive deeper to discover what's in store for this exciting new installment!

Monster Hunter Wilds Will Focus On Humans And Nature

A Deeper Understanding Of What It Means To Be A Hunter

In the Monster Hunter universe, the role of a hunter is not just about defeating monstrous creatures; it's about fostering a symbiotic relationship between humans and monsters. Capcom's development team is eager to bring this theme to the forefront in Monster Hunter Wilds (MH Wilds), while also enriching the player character with more personality.

The core theme of MH Wilds revolves around the delicate balance between nature, the people who inhabit it, and the monsters that roam within it. Game director Yuya Tokuda shared with PC Gamer, "The relationship between people, nature, and monsters, and what exactly is a hunter's role in a world like that…We wanted to illustrate that not just through the gameplay, but a very deep story. There are many other things we have planned down the line that are aligned to the concept of Monster Hunter Wilds, and we're confident this game was able to achieve what we wanted to express with it."

To bring this vision to life, MH Wilds will feature more dialogue, allowing players to imbue their hunter characters with distinct personalities. Tokuda highlighted the diversity of the game's inhabitants, using characters like Nata and Olivia as examples. These characters come from different backgrounds and have unique approaches to dealing with the monster situation. "There are many people with different perspectives living all together. And we also wanted to illustrate how the hunter would feel in a world like that. What would they feel? How would they think? Everybody is different, so we decided to add those kinds of elements to Monster Hunter Wilds."

This approach marks a departure from the series' tradition of silent protagonists and minimal dialogue. However, for those who prefer a more action-focused experience, Tokuda assures that the shift in focus won't compromise the combat system. "There may be players who prefer to skip all that and just go keep on hunting the next monster—that's possible too. The volume of the text that's available in the game will not affect the number of monsters available, so we can satisfy everybody," he explained. This is just the beginning, as Tokuda hinted at "many other things planned down the line" that will further explore the bond between humans and nature.

For those eager to delve deeper into the underlying themes and narratives of the Monster Hunter series, be sure to check out Game8's featured article on What Monster Hunter Is Really About.