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Learn whether you should play the earlier Monster Hunter titles before jumping into the upcoming Monster Hunter Wilds.
Monster Hunter Wilds is right around the corner, with only a handful of weeks left before the game’s inevitable release. The Monster Hunter series, despite its monumental success in the West with 2018’s Monster Hunter World, is still a somewhat niche franchise under the action RPG umbrella.
Although Monster Hunter games are technically classified as RPGs, they’re quite different from your traditional RPG experience. In fact, the series is quite notorious for having some of the steepest difficulty curves, especially for beginners. However, with MH World, Capcom did make significant strides at streamlining the experience while also evolving the core “Monster Hunter” formula.
And now with Monster Hunter Wilds, Capcom is once again trying to evolve the series while also making the series more welcoming to new players. With the game’s looming release date, players might be thinking of playing the earlier titles in the series, before jumping into Monster Hunter Wilds. However, is it worth playing the older titles, or are you better off waiting for MH Wilds for the best “monster hunting” experience? Let’s find out.
Note: Aspects of this article are subjective and reflect the author’s opinions.
Is It Worth Playing Earlier Monster Hunter Games Before Monster Hunter Wilds?
Understanding Monster Hunter
Monster Hunter games, much like MMORPGs, are known to feature some of the most complicated gameplay systems. As such, if you go into Monster Hunter Wilds blind, you might get overwhelmed by the myriad of systems and gameplay mechanics. This is why you might want to get yourself acquainted with the series’ basics, at least.
Furthermore, having played any of the previous Monster Hunter titles will make it easier for you to slip right into the action without too much downtime. Let me explain. Unlike other RPGs, Monster Hunter does not feature a linear leveling system. You do level up (Hunter Rank), but that does not denote your in-game power level.
Instead, the levels, or the Hunter Rank, simply denote how far you have progressed in the game’s campaign. The actual progression in Monster Hunter is governed by the combat gear you choose to equip on your “Hunter.” The weapons, armor sets, etc. are what govern the actual in-game power level and progression. However, figuring out the right combination of skills, armor pieces, and most importantly, weapons, can be incredibly daunting.
Often, this overwhelming nature of pre-combat preparation is what ends up driving players away from Monster Hunter games. However, if you take some time to understand the mechanics at play, you will be rewarded with possibly one of the best action RPG experiences.
This holds true for every single mainline Monster Hunter title. And for this reason alone, you might want to sink some time into the earlier Monster Hunter games before heading to Wilds. Having some experience with past titles will mean you won’t have to spend time learning the basics from scratch. And that in turn will help you get into the real meat and potatoes of Wilds, i.e., hunts, much faster.
Choosing the Right Hunting Tool
Another major reason why you would want to play the earlier games before heading to MH Wilds is, well, the weapon types. In Monster Hunter, the weapons are more than just tools that you use to deal damage. Instead, the weapon types are essentially the series’ “classes.”
Each of the 14 weapon types comes with its own set of combos and abilities. The combos for Monster Hunter weapons are very much akin to a fighting game roster. Although not as complicated as a fighting game, the combos for each weapon do take some time getting used to. In fact, if you’re new to Monster Hunter, it’s best to stick with a single weapon type for your first playthrough.
If you plan on jumping into Monster Hunter Wilds blind, you will have to devote a significant amount of time to practicing and researching weapon types. And even then, you might end up with a weapon that might not be the perfect match for your particular playstyle. This is where having some prior experience with Monster Hunter games helps a lot. Having played any of the previous games, you won’t have to waste too much time trying out each of the 14 weapons to see which one sticks with you.
While the Monster Hunter franchise is more than three decades old, the core combat system has remained mostly unchanged. As such, if you have played any of the past Monster Hunter titles and already have a main weapon, you can just stick to using it in Wilds.
Fear of Missing Out
Even though we highly recommend playing any of the past Monster Hunter entries before jumping into Wilds, doing so isn’t a necessity. If you do decide to go into Monster Hunter Wilds, you can very well do so without any hesitation. You aren’t missing out on anything crucial by not having played the past titles.
Apart from having to spend a few extra hours understanding the basics and choosing the right weapon, there’s not much that you will miss out on if you don’t play any of the earlier titles in the series. Every Monster Hunter game, from the 2009 original to the upcoming Wilds, is a self-contained experience. That is what makes the franchise such an easy recommendation to newcomers.
Every Monster Hunter game, even the original handheld entries, offers robust tutorials to help onboard new players. And you can rest assured that Monster Hunter Wilds will also feature in-depth tutorials to help you go through its various systems.
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