Why You Should Play Monster Hunter: World Before Wilds

Mastering Monster Hunter Wilds: Why You Should Play Monster Hunter: World First

Monster Hunter Wilds is one of Steam's most anticipated pre-orders, promising a massive hunting experience. For newcomers to the series, the complexity can be daunting. While Wilds will undoubtedly include a tutorial, playing Monster Hunter: World (2018) beforehand offers a significant advantage.

Why World? It's not about narrative connections; instead, World's style and structure closely mirror Wilds'. Playing World provides invaluable onboarding, familiarizing you with the series' sometimes intricate systems and gameplay loop.

Should you play Rise instead? While Rise is excellent, Wilds appears to be a direct successor to World, not Rise. Rise, originally developed for the Nintendo Switch, prioritized speed and smaller zones, streamlining the gameplay loop but sacrificing some of the large-scale, immersive environments that World excelled at. Wilds seems to be building upon and expanding the elements World offered.

World's large zones and emphasis on tracking monsters within detailed ecosystems serve as a blueprint for Wilds' even larger open areas. Experience this engaging hunting style in World before diving into Wilds. While the stories are unconnected, World's narrative structure and familiar elements (Hunter's Guild, Palicos) will set appropriate expectations for Wilds. Think of it like the Final Fantasy series – recurring elements exist, but each game stands alone.

Mastering the Combat: Weapon Proficiency

Beyond understanding the universe and campaign structure, World's challenging combat is crucial preparation. Wilds features 14 weapons, all present in World. This allows you to experiment and find your preferred weapon before tackling Wilds. Each weapon demands mastery; World provides the training ground to develop proficiency. Your weapon is your character class; it dictates your role and approach in hunts. World teaches weapon progression through monster parts and crafting, building towards higher-level weapons.

Strategic Combat: Beyond Button Mashing

World emphasizes strategic positioning and attack angles over raw damage. Understanding weapon impact zones is key. The Longsword excels at severing tails, while the hammer stuns with headshots. Mastering weapon utilization is crucial for success.

Utilizing Tools: The Slinger and Crafting

The Slinger, a crucial tool returning in Wilds, allows for strategic gadget and ammunition use. Learning to use Flash Pods or poison knives in World will significantly improve your Wilds gameplay. Crafting Slinger ammo from environmental ingredients is also a key skill learned in World.

The Hunt's Rhythm: Tracking and Gathering

World's gameplay loop – tracking monsters, mining, gathering materials – becomes second nature. Understanding this rhythm provides a significant advantage in Wilds. Each hunt is a deliberate experience, learning to adapt to different monsters and their behaviors.

While not mandatory, playing Monster Hunter: World provides invaluable preparation for Wilds. It's a unique game, and while accessibility has improved, the best way to prepare is by playing a Monster Hunter game. While jumping in blind is an option, World offers a significant advantage, allowing you to familiarize yourself with the series' nuances before Wilds launches on February 28, 2025. Plus, you'll unlock free Palico armor by importing your save data!