Summary
The next installment in theMonster Hunterseries,Monster Hunter Wilds, has been steadily chipping away at the franchise’s tradition since it was first announced, revealing brand-new features such as a fully voiced protagonist and plenty of named NPCs. However, something elseMonster Hunter Wildsis adding to that pile of broken traditions is various settlements for players to discover in its open world, each of which features a unique people or creature group and their customs.
While it hasn’t been confirmed,Monster Hunter Wilds' settlement feature could lead to an intense type of liberation mission that has been present in many other non-Monster Hunteropen-world games. As such, it’s worth looking at how a settlement liberation system might fit inthe world ofMonster Hunter Wildsand whether it would even be worth it in the long run.
Monster Hunter Wilds Could See Players Liberating Settlements From Monster Attacks
The idea of liberating settlements (or “outposts,” as franchises likeFar Crylike to call them) has been present inopen-world gamesfor quite some time now, offering players a fulfilling side activity that has often proven to even change a game’s world and the way its inhabitants react to players. WithMonster Hunter Wilds' settlements, the same type of activity presents itself as a potential optional objective for players to fulfill in the game’s world, and it even falls in line withMonster Hunter’s traditional narrative experience.
AlmosteveryMonster Huntergamerevolves around players hunting down dangerous monsters that have gone wild for some reason and pose a threat to a nearby village. That said,Monster Hunter Wildscould expand this experience by making it so that players are tasked with saving every settlement in the game rather than one central location. An activity such as this would especially benefit from the fact thatMonster Hunter Wilds' Windward Plains and Scarlet Forest locations will feature monsters unique to each zone.
There May Be Even More Settlements Yet Revealed in Monster Hunter Wilds' World
Currently, only two settlements have been revealed forMonster Hunter Wilds: Windsong Village and the Wudwud Hideout. Windsong Village is located in the Windward Plains and serves as the home of the Kunafa people and the Seikret, which means players are likely to be driven there rather quickly so they can obtain their new mount. The Wudwud Hideout, on the other hand, is located in the Scarlet Forest and is home to a Lynian tribe called Wudwuds, curious creatures that resembleMonster Hunter’s beloved Palicoes.
Despite Windsong Village and the Wudwud Hideout being the only two settlements revealed so far, Capcom has proven to gradually release bits and pieces ofnew information aboutMonster Hunter Wildsover time, so there could be even more settlements in the game’s world that have yet to be revealed. If that’s the case,Monster Hunter Wildscould potentially see players traversing the presumably sizable landscapes of the Windward Plains and the Scarlet Forest to liberate each settlement from looming monster threats.
Moreover, a settlement liberation system could work as a regular gameplay loop inMonster Hunter Wilds' world, with the game perhaps featuring daily, weekly, or seasonal events that see a different settlement under siege.
Not much is currently known aboutMonster Hunter Wilds' settlements, even from a lore standpoint. However, there is plenty of potential here for aFarCry-esquesettlement liberation systemof some sort, as it would draw inspiration from the coreMonster Hunterexperience while evolving it in the process. In the grand scheme of things, it wouldn’t be too out of character forMonster Hunter Wildsto do either, as it continues to show itself to be a bold breaker ofMonster Huntertraditions. Whether those broken traditions ultimately pay off, though, remains to be seen.
Monster Hunter Wilds
WHERE TO PLAY
The unbridled force of nature runs wild and relentless, with environments transforming drastically from one moment to the next. This is a story of monsters and humans and their struggles to live in harmony in a world of duality.Fulfill your duty as a Hunter by tracking and defeating powerful monsters and forging strong new weapons and armor from the materials you harvest from your hunt as you uncover the connection between the people of the Forbidden Lands and the locales they inhabit.The ultimate hunting experience awaits you in Monster Hunter Wilds.
