As one of Steam's most pre-ordered games, Monster Hunter Wilds is poised to be a monumental release. For those new to the franchise, diving into this complex and dense series might feel daunting. While Wilds will likely offer a comprehensive tutorial, we believe that playing a previous game can significantly enhance your experience. Before you venture into the vast and perilous world of Monster Hunter Wilds, we highly recommend checking out Monster Hunter: World from 2018.

Our recommendation for Monster Hunter: World isn't due to any narrative connections or cliffhangers that might confuse you in Wilds. Instead, it's because World closely mirrors the style and structure of Wilds. Playing World is an excellent way to familiarize yourself with the intricate systems and gameplay loop that define the Monster Hunter series.

Monster Hunter: World shares much in common with the upcoming Monster Hunter Wilds. | Image credit: Capcom

Why Monster Hunter: World?

If you've followed Capcom's recent releases, you might wonder why we're suggesting Monster Hunter: World over the more recent Monster Hunter Rise. While Rise is an excellent game, Wilds appears to be a direct successor to World rather than Rise.

Rise introduced innovative mechanics like rideable mounts and the Wirebug grapple, but these came at the cost of the larger, seamless zones found in World. Originally designed for the Nintendo Switch, Rise focused on speed and smaller zones, which streamlined the hunt-upgrade-hunt cycle but sacrificed some of the expansive scale and engaging friction that World offered. Wilds seems to be reclaiming and expanding upon these elements from World.

Monster Hunter: World features expansive zones and a focus on tracking monsters within a detailed ecosystem, serving as the blueprint for Wilds' larger open areas. This makes World the perfect preparatory game for what's to come. The open zones in World set the stage for long, thrilling hunts across varied terrain, a hallmark of modern Monster Hunter games. We anticipate Wilds to deliver on this, but why wait when you can experience it in World?

Although Wilds isn't a direct narrative continuation of World, playing World will help set your expectations for Wilds' story and campaign structure. You'll encounter familiar elements like the Hunter's Guild and your feline companions, the Palicos, which will also appear in Wilds. These elements, while not connected to previous or future entries, are akin to recurring motifs in the Final Fantasy series, allowing each game to put its unique spin on classic ideas.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Beyond understanding the Monster Hunter universe and the structure of Wilds' campaign, the strongest reason to play Monster Hunter: World first is its challenging combat. Wilds will feature 14 weapons, each with distinct playstyles and strategies, all of which are also present in World. By playing World, you can get a head start on mastering these unique combat systems. Whether you prefer the agility of dual blades or the power of the greatsword, World serves as a training ground to learn and refine your skills with each weapon.

Learning the intricacies of bows, swords, and switch axes is a big part of Monster Hunter. | Image credit: Capcom

In the Monster Hunter series, your weapon is your primary tool for progression. Unlike traditional RPGs, you don't level up through experience points; instead, your abilities and stats are tied to your weapon. Each weapon functions like a character class, dictating your role and approach in hunts. World teaches you how to upgrade weapons using parts from defeated monsters and navigate the weapon tree to reach higher-level gear.

Moreover, World emphasizes strategic combat over button mashing. Understanding the positioning and angle of your attacks is crucial, as is knowing which parts of a monster are most vulnerable to your weapon. For example, the Longsword excels at severing tails, while the hammer is perfect for stunning monsters with headshots. Mastering these nuances can significantly impact your success in battles.

The Slinger, a tool attached to your hunter's arm, adds another layer to combat. Learning when to use Flash Pods to blind enemies or poison knives for additional damage can turn the tide of a fight. The Slinger returns in Wilds, and familiarity with its use in World will enhance your gameplay. Crafting Slinger ammo from environmental resources is also a skill you'll carry over to Wilds.

As you progress in World, you'll engage in the series' signature gameplay loop: tracking monsters, gathering resources, and preparing for hunts. This loop becomes second nature, and understanding its rhythm will give you a significant advantage when you start Wilds.

Monster Hunter hunts are designed to be immersive and time-consuming, especially on your first encounter. Learning to navigate these hunts, from tracking to combat, builds foundational knowledge that will serve you well in Wilds. World is the ideal training ground for this, given its similarity to Wilds in scope and scale.

Additionally, if you need another incentive to play Monster Hunter: World before Wilds, you can earn free Palico armor by importing save data from World into Wilds, and an extra set if you have data from the Iceborne expansion. It's a small perk, but customizing your Palico is always fun.

While it's not necessary to play a previous Monster Hunter game before starting a new one, the series' unique systems and mechanics are best learned through experience. Capcom has been working to make the learning curve more accessible with each release, but there's no better way to prepare for Monster Hunter Wilds than by playing Monster Hunter: World. Whether you're a newcomer or a seasoned hunter, now is the perfect time to dive into World and get acquainted with the series' language and community before Wilds launches on February 28, 2025.