The worst thing about Monster Hunter Wilds

...in an otherwise promising sequel

Now that the subject line’s baited your attention, I’ll admit that the real worst thing about Monster Hunter Wilds is that I can’t play it on a Steam Deck. Heck, it’s so poorly optimized that my desktop can barely run it on modest settings.

But the second worst? The omission of Monster Hunter Rise’s gravity-defying wirebugs, which let you zip through the sky and divebomb foes. Wilds, out today, otherwise offers plenty of upgrades to the trusty formula.

New “Seikrets,” the rideable bird-horses of Wilds, improve on Rise’s palamutes in every way but cuteness. They’re even self-driving! Set a destination and they’ll automatically ferry you there as you sharpen weapons, drink potions, or (in another quality-of-life addition) grapple crafting materials without ever leaving your saddle.

I’m also satisfied by the game’s combat and have spent hours bludgeoning stinky apes and blasting out buffs on my Hunting Horn. The new Focus mode makes me feel especially diabolical as I expertly exploit a monster’s wounds and weaknesses.

But each time I return from a successful mission, I’m reminded of the third worst thing about Wilds. While it’s got a handful of boisterous characters, the game trades Rise’s charming Kamura village for a series of drab basecamps. I understand the game’s going for rugged over cozy, but these hub areas also lack the grandeur and personality of 2018’s Monster Hunter World.

I still look forward to exploring Wilds with friends, but I doubt it’ll ever capture my heart like Rise did. That 2021 game hit my life precisely when I had time to savor its meaty mechanics and endless postgame. With updates and expansions, Wilds may yet become a classic — but it’ll likely never bottle that old wirebug magic.

Before I sign off, I’ll also mention that Here & Now Anytime’s Chris Bentley had me on this week to discuss the month’s biggest RPGs: Avowed, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Listen to that 8-minute conversation here!

Other Mastromarino Productions

• Victorian period drama 'A Thousand Blows' shows off boxing, crime and actor Stephen Graham

• Washington Post staffers shocked after owner Jeff Bezos issues op-ed mandate

• A Nobel Peace Prize laureate marks three years of Russia's full-scale assault on Ukraine

• Trump family rakes in profits as President Trump fires ethics watchdog — hats off to my editor Michael Scotto for translating this radio interview into a digital piece.

• Germany's center-right party wins election

• Remembering Roberta Flack — a lovely obituary from NPR’s Elizabeth Blair that I helped polish off.

• And finally, hats off to my colleagues Scott Tong and Sam Raphelson, who put together this trenchant interview with Peter Navarro: Top Trump trade adviser says tariffs will 'level the playing field for American businesses'