Prepare for Monster Hunter Wilds with World’s Essential Experience

As one of Steam’s top pre-ordered titles, Monster Hunter Wilds is set to be a blockbuster. For newcomers, Wilds may be your first dive into the series. While it will likely include a robust tutorial, the Monster Hunter franchise is known for its depth and complexity. To ease into its intricate systems, we recommend playing 2018’s Monster Hunter: World before exploring the vast dangers of Wilds.

We don’t suggest World for its narrative connections or unresolved storylines that might confuse you in Wilds. Instead, World’s gameplay and structure closely mirror what Wilds aims to deliver. Playing World offers a perfect introduction to the series’ sometimes challenging mechanics and core gameplay loop, setting you up for success.

Why Choose Monster Hunter: World?

If you’re familiar with Capcom’s recent titles, you might wonder, “Why not play Monster Hunter Rise, the latest entry, instead of revisiting World?” It’s a fair question. While Rise is excellent and the most recent Monster Hunter game, Wilds builds directly on World’s foundation, not Rise’s.

Rise introduced dynamic features like rideable mounts and the Wirebug grapple, but its design was shaped by the Nintendo Switch’s hardware limitations, favoring smaller, faster-paced zones. This streamlined the hunt-upgrade-hunt cycle but sacrificed the expansive, seamless areas that defined World. Wilds appears to expand on World’s large-scale environments and immersive friction, making World the better primer.

Monster Hunter: World emphasizes tracking creatures through vibrant ecosystems across sprawling zones, a blueprint Wilds seems to follow with its even larger open areas. This makes World an ideal way to prepare for Wilds’ grand, terrain-spanning hunts. While Wilds’ story doesn’t continue World’s narrative, World’s campaign structure and key elements—like the Hunter’s Guild and Palico companions—will feel familiar and set the tone for Wilds. Think of it like the Final Fantasy series: each game introduces recurring elements like Chocobos or Behemoths, but stories remain independent, allowing fresh takes on classic concepts.

Master the Basics

Beyond understanding the Monster Hunter universe and Wilds’ campaign structure, World’s challenging combat is a key reason to play it first. Monster Hunter Wilds features 14 unique weapons, each with distinct playstyles, all of which are available in World. Practicing with these weapons in World lets you explore their mechanics and find your favorite, whether it’s the agile dual-blades or the massive greatsword. World serves as a training ground to hone your skills, preparing you to excel in Wilds.

In Monster Hunter, your weapon defines your role. Unlike traditional RPGs, there are no experience-based skill points—your abilities come from your weapon, functioning like a character class. World teaches you how to upgrade weapons using monster parts and navigate the weapon tree to unlock powerful options.

World also emphasizes strategic combat. Button-mashing won’t cut it—success depends on precise positioning and targeting specific monster weak points. For example, the Longsword excels at severing tails, while the hammer is perfect for stunning enemies with headshots. Learning these nuances in World will give you a significant edge in Wilds.

Your weapon isn’t the only tool in World. The Slinger, a gadget on your hunter’s arm, lets you deploy items like Flash Pods to blind enemies or poison knives for extra damage. Since the Slinger returns in Wilds, mastering its use and crafting its ammo from environmental resources in World will prepare you for Wilds’ systems.

The broader Monster Hunter gameplay loop starts with tracking monsters, gathering resources like ore or honey, and crafting items en route to your target. These mechanics become intuitive with practice, and World’s pacing will give you a head start for Wilds’ similar rhythm.

Hunts in Monster Hunter aren’t about quick kills. Each expedition requires time, especially on your first attempt. Learning to tackle diverse creatures like the fiery Anjanath or explosive Bazelgeuse builds critical skills. Since Wilds aims to capture World’s grand scale, World is the perfect place to practice.

Plus, playing World offers a bonus: importing save data into Wilds unlocks free Palico armor, with an extra set if you’ve played World’s Iceborne expansion. It’s a small but fun perk for your feline companion.

While you can jump into any Monster Hunter game without prior experience, the series’ unique systems make preparation valuable. Capcom has worked to make each entry more accessible, but nothing beats hands-on experience. World is the ideal way to learn the ropes and connect with the community before Monster Hunter Wilds launches on February 28, 2025.