21 best tips for Monster Hunter Wilds

Capcom’s epic hunting saga is much more than just slaying colossal beasts with giant weapons: it’s the art of delivering an epic experience to the player with every playthrough. Monster Hunter Wilds not only achieves that, but it adds an even greater dose of excitement to a formula that has captivated millions of players for decades. It’s an improved recipe with larger environments, more aggressive monsters, and a more hostile ecosystem.

Luckily, you won’t be helpless on this adventure: in addition to your fellow hunters, we at VidaExtra have put together the perfect guide for this fantastic game, whether you’re new to the franchise or looking to better understand the new features. And that brings us to the first question: what is Monster Hunter all about?

The basics: what is Monster Hunter?

Sometimes we forget to start from the basics, and the truth is that the first and most fundamental step is to clearly define Monster Hunter Wilds as an action RPG. Why? Essentially, because everything revolves around battles against monsters, but if we neglect RPG elements like weapon and equipment upgrades, we’ll soon find ourselves limited or falling behind.

In Monster Hunter Wilds, you are a hunter venturing into the Forbidden Lands to uncover the mystery of a lost tribe. Without going into too much detail, you’ll discover that there’s a reason why nature is undergoing drastic changes, affecting both ecosystems and creatures. And, as you’ll see, you’ll have to take down colossal beasts more than once.

Which weapon is best for you?

In Monster Hunter Wilds, you have 14 types of weapons that you can upgrade or forge. You start with one of each type at the beginning of the game, and right after completing the first part of the prologue, the Quest Leader (named Alma) will ask you two key questions to help you choose the weapon that best suits your desired experience.

My first piece of advice is not to worry too much about which weapon you’d like to use when answering. Instead, answer based on the style you prefer or the role you’d like to play in multiplayer matches. Furthermore, if you’re not comfortable with a weapon, you can always change it at any shop or camp and even upgrade its stats. So, what weapons are available and how do they work?

Although all styles complement each other and are equally effective, if you’re unsure of your playstyle and want to familiarize yourself with the Monster Hunter universe , my advice is to opt for the Sword and Shield if you want to fight up close and the Bow if you prefer to keep your distance. Both offer excellent mobility and allow you to adapt to any situation and attack any monster flexibly. However, if you’re playing solo, it will likely take you considerably longer to take down a Doshaguma than with heavier or more powerful weapons.

The training area is not just for show.

Monster Hunter Wilds is the easiest game in the series to pick up, and the scope and purpose of all its weapons are easy to understand once you draw them. However, improvising attacks or button-mashing will only get you about 20% of their effectiveness, which is ridiculous compared to what you can achieve with a little practice.

In your first settlement, you’ll have access to a Training Zone. In fact, if you look at the game’s world map, you’ll see an entrance in the bottom left corner. If you’re going to change weapons, try out all the combinations and properties of each one with a stack of barrels designed to teach you how to use it: its combos, techniques, alternate modes, effects… even the new Precision mode!

And be aware that, in addition to a guide with combos and actions, there’s a training submenu in the game (accessible through the menus) where you can choose the skin toughness of your target during training, their orientation and strength, and much more. Make sure you fully understand what you can achieve with each weapon before going out and doing crazy things.

Constantly upgrade your equipment

As you progress through the game and unlock new regions, you’ll realize that sometimes giving 100% in hunts isn’t enough. The way Monster Hunter works relies heavily on your skill, but constantly upgrading your equipment is also extremely important.

At the forges (there’s one in every settlement), we can use the materials and rewards from each quest to improve the quality of our weapons, create new variants with different properties, or apply enhancements like talismans. Our blacksmith, Gemma, will also suggest upgrades based on what we have. The same applies to our armor and our Felyne’s gear.

It’s worth remembering that some weapons are more effective against certain monsters than others, and the more powerful your last kill, the better gear, weapons, and armor you’ll acquire. Of course, don’t forget to collect materials and remains from each creature you defeat, as well as bones and minerals, while exploring freely.

What is the new Precision mode?

One of the star additions to Monster Hunter Wilds is Precise Mode . If you’re playing with a controller, you activate it by pressing the right stick (there’s an indicator right next to the minimap in the bottom left corner), and it serves two key functions:

• Initially, when active, a crosshair will appear and help you attack or block in the direction the camera is pointing.
• But what’s more, when you use it, both the monster’s wounds and its weak points are highlighted.

In addition to the above, Monster Hunter Wilds introduces a new unique attack type for each weapon called Precise Attack. This special technique, which can be performed while in Precise Mode, drastically increases damage if it hits a wound or weak point. When executed correctly, it can knock the monster down and even break off a part that is no longer a threat and can be converted into materials.

The hunts are savage: use your surroundings to crush the great beasts

It’s common for large monsters to move between different environments during missions, leading to chases and taking us to distant areas that sometimes give them the upper hand. The good news is that in Monster Hunter Wilds, we can fight fire with more fire.

By using elements of the environment, we can interfere with our prey’s actions or directly inflict large amounts of damage. Using the sling, we can break prey, throw icicles or large rocks, destroy the place they normally climb, or activate effects that negate their advantage.

In fact, as in previous installments, we can use the local wildlife to blind or poison enemies. Kicking a toad in a swampy area will release a sleeping gas. You’ll also be interested to know that there are healing items or items with restorative effects strategically placed in the more challenging battles.

The Monsters don’t have a health bar, each one, but they act differently.

Unlike other action RPGs, in Monster Hunter you won’t see your target’s health bar. Far from being a negative, this adds an extra layer of excitement to each match. However, there are a ton of indicators that reflect their condition and how long it will take to defeat them.

• First, there are the wounds, which are more visible in Precision mode. But they also behave uniquely, becoming exhausted or showing signs of weakness even when attacking with greater force.
• On the other hand, if we use binoculars before starting the mission, we can observe behaviors that will give us clues about their routines and weaknesses from a distance. This includes clues about where to be most effective when attacking or which weapon to use to take the initiative.
• In addition, our Felyne companion will constantly offer us insightful comments. We can choose whether he speaks in his language or ours, but he’ll warn us when the scenery changes, when he’s starting to tire, or the best moment to attack after a moment of carelessness.

However, the weakness of some monsters doesn’t always mean they lose strength. Sometimes they become unpredictable, and other times they unleash unexpected attacks capable of clearing an entire area. That said, with each well-placed attack, you’ll see a number of health points you inflict, giving you a rough idea of ​​how effective you’re being.

From here on, a new feature in Monster Hunter Wilds is that large and small beasts now move in packs. To avoid confusion when targeting a specific one, you can use paint rounds to mark them, which also helps with your attack strategy. Furthermore, the Precise mode will give you clear indications of how many areas are wounded.

Golden tip: it’s much better to catch your prey than to annihilate them

The thrill of Monster Hunter lies in battling a beast until one of you is defeated. You have a set number of attempts per mission, which is arguably an added advantage, but the more enraged your prey becomes, the more violent and unpredictable it gets. Do you have to kill it? Well, for the sake of the story, the battle will sometimes be left unfinished, but generally, you’ll be able to capture them. And it’s well worth the effort.

What does capturing a monster entail? For small (tiny) monsters, simply using the net on your sling will suffice, but with large ones, it’s a very different story: the general idea is to exhaust a monster until it’s useless, causing it to faint. And that’s very, very well rewarded when it comes to distributing bounties.

The process, broadly speaking, is to wait until your target is nearly exhausted. Their gestures will indicate this, your Felyne companion will tell you, and they might even retreat to try and recover their strength by lying down. When you see they’re reaching their limit, set a trap on the ground (electric or pitfall) and, once they’re immobilized, start throwing tranquilizer bombs. Two or three will be enough. If you do it right, they’ll fall instantly, and the mission will automatically be marked as successful.

The enemy of my enemy is my ally

It’s possible that at some point our battle will be interrupted by the arrival of a second monster. Or perhaps it’s simply passing by, more or less, near our prey. If they’re apex predators, they’ll almost certainly clash, and if not, we might find it quite worthwhile to harass the second one a bit and bring it into the fray. We might suffer more collateral damage, but generally, two or more monsters will fight for control of the territory.

The interesting thing about getting two or more Big Monsters to fight each other is that, in addition to dealing massive damage to one another, they might both drop parts and materials when they’re injured. So our guest will not only be helping us on our mission, but might even leave us valuable gifts on the battlefield to craft better weapons and armor.

However, whether it’s a mid-sized attack or a battle between large predators, their reactions are unpredictable. And if they’re moving in a pack, we might be forced to retreat and watch. Which isn’t a bad plan: the spectacle between two titans is usually quite a sight to behold.

Don’t go out indiscriminately: choose your prey selectively.

The story of Monster Hunter Wilds achieves its goal: captivating the player and unlocking new environments, higher hunter ranks, and the premise of capturing more epic or exotic beasts. But that’s only a portion of what the game offers: at the quest stations, run by our manager, we have different types of quests, and all of them are crucial.

In Monster Hunter Wilds , beyond the main story, we have Commissions, optional quests, event quests, quests from hall members or linked players, and we can even come to the rescue of other players who have requested help with a flare. The good news: before accepting the quest, you’ll know the target game, your Hunter Rank, and the conditions.

One of the unique features of this installment is that we can also activate missions on our own, provided we have the guild’s authorization for a specific species. Since the mission station is mobile (our manager basically accompanies us), exceeding a certain damage threshold against a large creature will trigger the mission. On the other hand, if we use the board for optional missions, we’ll be taken directly to the relevant area, thus avoiding the time penalty of having to travel halfway across the map once the mission has started.

It might seem like all these extra missions are optional, but after the initial stages of the game, they’re the only way to progress effectively. Not to mention the limited-time missions with very generous rewards.

The Seikret will be your secret weapon

The Seikret are another of the star attractions in Monster Hunter Wilds. These mounts have unique abilities that react to the surrounding world, allowing them to climb, glide, and move at high speeds during hunts. Similar to what the Canine did in Monster Hunter Rise ? Technically, they’re capable of much more.

In addition to giving us more autonomy in movement or rescuing us during a call (which will allow us to sharpen weapons or use potions on their backs) the Seikret offer a drastic change in the game by allowing us to use two weapons during raids: in their saddlebags we will carry the secondary weapon and by using a button we will exchange it with the one we carry.

And what about combat? We can attack or shoot while riding the Seikret, but we won’t be very effective, nor will we gain any immunity. In fact, although they don’t take damage, we can still be knocked down with a single blow. However, even though they don’t attack, they will always return to us with a hiss.

As creatures, Seikret can track, but they also help us move around and explore with great versatility, so even though the hunting grounds in Monster Hunter Wilds are huge, they become much easier to traverse. They also allow us to navigate through rocky or high areas.

Bonus Stage: How to pause in Monster Hunter

What happens when you’re in the middle of an intense battle in Monster Hunter Wilds and you remember you have dinner in the oven? Depending on the situation, you’ll have to choose, but the good news is there’s a way to pause. However, there are conditions.

The pause button appears in the last tab of the system menu. You’ll also find it in the quick access list if you use it often. Pausing the game will stop it, so you won’t be able to change your settings or use potions and upgrades during the pause. But, of course, it will also give you a break if you need it.

That said, the Monster Hunter Wilds Pause feature will be inactive if there are other players in your game. In other words, it’s disabled during online play or if you’re already in a lobby. Because your friends playing from Japan or Chile aren’t to blame if your toast burns.

If you’re going to collect materials, do it in style (and without getting off the Seikret)

In Monster Hunter Wilds, exploration is more important than in any other game in the series, and it won’t always be to complete a task or mission: sometimes you’ll be interested in gathering materials, ingredients, catching small creatures for formulas… Luckily, the game’s map system is very comprehensive.

When we unfold the map, we will not only see the expanded hunting area (with zoom options) but a very complete overview of everything in it, so if we need a type of grass, nets for traps, minerals for the forge or we are looking for a specific monster we can go straight for it without getting off the Seikret.

What’s more, thanks to the sling, we can collect almost anything that doesn’t come from a mineral source or isn’t part of a monster. When aiming from the Seikret, we’ll see all the materials around us on the left side of the screen, and by using a button (B on the Microsoft controller or Circle on the PS5 controller), we can pull them towards us while we continue with our mission. However, be careful when using this vertical mini-menu while riding the Seikret and during a chase, because you might accidentally switch weapons.

How to change your appearance, your Felyne’s appearance, your Seikret’s appearance, or make your armor invisible

When you start your Monster Hunter Wilds game , you can import the character you created for the betas or create one from scratch. Like in games using Capcom’s RE Engine (such as Street Fighter 6), you can give your character very distinctive features and add tons of decorations and other embellishments. The same applies to both your Felyne and your Seikret. But what if I want to change my character later?

First off, if it’s something related to clothing or minor changes (hair, armor, decorations, etc.), you can not only equip or remove them when you’re in any camp or tent, but you also have a special menu where you can hide certain armor pieces. Because sometimes a helmet has good stats, but it looks awful. Furthermore, you can add items to your base clothing or display them piece by piece from there.

Regarding the Seikret, shortly after the initial stages of the game (and without giving away any spoilers), you’ll find a tribe that allows you to almost completely change its appearance, from its plumage to its eye color. You can also manage its decorations and accessories through the menus, although these don’t offer any additional effects or benefits.

Finally, and this is important, if you want more specific customizations for your hunter, such as skin tone, voice, gender, or nose shape (the editor is very comprehensive), you’ll need to use coupons. Monster Hunter Wilds offers the first coupon for customizing one character and another for customizing a companion for free, but for subsequent attempts, you’ll have to visit the in-game store or obtain them through promotions, such as participating in the betas.

This is Monster Hunter! Ask for help and play with friends

Monster Hunter Wilds can be played solo from beginning to end, and it’s challenging. However, the true gaming experience lies in multiplayer hunts and group hunts. The monsters become more ferocious, and the intensity of combat and pursuit is also heightened. How does multiplayer work, and what options do I have if I want the same experience solo?

Initially, when you choose to continue your game, you have three options: join a recommended room, create or search for a private room, or choose Single Player. You can play independently, as mentioned, since pausing is the only way to pause the game. But the interesting thing is that in Monster Hunter Wilds you can join other hunts or request help on the fly.

If you’re stuck on a monster, you can throw a flare. It’s a default shortcut in the radial menus. If no one comes to your aid for a while, the game will summon other groups of hunters. You can also do the opposite: in settlements or by speaking with your caretaker, there are notice boards where you can respond to other players’ calls and even organize shared quests.

Finally, Monster Hunter Wilds features its own clan system called “brigades,” which, in practical terms, serves to create communities of hunters who support each other and offer a shared experience with regular players. This is very interesting, since if your style and weapon complement another player’s, you’ll want to play together more often or progress through the story.

Place your campsites with a little care.

Given the large, open environments of Monster Hunter Wilds, and as in previous installments, Capcom allows us to create camps where we can change our equipment or replenish our inventory without having to return to the settlements in each area. This isn’t just for convenience, but also because many quests have a time limit. The camp system in this installment, in fact, has its own unique features.

To begin with, it’s not enough to simply find the right spot; we’ll also decide how worthwhile the location is. Initially, we can only set up a handful of camps, and as we improve as hunters, that number will increase. Interestingly, depending on the area, these locations can be safe or dangerous, meaning they’re at risk of being demolished if there’s too much activity.

On the other hand, we can remotely manage or set up our Monster Hunter Wilds camps from our settlements. We’ll always have an instant kit, but sometimes this is more convenient. We can also completely customize their appearance, decorations, exterior features (including campfires and rest areas), and other elements that will make each tent unique. And don’t forget, we can even use a button inside to play with our Felyne.

Is a monster giving you trouble? The key will always be in the bestiaries.

This is especially important for newcomers: sooner or later you’ll face a monster that’s far too powerful, and you won’t understand why what worked against beasts throughout the game seems to have no effect on it. That’s because they all have unique characteristics and behaviors, but also different levels of effectiveness. Faced with this problem, the best thing to do is consult the bestiary.

The bestiary is a comprehensive guide to the monsters you’ve encountered, and it automatically updates as you play. Every time you achieve a milestone, inflict a wound, or defeat a monster, it’s recorded in the bestiary, and it’s also a huge source of advice. Above all, it tells you everything from how to attack specific parts of their bodies (including those you can break or sever) to which weapons, ammunition, or elemental effects are most effective.

The monster bestiary is filled gradually, but in the process it suggests strategies and also keeps track of the types of materials you can obtain from each monster, which is very useful when crafting new weapons and armor. But it also serves as a record of your achievements. And yes, there are separate bestiaries for medium, small, and even fish monsters. Because in Monster Hunter Wilds you can also fish.

The list of formulas

We agree that weapons and armor in Monster Hunter Wilds will determine your strategy, but victory and completed quests are only achieved with a well-prepared inventory. You’ll bring much of it from your camps or settlements, but nature will provide other items. And that’s where formulas come in.

Formulas are the system for creating in-game items. We can access these by combining two formulas that we have in our inventory at any time, or that we have stored if we are at a base or camp, allowing us to create medicines, capsules, ammunition, traps, weapons, etc. So far, so good.

Just like in previous installments, Monster Hunter Wilds not only lets you filter recipes based on your abilities, but also allows you to craft items automatically. This is a very useful feature, as it lets you create protective items, healing items, or potions while using the slinger in battle or during exploration, without having to open any menus. This saves you time and allows you to replenish your healing items more effectively.

How to outwit nature

Another major innovation in Monster Hunter Wilds is the presence of nature in the gameplay. Without going into plot details, the game world is constantly evolving, with each area experiencing different seasons or climates. This might seem like a double-edged sword, but if implemented well, it will give you an advantage.

On the maps and the interface itself, we will always see the weather of an area (with day and night cycles and seasons) so this actively affects not only the behavior and habits of the species, but also what we can do in the game, including visibility, the side effects of the weather, or the type of opportunities we will have to use the environment against the beasts.

The same forest or desert in Monster Hunter Wilds changes dramatically depending on the season. But there are other details as well, such as the creation of a material called fulgurite when lightning strikes the sand. So, we can take advantage of warmer weather to hide in the vegetation (and use a devastating surprise attack), but, as a rule, we’ll need to have hot or cold drinks on hand in areas with extremely cold or hot climates.

That said, all these unique features of Monster Hunter Wilds   will be displayed on screen with icons both while playing, in the bottom left corner, and when fast traveling on the game’s world map. So, if you know what kind of weather and season you’re facing, you’ll not only know what monsters you can expect, but you’ll also have extra advantages in your games and quests.

A good meal before heading out to hunt works wonders. And even more so in Monster Hunter Wilds.

Those who come from previous installments already have this, but the cooking in Monster Hunter Wilds is not only still a colossal advantage, but it’s much more interesting: before starting an important mission or continuing with the story, do yourself a favor and serve yourself a juicy meal.

The ingredients you use will become boosters for health, stamina, defense, effects, and more. What’s more, you’ll see them active when certain ingredients are activated, and they’ll also appear on your hunter’s health bar. So, what’s new in Monster Hunter Wilds ? Basically, you’re now the chef, and the entire map is your kitchen.

Using the stovetop, we can not only cook steaks to our liking (well-done, medium, or rare, depending on our reflexes) but also prepare meals wherever we want with the fish, meat, or vegetables we gather or buy. I repeat, wherever we want.

Furthermore, we can save favorite menus with special seasonings that will give unique effects, and that’s not all: we can exchange materials and parts with other inhabitants of the Forbidden Lands to obtain exotic delicacies to use in our menus, such as Kunafa Cheese, which will add more flavor and effects to our dishes. Brilliant.

The importance of mastering radial menus

Mastering a weapon is crucial, but navigating the radial menus is equally important. Without organization, they’ll be a chaotic mess. Fortunately, Monster Hunter Wilds offers tons of customization options for maximum effectiveness.

Using them is simple: with a single button, and without interrupting the action, you can open the vertical and horizontal menus of Monster Hunter Wilds. To navigate them, you’ll need the traditional buttons, but sometimes you won’t know where the potion or the stove is. To solve this problem, there are four shortcuts in the radial menus, and you can also customize and edit the menus and the order of each item from the main menu.

Make it a habit to organize your inventory every time you visit a camp or settlement. Store anything you don’t use or have gathered, and create a radial menu specifically for sharpening, healing, setting traps, your most frequently used ammo (if you use it), the stove, flares, and the icons you use most often if you play with friends. Also, remember that Monster Hunter Wilds has voice chat and cross-play.

A well-organized set of objects and actions will save you from surprises and frustrations, making setting traps or starting to fish as simple as two quick gestures. And hey, if you’re a photography enthusiast, you can also create a shortcut to camera mode. Especially since the action doesn’t pause while playing.

Bonus Ball: What lies beyond the story?

Although you’ll be entertained for months in Monster Hunter Wilds completing quests, exploring, or fighting for the sheer joy of it, it’s only a matter of time (approximately forty hours) before you finish the story. What happens next?

• To begin with, completing the epilogue unlocks High Rank missions, which significantly increase the level of challenge and excitement, and in which the conditions (both monsters and weather) change drastically.
• Furthermore, once you complete a certain mission in the fourth chapter, Tempered Monsters will appear. These are significantly stronger, and defeating them unlocks the ability to craft Artian weapons using their materials. In other words, it adds a new layer to the core gameplay.
• On the other hand, you’ll be interested to know that there’s a monster arena, just like in previous installments, with more specific challenges and much more generous rewards. It’s a kind of “Coliseum” where you can test your skill with the game’s various weapons.
• The investigations continue even after the main storyline concludes, and we’ll also get free updates with new monsters and limited-time events that reward completion of quests on specific dates. Some of these quests, by the way, reward players with layered armor sets.

In other words, Monster Hunter Wilds has enough content, challenges, and future plans to keep you playing for hundreds of hours on your own. And if you add to that the ability to freely explore or join hunts with friends or strangers, the possibilities multiply dramatically. Just like the monsters in the game.