Monster Hunter Wildsis by far the most accessible entry in the franchise, with plenty of reworked mechanics to make it a worthy successor to the series, but some aspects seemed to have gotten lost along the way. WhileWildsmight not be the same experience the franchise offered over two decades ago, there have been countless welcome additions to the gameplay loop. Aside from graphics and overall quality of life features, there are more ways to experience what makesMonster Huntergreat inWilds, even if it came at the cost of losing some of its identity.
From removing lower-level quest objectives to restructuring the difficulty of its story mode,not every change made toMonster Hunter Wildshas been as well-received as the rest. Thankfully,Monster Hunter’scollaboration event traditionis carrying on in the latest entry, even if a few others have been abandoned, asWildsis already receiving its first crossover content, being added near the end of May. While I can’t wait to see what Capcom has in store for the future ofWilds, there’s still one feature I sorely miss from the original series, even months after release.
I Still Miss The Monster Hunter Language In Wilds
Helping To Build Immersion In Wilds' Unique Game World
TheMonster Hunterfranchise has always offered a unique middle ground when it comes to its fantastical setting, with most of the creatures inhabiting its world being somewhat grounded and boasting an incredible attention to detail. While it has little to no bearing on the actual gameplay itself,the unique language made for theMonster Hunterseries helps to make the game world stand out with its own unique identity. I was hoping theMonster Hunterlanguage would return in afuture update forWilds, but there hasn’t been any mention of its inclusion yet.
While my gameplay experience hasn’t been negatively impacted byMonster Hunter’s unique language being absent, it felt especially strange given just how heavily inspiredWildsis by previous entries in the franchise. UnlikeMonster Hunter World,which attempted to stand on its own as a way to introduce the series to modern audiences,Wildsopenly features several characters like Genma the Smithee, whose origins can be traced back over a decade. With how many callbacks and monsters are ripped straight from fan-favorite entries in the series, likeMonster Hunter 4, suddenly removing the long-lived feature is a massive missed opportunity.
A Strange Choice For A Game With So Much Player Freedom
According toWildsdevelopers in an interview withPC Gamer, the decision to remove the original language was made out of a perceived necessity for the much greater focus on storytelling and dialogue forMonster Hunter Wilds. After hearing Capcom’s reasoning,it’s easy to understand why the change was made, but that doesn’t mean I’m thrilled about the lack of choice. Most new players or those who care more about the story will likely gravitate to their preferred language of choice already, with the in-gameMonster Hunterlanguage more likely to be picked by long-time fans of the series.
The unfamiliarity and strange cadence of character dialogue were all a part of the series' charm.
Even though theMonster Hunterlanguage was primarily made up of simple sounds and phrases in the past, this changed most prominently withMonster Hunter World, as it featured fully fleshed-out cutscenes and long segments of dialogue. Rewatching cutscenes fromWorld, it’s true thatthe pieced-togetherMonster Hunterlanguage makes it harder to sell a nuanced performance, but the unfamiliarity and strange cadence of character dialogue were all a part of the series' charm.
Even if the focus onWilds’improved storyline had the benefit of creating one ofMonster Hunter’s best protagonists,it still feels like an unnecessary change to completely remove it from the game, especially when it can be even more immersive than the default languages to some players. Given how much fan-service exists inWildsalready,it would have been great to see the language still playable in the game, but with a warning tag saying it’s not the intended way to experienceWilds' story.
Even Gibberish Can Mean A Lot
NPC Dialogue Has Left Me Wanting More From Wilds' Language Options
Thankfully,Monster Hunter Wildshasn’t completely abandoned theMonster Hunterlanguage just yet, instead sidelining it to solely existing in background conversations. When interacting with certain NPCs or listening to background characters talk among themselves in base camps, the classic language can be heard as clearly as day. I have to admit it’s even stranger for theMonster Hunterlanguage to exist in background form given its removal from the sound settings, but I’ll happily take what I can get for now.
I’m still holding out hope thatMonster Hunter Wildswill add the language as an optional download in the future, as Capcom has already started including old themes and decorations from past entries in the form of DLC. While I wouldn’t pay to experienceMonster Hunter Wildsin a more classic fashion myself, it would be nice to have the option available for hunters that desperately want to relive the series' glory days.
