There’s a lot of hype behindMonster Hunter Wilds. With the franchise becoming one of Capcom’s biggest in recent years, this title could be the most anticipated in the series' history. The game is the best-looking in the franchise by far, and while there are some worthy concerns about how well it will run,MH Wildsseeks to offer more from a character customization point of view. For one, the character creation has taken apage out ofDragon’s Dogma 2’s book, but those improvements aren’t where it ends.
If the first open beta test is anything to go by, the player character will actually be a character, talking and interacting with the world, rather than being a nodding mute like in prior titles. This seems to be an evolution fromMH Rise,since hunters began being vocal here, andCapcom seems to be adding more RPG elements by having the player choose dialogue options. In an effort to appeal to a wider audience,Wildsseems to be more RPG-heavy in general, with its open world and greater customization, but that might come with a sacrifice.
Monster Hunter Wilds Introduces Unisex Armor
A First In The Monster Hunter Series
Historically, theMonster Hunterseries has always had gender-locked armor. This was likely done to cut the need to make armor fit different character models, saving time while still allowing characters to wear different things; however, it did restrict armor customization in the early game. During the Low Rank questing stage, players could only choose one armor design for each monster that armor was associated with. InMH Wildsthis issue is alleviated with unisex armor, allowing characters of any body type to wear two different designs.
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Although this means that there are technically the same number of armor designs per monster as inMH WorldandRise,players can mix and match the two different designs that would have been segmented for male and female characters. There aren’t any different attributes or stat changes between these armor designs, but at least early-game hunters get a bit of extra customization before getting into High and Master rank. Thisapproachability especially helps newcomers, considering that late-gameMonster Hunterusually takes place dozens of hours into a playthrough.
Monster Huntertends to be split into mainline titles (MH 1- 4, World, Wilds) and more experimental spin-offs (likeGenerations, Rise,andStories).
This also helps Capcom get away from the controversy of having female hunters in theMonster Hunterfranchise typically wearing skimpier armor. Now, male characters can wear these more sheer outfits, while female characters can wear the bulkier armor designs typically associated with male hunters. Then again, female characters can still wear the lighter armor designs if the player wishes, while male characters can keep their more typical armor, or characters can mix and match. On paper,there doesn’t seem much of a downside to this new unisex armor system.
MH Wilds' Unisex Armor Could Be A Double-Edged Sword
Mid- & Late-Game Characters Might Get Less Customization
There is a chance thatMH Wilds' unisex armor system might not be a net positive for outfit customization.Other modernMonster Huntergames include an alpha and beta armor system after completing High Rank missions, in which players can choose from two different armor designs that will offer the hunter different attributes. Although the armor was still gender-locked, it did mean that there were four outfit designs per High Rank monster hunted, and this might be lost due to the unisex armor system.
Alpha and beta armor options inMH Worldhave different attribute and decoration slots, depending on what is chosen.
Although this is a pessimistic point of view,Monster Hunterhas lost armor types before in favor of streamlining.Older titles, likeMH4andGenerations,used to have Gunner and Sword armor typesmeant for ranged and melee characters respectively, giving hunters even more customization for their appearance and how they would approach a hunt. This was lost inMH Worldin favor of giving melee weapons a physical defense buff, while ranged weapons provide an elemental defense buff. While universal armor is easier to understand, it does mean there are now fewer armor designs.
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WithMH Wildsintroducing unisex armor,it could mean that Capcom could be cutting the alpha and beta armor system out of the game. The firstMH Wildsbeta testonly allowed players to try out the early game gear and the first area, so it isn’t known whether this is the case, but armor systems have been cut out in the past in favor of streamlining. Gunner and Sword armors offered more variation than alpha and beta armors do, so there is a chance that the system is lost for pure aesthetics, which would be a massive shame.
MH Wilds May Have Less Armor Variation
There Could Be Fewer Armor Designs In Wild
Although there would technically be just as much customization with the unisex armor system compared to the alpha and beta one seen inWorldandRise, since each Hunter gets two designs to choose from per armor set, it does meanthat there would be two designs per armor set instead of four. It would be a shame to sacrifice more armor designs to get unisex armor to work. It’s always fun seeing a monster and trying to visualize how that design is going to influence the armor made from its parts.
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Then again, a moreoptimistic point of view is that Capcom keeps the alpha and beta armor system with unisex armorinstead of cutting it like Gunner and Sword armor sets. If this is the case, then High Rank and above hunters could get near-unprecedented customization, especially ifMH World: Iceborne-style Layer Armor is used. Considering the strides made with the graphical fidelity of the game and the open world, it would be a lot of extra work, although the hope is that the popularity of the series will prompt Capcom to put in that effort.
Things are usually lost whenever a series attempts to make strides forward, and the lack of Gunner and Sword armor sets inMH Worlddidn’t stop it from being the explosively popular title that made the franchise as popular as it is today.Monster Hunter Wildsis doing a lot of series firsts, although the hope is that it won’t forget to include prior mechanics from the series in favor of adding new ones. Hopefully, these mechanics can exist together, especially with all the customization options that unisex and alpha and beta armor sets would provide.
