TheMonster Hunterformula feels like its been honed almost to perfection at this point, but Capcom, as ever, remains in the pursuit of something better. The upcomingMonster Hunter Wildsis looking like its going to take the beloved series to an entirely new level, with a number of notable changes and improvements promising to continue its upward trajectory. ThoughMonster Hunterwill obviously remainMonster Hunterat its core,Wildsis going to differ from its predecessors in some key ways courtesy of those changes and improvements. Here, were going to go over how the action RPG will set itself apart specifically fromMonster Hunter Rise. Lets kick things off with the basics.SETTINGEveryMonster Huntergame takes players to a completely new setting, andWildswill be no different in that regard. WhileMonster Hunter Risewas set in and around the locales surrounding Kamura Village,Wildsis heading off to the Forbidden Lands, an uncharted region of the world that the Hunters Guild has previously never explored. Of course, this also means well get a new hub location.HUB VILLAGEA big part of the charm pf every newMonster Huntergame is getting to explore and getting familiar with an entirely new hub village.Monster Hunter Risesaforementioned Kamura Village endeared itself to many with its atmosphere and Japanese-inspired architecture.Wilds,on the other hand, will include multiple villages, each in a different map. That includes Kunafa Windsong Village in the Windward Plains, Wudwud Hideout in the Scarlet Forest, and Azuz in the Oilwell Basin.SEAMLESS TRAVELThis is bound to be one ofMonster Hunter Wildsbiggest and most popular changes among series fans.Rise,like all of its predecessors, didnt feature seamless maps, which meant going from your hub to a map was always separated by a load screen. WithMonster Hunter Wilds, Capcom is finally removing that annoyance. Now, players will be seamlessly be able to travel from a village to the wilds and back without any interruptions.TACKLING QUESTSSeamless traversal between the hub and the wilds will also bring some significant structural changes. Again,Monster Hunter Rise,like all previousMonster Huntergames, required players to begin every quest at the hubs quest board, while the end of every mission would also force you to return to the village. With the virtual boundaries between the hubs and the open world maps beyond their walls now gone, however, inMonster Hunter Wilds,players will be able to begin quests simply by finding their target in the world, while you will also no longer be forced to return to the hub after finishing a mission.NO WIREBUGSThe Wirebug was easily one of Monster Hunter Risesbest new features. Building onIcebornesClutch Claw, it evolved the coreMonster Hunterloop with dual grapples that were a game-changer for combat as well as traversal. Sadly, it isnt returning inMonster Hunter Wilds.Thats not to say it wont have its own hookshot-style item, howeverSLINGERTheMonster Hunterfaithful were divided onRisesdecision to drop the Slinger, though those who were against the idea will be glad to know that the tool is returning. In fact, the Slinger is going to be quite an important part of theMonster Hunter Wildsgameplay loop. For starters, itll let you swing around similar to the Wirebug by grappling on to specific points in the environment. Beyond that, itll also let you trigger environmental hazards to use against monsters, and gather items from a distance (including while moving), while, of course, also serving as a fixed projectile weapon.NO PALAMUTESPalamutes were amongMonster Hunter Risesmost prominent new features, and they really did add a lot to the experience. Galloping around maps on a mount was consistently fun, while the maps, too, were designed around the new movement options (not to mention how fast and frictionless traversal became). Just like the Wirebugs, however, Palamutes arent returning inWilds.Again, though, the game will have its own version of the feature.SEIKRETSReplacing Palamutes inMonster Hunter Wildsare the velociraptor-esque Seikrets- and dare we say, its looking like an upgrade. Not only do Seikrets boast greater mobility and agility, they are also capable of gliding. Even more significantly, they will now allow players to carry two weapons that youll be able to freely swap between as long as youre mounted on your Seikret.FOCUS MODEA new gameplay mechanic being introduced inWilds,Focus Mode is promising to add an even greater tactical edge to combat than in past titles. Activating Focus Mode during combat will highlight enemies weak points with Scuttleflies, which you will then be able to exploit to your advantage- like when trying to hack off a specific part of a monster, which you do often in Monster Hunter(to say the least). Monsters will also grow visibly wounded, and those wounds, in turn, will become weak points.MONSTERSThis ones obvious. Getting to see, fight, and kill a bunch of new monsters is perhaps the biggest attraction of a newMonster Huntergame, and obviously,Wildsis also going to have plenty of beasts that werent featured inRise(or any otherMonster Huntergame). That includes the terrifying chain-whip monster Arkveld, the hulking and surprisingly quick Ajarakan, the huge maned quadraped Doshaguma, the overgrown blooming spider-like Lala Barina, the massive t-rex-esque Quematrice, and many more.MONSTER BEHAVIOURYou can also expectMonster Hunter Wildsto make continued improvements where monster behaviour is concerned, as every new instalment in the series tries to. Outside of combat, for instance, you can now expect the dynamic between carnivores and herbivores to be more authentic. Many monsters, meanwhile, will also be found moving around in large herds, which is going to be entirely new for the franchise.MORE BELIEVABLE ECOSYSTEMSThe express purpose of making monsters behave more believably and realistically with every newMonster Hunterinstalment is to thoroughly immerse players in their virtual surroundings (at least partly), so yes, of courseWildsis promising enhancements in this area as well. As per Capcom, the game will feature ecosystems that will feel more alive and thriving than ever, with monsters being birthed, building their habitats, nurturing their offspring, hunting each other, and more, all independently of the players presence.WEATHER EFFECTSLarge-scale weather events are perhapsMonster Hunter Wildsbiggest headlining addition. Each map will oscillate between three states, each bringing sweeping changes to a variety of factors. Different weather states will begin anything from aggressive sandstorm to vibrant vegetation, while monster behaviour will also be significantly impacted. For instance, herbivores will be outnin much greater numbers when weather conditions are favourable, while the more dangerous and vicious beasts will stalk the wilds when conditions worsen. As you might imagine, that will also impact traversal and exploration.NO MORE RAMPAGESMonster Hunter Riseintroduced Rampages, which were individual tower defense-style missions that would task players with protecting Kamura Village against oncoming hordes of frenzied monsters. Speaking plainly, it was nobodys favourite part of the game, as is often the case with tower defense sections in non-tower defense games. Luckily for those who agree with that sentiment, Rampages arent coming back in Monster Hunter Wilds.ARACHNOPHOBIA MODEWeve seen an increasing number of games offering an arachnophobia mode for the benefit of those who just cant stand the sight of those eight-legged creepy-crawlies, andMonster Hunteris set to join that list soon.Monster Hunter Wildswill feature an arachnophobia mode, a first for the series, replacing all spider-like creatures in the game with shapeless blobs.