If Capcom doesn’t fix the worst problem withMonster Hunter Wilds, I may never return to the game – and despite its continuous problems with performance, my issue with it is related to content.The latest installment in the critically acclaimed series,Wilds,takes players to a brand-new region called the Forbidden Lands, which contains multiple biomes. Within them, players can find several types of creatures, including returning monsters and a roster of newmonsters inMonster Hunter Wilds. As is the case with most entries in the franchise, your goal is to eliminate threats to the nearby ecosystem.
The game was well received at launch, with good scores and critics, but it has been struggling with technical issues, such as performance, since the very beginning. This has mainly affected the experience of players on PC, so much so that the game was reviewed to the point it became “mostly negative” on Steam. Recently, there has been animprovement update toMonster Hunter Wildsthat has addressed several key issues, making it much more enjoyable for PC players. Even so, there is one lingering problem with the game’s content that currently has no end in sight.
Monster Hunter Wilds Desperately Needs An Elder Dragons Update
Elder Dragons Have Been Present Abundantly In Rise & World
In terms of content, what I consider to be the worst issue withWildsis its notable absence of Elder Dragons to hunt. For reference,Elder Dragons are the highest tier of monsters you can face, and have been present in the series quite frequently in the past years leading up to the most recent game. Players who started their ventures into the franchise with Wild have not met any Elder Dragons, as there aren’t any. Theabsence of Elder Dragons inMonster Hunter Wildsdoes open up avenues for new monsters.
However, their absence also takes away a large portion of the challenges that hunters can face. There certainly are challenges inWilds, as several difficult fights can be taken on with regular creatures and their variations, such as Tempered, Arch-Tempered, Frenzied, and Apex monsters. Even so,Elder Dragons are in a completely different category, and I believe that an update featuringElder Dragons inMonster Hunter Wildswould significantly improve the quality of the game’s content, which is already good, but not good enough to keep me around likeRiseorWorld.
Monster Hunter Wilds' Absence Of Elder Dragons Negatively Impacts Its Challenge Level
The Game Replaced Elder Dragons For Apex Monsters, But It’s Not The Same
The big difference between all these types of monsters and Elder Dragons is the size of the challenge that Elder Dragons pose. Not only are these creatures normally much larger than regular monsters, but they are also a lot tougher to defeat. They are sturdier, have more complex moves, and deal a ton of damage to hunters.Wildsdid try to balance out the absence of Elder Dragons with Apex variation monsters, which do offer a similar degree of difficulty, but they don’t really measure up to Elder Dragons.
Overall, Apex monsters feel like tougher variations of creatures that you’ve already slain, whereas Elder Dragons give you a sense that you are facing a legendary type of creature that hasn’t been bested – yet.Elder Dragon fights are memorable, and the targets of these hunts tend to rank among some of the most popular monsters in the franchise. One such example is theNergigante fromMonster Hunter World, which would be a perfect fit withinWilds.
The Elder Dragon Nergigante was voted the second most popular creature in the series, according to an official poll on theMonster Hunterwebsite in 2023.
The presence of Elder Dragons has been widespread over the past two installments, with an abundance of them inWorldandRise. This also, inevitably, made some of the content in those games much harder for new players. Even so,the solution to getting players accustomed to gameplay isn’t by removing some of its best content inMonster Hunter Wilds, but giving veterans what they are used to and allowing new players to participate in the learning curve – and that’s where Apex monster fights would come in handy.
If Capcom Ignores Elder Dragons In Monster Hunter Wilds, The Game May Be Beyond Salvation
Elder Dragons Shouldn’t Be Locked Behind A Paid DLC
There’s still an opportunity for Capcom to redeem itself by adding Elder Dragons, be they returning creatures or brand-new ones. The game has already seen some content updates that added monsters like Lagiacrus and Mizutsune, but none of them were Elder Dragons. At the end of July, the Arch-Tempered Uth Duna will make its way into the game, but once again, this is not an Elder Dragon.At the end of September, the game will receive a new title update with an additional monster, and the hope is that this will finally be an Elder Dragon inMonster Hunter Wilds.
Another update, planned for Winter 2025, will also bring forth an additional monster, though it’s also unclear what the creature will be.
The speculation is that Capcom is holding back on Elder Dragons to introduce them with an eventual DLC forWilds. As much as this is enticing, this shouldn’t be the solution for their absence. This is because a DLC will most likely be paid content, and Elder Dragons should be present for all players to face within the base game via free updates. I’m not sure how much longer I can hold onto my hype withMonster Hunter Wildsif it doesn’t get Elder Dragons soon, as the game already ranks belowWorldandRisefor me.
