Monster Hunter Wilds boasts numerous changes, new features, and quality-of-life improvements. But its evolution wasn't solely driven by internal development; collaborations with other game franchises played a significant role. Specifically, feedback from Final Fantasy XIV's director, Naoki Yoshida (Yoshi-P), during the FFXIV crossover, and the positive reception to the Witcher 3 crossover, directly influenced key gameplay elements in Wilds.
Yoshida's suggestion, made during the FFXIV crossover event in Monster Hunter: World, inspired a change to Wilds' HUD: displaying attack names on screen in real-time. This feature, glimpsed during the 2018 crossover featuring Cactuars, a unique Kulu-Ya-Ku hunt, Drachen armor, and the challenging Behemoth fight, was further refined in Wilds. The Behemoth fight, in particular, showcased on-screen attack names, a precursor to Wilds' enhanced HUD. Even the "Jump" emote, unlocked after defeating Behemoth, displayed "[Hunter] performs Jump," a subtle yet significant example of this concept.
Final Fantasy XIV's Influence on Monster Hunter Wilds
During the Monster Hunter: World and FFXIV crossover reveal, Yoshi-P suggested to Wilds Director Yuya Tokuda that players appreciate seeing attack names displayed as they perform actions. This feedback directly led to the new HUD feature shown above.
The Witcher 3's Influence on Monster Hunter Wilds
The positive player response to the Witcher 3 crossover in Monster Hunter: World served as a crucial test for Wilds' design. Director Tokuda noted that the crossover's inclusion of more dialogue and options influenced the development of similar features in Wilds.
The Witcher 3 crossover featured Geralt of Rivia, a speaking protagonist with dialogue choices, a stark contrast to previous Monster Hunter games. This successful experiment paved the way for a voiced protagonist and expanded dialogue options in Monster Hunter Wilds.
Tokuda revealed that while Wilds was not in active development during the World collaborations, these experiences shaped his vision for the future of the series. His proactive pursuit of the Witcher 3 collaboration with CD Projekt Red proved highly influential.
This information was gathered during an exclusive visit to Capcom's Japan offices as part of this month's IGN First. Explore more in-depth previews, interviews, and gameplay from January’s Monster Hunter Wilds IGN First:
Behind Monster Hunter Wilds' New Approach to Starting Weapons and Hope Series Gear Monster Hunter Wilds Interview and Gameplay: Meet Nu Udra, Apex of the Oilwell Basin Evolving Monster Hunter: How Capcom’s Belief in the Series Made it a Worldwide Hit Monster Hunter Wilds: Gravios Returns in This Exclusive Gameplay
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