IGN First: Nu Udra, Apex Predator of Monster Hunter Wilds

From arid deserts and vibrant forests to fiery volcanoes and icy tundras, the Monster Hunter series boasts a breathtaking array of diverse environments, each teeming with unique ecosystems and a captivating cast of monsters. Exploring these uncharted worlds, traversing their landscapes as you hunt, is a core element of the Monster Hunter experience. This holds true for *Monster Hunter Wilds*, the latest installment in the franchise. Following the Windward Plains and Scarlet Forest, hunters will venture into the harsh Oilwell Basin, a land scarred by flames and oilsilt. Here, they'll navigate treacherous terrain of viscous oil and blazing magma. Despite its seemingly desolate appearance, closer inspection reveals a surprisingly active ecosystem: small creatures wriggle in the mire, and remnants of an ancient civilization dot the landscape.

Yuya Tokuda, director of both *Monster Hunter: World* and *Monster Hunter Wilds*, sheds light on the Oilwell Basin's unique character: "During the Fallow, the Oilwell Basin is a place filled with mud and oil. When the Inclemency known as the Firespring comes, it burns away that oilsilt, and at times during the Plenty the burned-away oil and soot vanishes, revealing the minerals, microorganisms and the original color of the manmade artifacts hidden underneath."

Down in the Muck

Kaname Fujioka, director of the first *Monster Hunter* game and executive director/art director for *Wilds*, explains the design concept behind the Oilwell Basin: "We had two horizontally broad locales in the Windward Plains and Scarlet Forest, so we decided to make the Oilwell Basin a vertically connected place. The environment there changes slightly when you travel between the top, middle and bottom strata. Sunlight reaches the top strata, where oil gathers like mud, and the lower you go, the hotter the place becomes, with lava and other substances."

Tokuda adds: "From the middle to bottom strata, you'll find creatures not unlike aquatic life that may remind you of the deep seas or underwater volcanoes. In World, we created the ecosystem of the Coral Highlands using the idea of what it would look like if aquatic creatures lived on the surface, and we've used the knowledge we gained in the process to create the Oilwell Basin's creatures and ecosystem."

The Basin's dramatic shift from a barren wasteland to a vibrant ecosystem during the Plenty is a key design element, as Fujioka explains: "During the Fallow and Inclemency, smoke comes out of everywhere in the Oilwell Basin like it's some sort of volcano or hot spring. But during the Plenty, it takes on a clear, marine-like tone as we just mentioned. Look closely at the environmental biology and you'll find that it's even a region inhabited by the kinds of creatures you'd expect to find on the ocean bed."

The Oilwell Basin's ecosystem is intricately designed, unlike other locales. While seemingly lifeless under the oilsilt, it supports a thriving community: shellfish, small monsters providing raw meat, larger monsters preying on smaller ones, microorganisms thriving on geothermal energy, all forming a complex food chain. Unlike the sunlight-dependent ecosystems of the Windward Plains and Scarlet Forest, the Oilwell Basin thrives on geothermal energy.

The Oilwell Basin's monsters are equally unique. Rompopolo, a globular, noxious creature with a needle-like mouth, is a prime example. Fujioka describes its design inspiration: "We designed it as a tricky monster that lives in swamps and creates chaos for players by using its stored up toxic gas. The idea of a mad scientist came up often when we were trying to depict this trickiness. We were inspired by this concept when giving it a slightly chemical purple color and glowing red eyes. The equipment you can craft from it is surprisingly cute, though. So is its Palico equipment."

Tokuda agrees, calling the Rompopolo Palico equipment "amusing."

Flames of Ajarakan

Another new monster inhabiting the Oilwell Basin is Ajarakan, a massive, flame-wreathed creature reminiscent of a gorilla, but with a leaner silhouette than the Scarlet Forest's Congalala. Ajarakan's design emphasizes straightforward power, as Fujioka explains: "With one unique monster after the next making an appearance, we thought that this might be a good time to add a monster whose strengths are easy to understand. That's how we got Ajarakan. It just punches or slams its fists on the ground to make flames shoot up, making it the kind of monster that's strong by way of all its super-straightforward attacks."

Tokuda elaborates on Ajarakan's design: "Normally when we design fanged beasts, their hips are low to the ground, putting their heads at about eye level with the hunter. We thought that this can make it harder to sense the threat that the monster poses. That's why we were conscious of giving this monster a more top-heavy and towering silhouette. We then added flame elements that are at home in the Oilwell Basin, as well as grabbing attacks reminiscent of a wrestler that highlight its physical strength. It's a monster that combines strength, physical attacks and flames, like its attack where it melts something and tosses it at you."

Ajarakan's high position in the Oilwell Basin's ecosystem is visually emphasized by its fiery attacks, contrasting with Rompopolo's more subtle tactics. Fujioka further details Ajarakan's design evolution: "At first it was just kind of a physically powerful monster. That's why I talked quite a bit with our artists and designers about giving it more personality in some way. It's a monster in a fiery location, so I wanted to make use of flames and heat. That said, I didn't want it to simply breathe fire or create flames. That's how we ended up with a design where the monster seems to be wearing flames on its back, similar to the Buddhist deity Acala. From there we got the idea of Ajarakan's rising internal temperature giving it enough heat and power to melt anything in front of it, which seemed to give it so much more personality. Ajarakan will grab the hunter or hug Rompopolo, and we wanted to make players think about how much they'd want to avoid getting hugged by an absurdly hot creature. We decided to make it seem scary by making it so hot that it'll melt anything and everything around."

Despite its straightforward power, Ajarakan's moveset was enhanced throughout development to add visual flair, as Fujioka notes: "We kept adding lots of different interesting techniques, like it jumping into the air, balling itself up and falling to the ground."

A Monster Generations in the Making

The apex predator of the Oilwell Basin is the newly named Nu Udra, a black flame-wreathed creature with octopus-like tentacles. Its slimy body secretes flammable oil, and it moves with a wriggling, fluid motion. Like the Windward Plains' Rey Dau (lightning) and the Scarlet Forest's Uth Duna (water), Nu Udra's design emphasizes its environment's elemental properties. Fujioka confirms the octopus inspiration: "Yes, it was octopuses. We also wanted its silhouette to be striking when it rises up and gave it what look like demonic horns, but we also tried designing it in a way where you can't tell where its face is."

Tokuda highlights the musical elements reflecting Nu Udra's demonic imagery: "We had the composers include phrases and musical instruments reminiscent of black magic. I think it ended up being a unique and good piece of music."

Nu Udra's fluid movements draw inspiration from past Monster Hunter creatures like Lagiacrus (Monster Hunter Tri), representing a long-held ambition for both Tokuda and Fujioka: "One of the concepts in Tri was underwater combat, so I did write a proposal for an octopus-shaped monster at the time, emphasizing its distinctive underwater movements. I had fun coming up with all kinds of ideas, like 'It has lots of legs, which means lots of parts you can sever!' There were challenges keeping us from making that a reality, though, including technical ones. But even so, I've been holding onto that proposal for all this time."

Fujioka discusses Nu Udra's movement in relation to previous tentacled monsters like Yama Tsukami and Nakarkos: "We're always interested in using monsters who move like that in moments where they'd stand out, as their silhouette and the impression they give are nothing like standard monsters with limbs and wings. While including too many unique monsters will cause players to get tired of seeing them, dropping one in at just the right moment leaves such a strong impression. That's why we had Yama Tsukami appear in the game the way it did... I think there's a kind of adventurous feeling you get from seeing something a bit odd, similar to cryptids."

Tokuda adds a nostalgic touch: "You know, I'm the one who put that (Yama Tsukami) there."

Nu Udra's creation represents a significant achievement, overcoming technical hurdles to realize a long-held design vision. Fujioka emphasizes the technical challenges and the team's dedication: "Monsters with tentacles like that pose a lot of technical challenges, like controlling it with respect to the terrain and its target. When we began development on Wilds, the technical department's tests went incredibly well, and so we felt like we could really make it happen this time."

Tokuda adds: "When we saw the tests, we also thought to make it the apex predator of the Oilwell Basin. That's just how much of an impact this monster has."

The detailed animations of Nu Udra, particularly its ability to squeeze into tight spaces, highlight the team's commitment to visual fidelity. Fujioka describes the process: "We did quite a lot of work on depicting flexible bodies this time with Nu Udra. At the start of development, we try coming up with pretty unreasonable ideas, whether or not we can actually achieve them. It's a challenge to ourselves in a way, and while it does cause a lot of challenges for our artists, the final product looks so amazing if we're able to actually make it take shape."

Tokuda shares an anecdote illustrating the team's dedication: "When we first implemented the movement of it going inside a hole, an animator told me, 'When you weaken it and it starts heading back to its nest, please wait here for a moment!' Apparently they wanted me to see it going into its little hole, and I still remember replying, 'Oh, that really is amazing!' The animator looked so satisfied as well."

Fujioka expresses pride in Nu Udra's intricate animations: "It might not be easy to get the chance to see it, but the way it squirms around while wrapped around a pipe is so well made too. I do hope you check it out. Only games are able to depict things like that in real-time instead of as some premade scene. I'm incredibly proud of it as a crystallization of the staff's efforts."

Nu Udra's many tentacles present a unique challenge to hunters, requiring strategic attacks to overcome. Tokuda explains the monster's attack patterns and weak points: "You can cut off so many tentacles. While I suppose it depends on how you count them, all of the parts that resemble legs that touch the ground can be severed. While the tentacles do move right after they've been cut off, they begin to rot after some time passes. If you try to carve a part that's rotten and no longer moving, you won't get good materials from it. The same also applies for breakable parts of other monsters, like tails. Nu Udra uses its tentacles to launch attack after attack on its target. We were conscious to give its attacks a unique tempo through a combination of focused attacks, and area-of-effect attacks using its head and flames. We wanted to make it a massive monster that still seemed to launch a barrage of attacks. With all of its tentacles, though, it's possible that it becomes difficult to tell who it's targeting in situations like multiplayer hunts. That's why we've made it so that it has sensory organs at the tips of its tentacles that use light to indicate when and who it's going to attack."

Nu Udra's light-emitting sensory organs, located on its tentacle tips, provide visual cues for its attacks, making it easier to anticipate its movements. However, because it doesn't rely on sight, flash bombs are ineffective.

Tokuda offers advice for hunters facing Nu Udra: "Its body itself is fairly soft, and it has lots of breakable parts. I think hunters should think about how to determine where to attack. Cutting off a tentacle will also shorten its area of effect attacks, making it much easier to move around. You could also call it a monster made for multiplayer, as that means its targets will be split up. You may be able to enjoy it even more by using SOS flares, Support Hunters included."

Fujioka adds: "As we designed this monster, I thought it's one that can be tackled in a way that's very much like an action game in the sense that destroying its parts can help you get closer to defeating it. Gravios is another monster where you discover a way to defeat it as you destroy its tough armor, right? The ability to carefully watch a monster's movements and use that to make a decision fits perfectly with Monster Hunter's overall approach."

A Welcome Reunion

The Oilwell Basin also features the return of Gravios, last seen in Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate. Tokuda explains the decision to include Gravios: "When we were thinking of monsters that match the Oilwell Basin's environment, make sense in the game's overall progression and don't play too similarly to any other monsters, we thought that we could make Gravios seem like a fresh challenge and decided that it would reappear."

Gravios's hard carapace presents a unique challenge, requiring strategic attacks to exploit its weaknesses. Tokuda discusses the design considerations: "When bringing Gravios over to this game from previous titles, above all else, we wanted to make sure it still had its distinguishing features like its hardness. From a game design perspective, we also wanted it to be a monster that appeared after you've progressed a good bit and had gone through everything the game's design has to offer. That's why I came up with the idea of it being a monster where it's difficult to figure out a way to defeat its hard body at first, only for hunters to find more and more clues as they make good use of the wound system and part breaking."

The absence of Basarios, Gravios's juvenile form, is noted: Fujioka simply states, "Sorry, but Basarios will be taking this one off." The team's careful approach to monster selection ensures that returning monsters are integrated seamlessly into the game's design.

All Monsters in Monster Hunter Wilds

17 Images