Monster Hunter Wilds: A Legacy Forged in Crossovers
Monster Hunter Wilds boasts numerous improvements and new features, but its development was subtly shaped by earlier crossover events in Monster Hunter World. Specifically, collaborations with Final Fantasy XIV and The Witcher 3 directly influenced key gameplay elements.
Naoki Yoshida, director of Final Fantasy XIV, suggested a change to the HUD during the FFXIV crossover event. This led to the implementation of on-screen attack names in Wilds, a feature initially glimpsed during the Behemoth fight in the World crossover. This fight, along with the inclusion of the "Jump" emote (inspired by Final Fantasy's Dragoon class), provided a small-scale test of the concept.
The positive player response to the Witcher 3 crossover in Monster Hunter: World proved pivotal. The inclusion of Geralt, a speaking protagonist with dialogue options, demonstrated the potential for a more communicative hunter. This directly influenced the decision to incorporate more dialogue and a voiced protagonist into Monster Hunter Wilds.
Director Yuya Tokuda cited The Witcher 3 collaboration as inspiration for Wilds' enhanced dialogue system and character interaction. The World crossover served as a valuable test, gauging player reaction to these features before their full implementation in Wilds.
While Wilds' development wasn't underway during the crossover events, Tokuda's foresight and the success of the collaborations significantly shaped the game's design. This innovative approach, combining collaborative feedback with forward-thinking design, has resulted in a truly unique Monster Hunter experience. For more in-depth information and gameplay, check out IGN First's exclusive coverage of Monster Hunter Wilds.
