Monster Hunter Wilds cuts out the clunk - and plays like the most streamlined, beginner-friendly entry yet

I'm on the hunt for a Chatacabra, a sort of lizard frog thing with an imposing tongue. I'm riding on the back of my Seikrat bird-like mount that's whisking me off in pursuit of my prey. And I'm not alone: I've got three fellow hunters by my side, but they're not real players. SOS calls aren't new to Monster Hunter, but they're now readily accessible with a flick of the radial menu. And if nobody online returns the call, three slots will be filled by NPCs to replicate the feel of co-operative multiplayer while still playing solo - along with your cute cat companion, of course. It means in Monster Hunter Wilds you're never truly alone, unless you want to be. The inclusion of NPC teammates feels like just one of many additions in this latest series entry that pitches it as the most approachable, beginner-friendly effort yet. That's been a fairly long-running trend for the series - generally each new Monster Hunter game eschews the clunkiness of the last, in an effort to expand the series' audience - but it's especially true of Wilds. Read more

Monster Hunter Wilds cuts out the clunk - and plays like the most streamlined, beginner-friendly entry yet

Monster Hunter Wilds cuts out the clunk - and plays like the most streamlined, beginner-friendly entry yet

Monster Hunter Wilds cuts out the clunk - and plays like the most streamlined, beginner-friendly entry yet

Monster Hunter Wilds cuts out the clunk - and plays like the most streamlined, beginner-friendly entry yet

Monster Hunter Wilds cuts out the clunk - and plays like the most streamlined, beginner-friendly entry yet