I have just finished my hunt for Monster Hunter Wilds’ latest addition to the Arch-Tempered catalogue: Uth Duna. I wasn’t expecting it to be a cakewalk, considering this is a supercharged version of one of the four Apexes in the game. However, what I didn’t expect was how much harder the game has become for players, especially the new ones.
Being the first game in the series to rack up 10 million sales within just a few months, it was expected to be a welcoming entry for newcomers thanks to its various accessibility features and quality-of-life improvements. Even veteran MH fans were surprised to see how streamlined everything had become.
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+ 3Now, with the arrival of Title Update 2 and the Festival of Accord: Flamefete event, Wilds has introduced a slew of fresh monsters that push both new and old hunters to their limits. For veterans, there are plenty of ways to tackle this spike in challenge, like upgrading gear, optimizing loadouts, and bringing extra Mega Demondrugs and Armorskins. For new players, though, things take a different turn.
These players got used to the easier content at launch. There were no Arch-Tempered monsters capable of one-shotting them, and terrifying foes like Seregios and Lagiacrus weren’t around to cart them left and right. Back when the game launched on February 28, we only had Tempered Gore Magala to worry about, and even that was barely a threat for some.
click to enlarge + 3It already seems like Capcom is raising the difficulty ceiling with every new monster release. Lagiacrus and Seregios were clearly buffed to give players a fresh challenge, but with Arch-Tempered Uth Duna, many players just don’t have the old-gen survival instincts when that massive whale-fish monster soars into the sky and slams down on them.
A lot of new players aren’t aware of the “Superman Dive” move, which greatly boosts i-frames and is often the difference between surviving a one-shot attack and carting. I’ve seen plenty of players simply do a normal dodge roll when Uth Duna is bearing down on them, something that could’ve been avoided with a simple dive.
Another thing I’ve noticed in Wilds is that many hunters don’t seem to use the “sleep bomb” mechanic anymore. Old-school vets would plant barrel bombs near a sleeping monster and let a Greatsword user unleash a massive wake-up hit for bonus damage. Nowadays, most just hit the monster as soon as it dozes off, missing a great opportunity for optimized damage.
click to enlarge + 3Lastly, one thing that really bugs me is how few new players bring Dust of Life or Lifepowders into hunts. These are essential multiplayer tools that heal other members in the lobby and can save lives when someone’s down to their last sliver of health. It’s a critical item in high-difficulty hunts.
With this growing gap between player skill levels, it’s understandable that new players are struggling to adjust. But veteran players should be helping them learn the survival tricks that make someone an effective hunter. Without this, multiplayer can get frustrating, and some players now prefer to take on the harder content solo.
There’s no sugarcoating it. Monster Hunter Wilds is getting harder with each update. So if you have a friend who’s struggling, lend them a hand.
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