I have recently had a chance to play the Open Beta Test for one of my most anticipated games of 2025, Monster Hunter Wilds. After playing it extensively for a couple of days, I can honestly say that it has left me hungry for more. The immersive details of the first open-world locale are engrossing, the art designs for the new monsters and gear are amazingly detailed, and the gameplay from exploration to combat is loads of fun and rife with potential.
During my time with the Monster Hunter Wilds Open Beta Test, I discovered at least fifteen new cool gameplay features that have gotten me excited to play the full game when it releases on February 28, 2025. Some of these features have been teased in official media provided by Capcom while others have been kept under wraps until players like me discovered them during the Open Beta Test.
Here are my top sixteen favorite gameplay features, which I’m looking forward to experimenting more with in Monster Hunter Wilds.
It is important to note that this is an Open Beta Test of a game still in active development. This means that all the gameplay features shown here and ones you may have found yourself in the beta could radically change in the final version of Monster Hunter Wilds when it launches.
Monster Hunter Wilds gameplay details - Focus Strikes aren't just for wounds
Every weapon type in Monster Hunter Wilds has received a new move called a Focus Strike which can only accessed through the game's new Focus Mode which is activated by holding the left trigger on your controller or whatever key you bound it to on your keyboard. These attacks are designed to damage exposed wounds on a monster for extra damage and potentially topple it over.
However, Focus Strikes aren’t just for targeting wounds. They can be used on special weak spots that briefly appear on specific monster body parts after they execute certain attacks.
For example, after Rey Dau fires its ultimate lightning beam attack, its horns will occasionally split open so you can hit it with a Focus Strike. Once you hit that special weak spot, the monster will be severely staggered and vulnerable to follow-up attacks for a few seconds.
Monster Hunter Wilds gameplay details — Focus Mode can be used in the middle of attacks
While in Focus Mode, you can use it to aim your attacks more accurately towards a monster's weak points or specific body parts. What you may not know is that you can use Focus Mode in the middle of combos and during attack animations to aim your attacks mid-swing to avoid missing your target.
You can even use Focus Mode while in the air with the Insect Glaive to target hard-to-reach wounds with the Focus Strike attack.
Monster Hunter Wilds gameplay details — You can adjust how you activate Focus Mode
If you’re finding it difficult to Focus Mode with the default controls, you can change it in the options menu so it can be activated by toggling instead of holding down the left trigger. Also, you can adjust the Focus Mode’s activation methods for melee weapons and ranged weapons individually to fit your personal preferences.
Monster Hunter Wilds gameplay details — Mantles from Monster Hunter World have resurfaced
Mantles from Monster Hunter World are back (as evidenced with the Ghille Mantle) to provide players with temporary passive buffs when worn. However, they have been slightly tweaked in that you don’t have to sheath your weapon to remove them anymore once a Mantle has been used up and it recharges even while your wearing it after its ability has been spent.
Monster Hunter Wilds gameplay details — Environmental traps have returned
The Environmental Traps introduced in Monster Hunter World have returned in Monster Hunter Wilds and are looking to be more numerous than ever. For example, the Windward Plains locale has tons of environmental traps strewn about the region which you can use against monsters.
These range from tree vines that can entangle monsters for a few seconds or unstable rock formations that you can break to cause a small rockslide which will deal significant damage to anything caught in its path.
Monster Hunter Wilds gameplay details — Setting up Pop-up Camps
The open-world-esque locales of Monster Hunter Wilds have features spots where you can set up Pop-Up Camps which will allow you to restock your items, change your gear, and open up points where you can fast-travel to so you can chase after fleeing monsters more quickly.
However, you only have a limited number of slots per locale to place Pop-Up Camps (e.g. Windward Plains only has four slots for Pop-Up Camps) and they can be destroyed by monsters if placed in spots where they frequently roam. So you will need to be strategic about where you place your Pop-Up Camps so they don’t get trampled.
Monster Hunter Wilds gameplay details — Turf Wars are back with a vengeance
Turf Wars from Monster Hunter World and Monster Hunter Rise are back in Monster Hunter Wilds. This is a mechanic where two monsters that don’t like each other engage in a cinematic battle that will leave both of them heavily damaged by the end of it. Players can take advantage of this by luring certain monsters together and attacking them in the middle of their Turf War to deal extra damage to both beasties during it.
Turf Wars in Monster Hunter Wilds have evolved compared to previous games. For example, you can now sic packs of small monsters against larger ones or have certain monsters take out a pack of large monsters while leaving the Alpha pack leader you're hunting alive for you to hunt without being heckled by its brethren.
Monster Hunter Wilds gameplay details — Mounting the Seikret can save you during combat
When you whistle for the Seikret, you will gain invincibility frames (a state of being during certain animations that make you invulnerable to damage) while you mount it. This can help you escape incoming attacks or get away from a monster so you can safely heal yourself or sharpen your weapon. In addition, you can whistle for the Seikret at almost any time (even when you’re knocked on the ground) and do it while you have your weapon unsheathed.
Monster Hunter Wilds gameplay details — Powerful Bowgun ammo can be used while riding Seikret
Normally when riding the Seikret, your attack options become extremely limited as you only have access to a weak mount attack and a jumping dismount attack. However, Light Bowgun and Heavy Bowguns don’t have this issue as they are still able to use almost of all their ammunition types without any nerfs to their damage output.
In fact, riding the Seikret will allow you to be mobile while reloading ammo types that normally require you to sit still such as Sticky Ammo or Slicing Ammo so you safely reload heavy-hitting ammo types while avoiding attacks. However, keep in mind you will still need to dismount in order to use the special ammunition types like Heavy Bowgun’s Ignition Mode or Light Bowgun’s Rapid Fire Mode.
Monster Hunter Wilds gameplay details - Bowguns now have infinite ammo for certain ammo types
Both Light Bowguns and Heavy Bowguns now have an unlimited supply of Normal, Pierce, and Spread ammo at their disposal so you can’t have to waste time or inventory space gathering crafting materials to make ammo for them.
However, higher-tier, specialized ammo types like Sticky Ammo, elemental ammo, and Slicing ammo will still need to be crafted and placed in your inventory backpack for use.
Monster Hunter Wilds gameplay details — Bowguns get new ammo modes to play with
The Heavy Bowgun’s Wyvernheart mechanic from Monster Hunter World (now renamed into Wyvernheart Ignition Mode) has received a significant buff to its recharge timer so you can now use it more often to blast monsters away with a hail of bullets. In addition, you can help recharge Ignition Mode faster by shooting enemies with any ammo type.
Light Bowgun meanwhile gets a new Rapid Fire mode that functions similarly to Heavy Bowgun's Ignition Mode, but you fire ammo in rapid bursts like a submachine gun rather than a Gatling gun. The Rapid Fire mode has similar cooldown recharge timer to Ignition Mode and it can be sped up to shooting enemies.
Monster Hunter Wilds gameplay details — Offset Attacks
Great Sword, Heavy Bowgun, Switch Axe (in Axe Mode), Hunting Horn, and Hammer weapon types have a new unique attack called the Offset Attack which are basically counter moves that send enemies flying in cinematic stagger animations and allow you to follow up with another to damage them while they’re down.
However, this special stagger animation will only occur once every so often on a monster before you can trigger it again. You can still use Offset Attacks to counter incoming attacks but beware you still take damage during the counter albeit at a significantly reduced so be careful when using it when you’re at low health.
Monster Hunter Wilds gameplay details — Perfect Block & Power Clashes
Weapons that have the capacity to block attacks like Charge Blade (in Sword & Shield Mode), Heavy Bowgun, Lance, Great Sword, and Sword & Shield have a new Perfect Block mechanic that significantly reduces the damage of a monster’s attack if timed correctly.
When you successfully perform enough Perfect Blocks, you will activate a special mechanic with a monster called a Power Clash. During Power Clashes, you will struggle against a monster and will need to mash the attack button to overpower it and stagger it for a few seconds so you can follow up with another attack while the monster is recovering.
Though keep in mind Clashes will only occur every so often and you can’t trigger them when blocking a monster’s ranged attacks. Not only that, there may be some monsters in the full game have that attacks which are completely unblockable and will require you dodge out of the way to avoid dying.
Monster Hunter Wilds gameplay details — You can store song notes while using Hunting Horn's new Echo Bubble attack
Hunting Horn has a new attack in Monster Hunter Wilds called the Echo Bubble which places an area-of-effect puddle on the ground that provides stat boosts for any player standing on it and damages enemies standing on it whenever the Hunting Horn user activates a song.
What you may not know is that you can place a maximum of three Echo Bubbles at a time to cover more space and deal extra damage monsters while you perform songs. Additionally, you can input song notes while placing Echo Bubbles so you can store songs to buff your team and have a full recital attack ready to go without sacrificing your offensive momentum.
Monster Hunter Wilds gameplay details — Gunlance Wyvern's Fire has been upgraded
One of my favorite weapon types, the Gunlance has been given a major overhaul in Monster Hunter Wilds from new combos to use to being able fire the mighty Wyvern's Fire attack two times in a row thanks to its extra charge.
Additionally, the cooldown timer for Gunlance Wyvern’s Fire attack can now be shortened by hitting enemies with shelling attacks so you can use it more often to blow them up. On top of that, if you use Wyvern’s Fire at the end of the new Full Wyrmstake Blast combo, it will fire much quicker than if you use Wyvern’s Fire on its own.
Monster Hunter Wilds gameplay details — You can fire Slinger Ammo while your weapon is out
One of Monster Hunter Wilds' gameplay features returning from previous games is Slinger Ammo from Monster Hunter World. Slinger Ammo lets you fire small projectiles that deal status effects to monsters like blindness via Flash Pods, deal heavy damage to monsters, or activate environmental traps from a distance.
You can fire Slinger Ammo while you're unarmed or with your weapon unsheathed. However, what the game doesn't tell you is that they've changed how you fire Slinger Ammo with your weapon out compared to how it worked in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne.
Before you had to hold the left trigger then press the right trigger to fire Slinger Ammo while your weapon is out. Now in Monster Hunter Wilds, you hold the left trigger then press the left analog stick on your controller to fire Slinger Ammo while your weapon is out. This is due to the fact the controls had to make room for the new Focus Mode controls and Focus Strike attacks, so Slinger Ammo controls had to be changed.
With this method, you can fire Slinger Ammo to debilitate monsters without putting your weapon away so you can stay on the offensive.
This is only the beginning of a long and wild adventure
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Honestly, I can go on for hours talking about this game like its immaculate character creator, immersive world-building, and ambitious gameplay which aims to combine elements from previous games to create the ultimate monster-hunting experience.
If this is only just a small peek at the beginning of Monster Hunter Wilds, then I can’t imagine what the rest of the game is going to be like when we discover more locales, gear, and monsters.
Either way, I can’t wait to get my hands on the next epic chapter of Capcom’s illustrious Monster Hunter franchise when the full version of Monster Hunter Wilds rampages onto consoles and PC in 2025.
Monster Hunter Wilds, the next-gen successor to one of Capcom's best Xbox games and best PC games, Monster Hunter World, is scheduled to launch on February 28, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.
