“I hope this is a joke”: Monster Hunter Wilds trailer leaves fan divided over “dull and lifeless” environments

A second Monster Hunter Wilds trailer was released during the Summer Game Fest 2024 showcase, showing off cinematics and extended gameplay. Of particular highlight were the combat sequences, and the beautifully detailed desert game environment. Unfortunately, many players have slammed the showcase, calling out its “lack” of detail rather disappointing.

A Twitter/X user by the name of @LeoGoneSavage remarked:

"Really dull and lifeless areas. I hope this is a joke."

Several other users have also chimed in, with one of them calling it a worse showcase than the State of Play, which is quite a controversial statement.

Interestingly, many have joined in on boycotting the game for Sony’s recent spree of censoring games after release - which has nothing to do with the Monster Hunter Wilds trailer.

Fans react to Monster Hunter Wilds visuals (Image via Twitter/X)

On the other hand, user @sjfostersound praises the enemy design, remarking that it reminds them of the Sandworms from the Dune franchise.

User @macagaming_ also echoes the same supportive sentiment, remarking that 2025 is likely to be a major milestone for video games in general - thanks to the sheer volume of impressive titles on offer.

Another user, @ChinoLe14261719 has a more mixed reaction to the reveal, remarking that while the monsters look fascinating, the environment is quite bland and unappealing.

These statements have also sparked serious debate, with many users pointing out that deserts are indeed quite bland to look at in real life as well - and thus Capcom’s lack of visual distinctiveness is not entirely unrealistic.

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Does Monster Hunter Wilds really need a visual makeover?

Wilds looks fine as it is (Image via Capcom)

Note: This part of the article is subjective and reflects the author’s opinions.

While many would argue that Monster Hunter Wilds seems rather “lifeless”, I will stick to my guns for this - Wilds looks perfectly fine, and even visually striking in certain sections. The trailer does not do justice to the game’s visuals, and Capcom could have opted for a better in-game location for this showcase.

Furthermore, the Monster Hunter series has never been known to push visuals to groundbreaking levels in the first place. The franchise has always possessed detailed (albeit somewhat dated) visuals that look fine for the most part, if not a generation old. If anything, the gameplay loop of the entire Monster Hunter series takes precedence over visuals - and with good reason, given how addictive it can be. Regardless, I look forward to the game's release in 2025, pretty visuals or not.

Monster Hunter Wilds will be released for the PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S sometime in 2025.