‘I think it kind of wouldn’t make sense anymore’: Monster Hunter Wilds is breaking my heart by doing away with its bespoke language voice option, but that doesn’t mean it’s vanished entirely

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One thing I’ve always deeply appreciated about the Monster Hunter series is that you can play the entire game using a unique, simplistic language known as Monster Hunter Language.

To put it simply, while discussing with Kaname Fujioka, the Monster Hunter Wilds executive director, I learned that the game will no longer feature an in-game voice option and instead, it will solely support various real-world languages.

To my even greater surprise, it turns out that there is indeed a strong and justified explanation for why. He explained to me during Gamescom last year that they have focused extensively on the story in this project and from the very start of development, they’ve engaged in discussions about how the plotlines were shaped.

In terms of fully immersing players into the game, the dialogues are presented in various human languages, each tailored to specific regions, marking a first for the Hunter character to have voice lines too. To keep the narrative coherent and understandable, a shift to Monster Hunter Language isn’t feasible, I believe, as it might not align with the storyline anymore.

Gladly, it appears Fujioka and the team aren’t planning to ditch a classic element from this series. “However, it’s not gone completely – it lingers as part of this world. So you might catch characters using it casually in conversations or greetings, which means, in essence, the original language of the Monster Hunter universe is still very much alive.

Essentially, what you’re saying is that the language used in Monster Hunter, primarily made up of growls, moans, and sounds similar to Simlish, lacks the depth of emotion Capcom aims for with a richer narrative in The Wilds. However, I agree with you that the game is significantly more enjoyable due to this simplicity, and I find it hard to imagine enjoying it as much if it were not in English.

As a dedicated fan, I must confess, it’s hard not to feel a pang of melancholy. I’ve been immersed in the world of Monster Hunter for as long as I can recall, and letting go of that part was like bidding farewell to a tiny piece of my bond with the series. Yet, I’m thankful that it hasn’t vanished completely. It’s quite fascinating to stumble upon snippets of Monster Hunter Language in the Forbidden Lands, even if it’s not my voice speaking them.

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2025-02-24 20:19