Monster Hunter Wilds’ Weapon Controversy Explained

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Monster Hunter Wilds' Weapon Controversy Explained

As a dedicated Monster Hunter fan who’s been swinging swords and hammers since the days of the PlayStation 2, I must admit that the hitstop reduction in Monster Hunter Wilds has left me somewhat bewildered. It’s like Capcom took away my favorite spicy seasoning from their delicious action-packed survival stew!

The beta test for “Monster Hunter Wilds” has received mostly positive responses due to its display of impressive new features and improvements, but one consistent complaint has dampened the praise. Although the overall gameplay feel of the series’ sixth generation introduction is similar to what made previous games appealing, the decrease in the “hitstop” effect of attacks during combat has been largely considered a negative change. With “Monster Hunter Wilds” set for release soon, fans are hoping that Capcom will consider this feedback before it’s too late.

Hitstop might not be a widely recognized term in gaming, but it’s played a significant role behind the scenes in many successful action games. The concept essentially introduces a brief pause in an animation sequence, making powerful attacks seem more impactful by holding certain poses for a longer duration of frames. In the case of MH (Monster Hunter), hitstop has been instrumental in conveying the intensity of battles against colossal creatures. However, it appears that weapons in Monster Hunter Wilds have significantly less hitstop compared to previous titles.

Hitstop Has Always Been Crucial to the Weight of Monster Hunter’s Combat

Selling Action in a Realism-Based Survival Context

Since the initial Monster Hunter games on the PS2, attacks in MH have been strategically timed with brief pauses to emphasize when they connect. The series has consistently emphasized realism through its enemy designs, which mimic animal anatomy, and the absence of health bars. However, the inclusion of hitstop also underscores that delivering visually impressive action is just as crucial to the franchise. While it may not align perfectly with real-world physics for a sword swing to pause mid-attack, these pauses ideally occur for an instant that appears seamless to the player.

Previously, Capcom had primarily improved the application of hitstop by discovering methods to extend holds and convey more intense striking in the series, up until the latest installments. For instance, the overhead swing for the Switch Axe in Monster Hunter appears to have almost doubled in held frames from its debut in Tri to World, but Rise adopted a more fluid animation style between those techniques. However, with the release of Wilds, the apparent alterations to this system seem to be the most noticeable changes that the franchise has experienced.

Several Monster Hunter Wilds Weapon Attacks May Have Had Their Hitstop Almost Entirely Removed

Even Nuances like Sharpness Don’t Seem to Account for the Change in Impact

In Monster Hunter Wilds, there seems to be a different approach to hit effects compared to other MH games, making it appear more fluid. However, a recent video on X/Twitter has brought attention to an issue with weapon feel, particularly the Greatsword’s charged overhead swing, which appears less weighty when compared side-by-side with other games. Although weapon sharpness and the specific attack point on a monster play a role in this perception, even considering these factors leaves the game generally smoother in terms of animation quality.

Capcom’s Limited Remaining Development Timeframe

A considerable amount of beta feedback may be circulating, but Monster Hunter Wilds only has until February to iron out any of its remaining issues. Around three months is a short period for making any core adjustments to combat, but it’s possible that adding more hitstop might just take a relatively simple adjustment of existing animations by editing their timing. As the upcoming game is set to further solidify the series’ growing mainstream appeal, how Capcom approaches the backlash to Wilds‘ combat will define expectations for the IP moving forward.

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2024-11-08 22:23