Here's a look at Monster Hunter Wilds' Focus Mode and other gameplay bits
Courtesy of three new trailers.
Monster Hunter Wilds might not be out until next year, but Capcom has just given the hype handle a tiny tweak with the release of three new videos detailing some of the mechanial additions and refinements players can expect when this latest series entry shows up in 2025.
Video number one, titled Basic Mechanics Overview, whizzes through some of the most fundamental aspects of Monster Hunter gameplay before introducing Wilds' new bird-like dino-mount, the Seikret. This (alas) replaces Monster Hunter Rise's awesome dog-like Canyne, serving as a new way to speed about the place.
The Seikret can automatically guide Hunters directly to their target if desired, and players are free to gather items from the environment, drink potions to recover their health, sharpen their blade, or switch between primary and secondary weapons ready for battle while in the saddle. The returning Slinger has also had a bit of an upgrade in Monster Hunter Wilds; as well as being able to launch different ammo types found around the map, it can gather items from a distance, and yank loose bits of scenery (rock, for instance) onto monsters' heads.
As for Capcom's second video, that focuses on the classic Great Sword - a weighty blade with slower movements that can pack an absolute punch. More notable, though, is its mention of Wilds' new Focus Mode - which gets a larger airing in video three.
Focus Mode enables Hunters to more precisely position their guards and aim their attacks, specifically to target a monster's wounds and weak points - which are now explicitly highlighted with a glowy red effect while Focus Mode is active. Walloping wounds or weak points while in Focus Mode does additional damage, which Capcom is calling Focus Strikes.
And that's pretty much everything for now. Hopefully, Capcom will have more to share during this year's Gamescom (it'd be nice to see something other than Monster Hunter Wilds' desert map, for instance), and perhaps it won't be long before we get a more precise indication of when it'll be showing up for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam next year.