By Capcom producer Ryozo Tsujimoto believes that the heightened emphasis on narrative in Monster Hunter Wilds is undoubtedly one of the major factors contributing to the game’s remarkable sales figures.
Monster Hunter Wilds has emerged as a colossal success for Capcom, selling 8 million copies within the initial three days of release, marking it as Capcom’s fastest-selling game in history. While it was anticipated to perform well simply due to the “Monster Hunter” name (with World and Rise currently ranking as Capcom’s top two best-selling titles ever), the fact that Monster Hunter World sold 5 million copies during the same period makes Wilds’ achievement even more astonishing. The series producer, Ryozo Tsujimoto, believes that the increased focus on storytelling has played a significant role in this success.
In conversation with The Nikkei (translated by Google), Tsujimoto shared that when asked about the success of Monster Hunter Wilds, he stated, “We placed a strong emphasis on the narrative and enhanced the immersive experience through the voice acting.” He further noted that he thinks players are able to “feel the world of Monster Hunter,” achieved by illustrating “how the hunters are perceived by others in the Monster Hunter universe… and what the hunters themselves are thinking.”
Despite the fact that Wilds has secured a prominent position in the Monster Hunter franchise, it hasn’t been universally acclaimed by all fans. Some players have labeled the game’s narrative as “relentless on-rails handholding,” particularly criticizing the dialogue-driven sequences. Conversely, some players have become big fans of characters like Rove and Gemma, although most can agree that the lead-up to Low Horrid’s final encounter is a highlight.
Nonetheless, the narrative cannot take all the credit. Tsujimoto also mentioned in the interview that another factor contributing to Wilds’ triumph is Capcom’s decision to “enable gameplay across various consoles.” This is not only the first time in the series that the PC release (which outperformed both PS5 and Xbox Series X in the US market) is simultaneously available as the console launch, but it’s also the first Monster Hunter title to offer crossplay, which surely allowed more groups of hunters to team up for the first time. Personally, I believe that the parallel PC release and the continued success of Monster Hunter World are likely key reasons for the impressive start of Monster Hunter Wilds, making the crossplay aspect resonate even more in my perspective.
Gemma has undeniably become one of the fan-favorite characters in Monster Hunter Wilds, and her voice actor has been seeking advice for newcomers to help her dive into the series.