The Evolution of Our Consumption Habits: A Look at Modern Media Engagement

March Eighth

Hello and welcome back to our popular segment where we share a bit about the video games we’ve been engaging with. This week, Ed enthusiastically explores Monster Hunter Wilds, but isn’t entirely pleased; Tom O ventures into Avowed, looking forward to finding a great game this time; and Bertie revisits what could be the finest mobile game ever made.

What have you been playing?

Check out previous editions of this column in our What We’ve Been Playing archive.

Monster Hunter Wilds, PS5

Initially, Monster Hunter World was my entry into Capcom’s series, leaving me intimidated and speechless right from the start. After roughly a hundred hours, I was still feeling daunted, but at least I became proficient with the bow. So when I tried Rise afterwards, I grew more confident and quickly fell in love with it.

I might have hoped to fall even further in love with Wilds as my hunting confidence increased, yet my feelings so far are quite mixed—I am nearing the end of the initial campaign. For every advancement Capcom has introduced, there seems to be a drawback elsewhere; two steps forward, one step back.

Consider the more streamlined mechanics of Wilds, particularly the new options for your Seikrat mount. Your speedy companion is almost like a portable campsite, enabling you to swap and sharpen weapons while riding, heal as you go, and gather distant supplies using a grapple. This is fantastic! However, the auto-ride feature makes me feel like I’m on autopilot while heading toward the next hunt, interacting minimally with the environment. The focus is entirely on monster combat instead of monster hunting.

Then there’s the scale, with its vast and stunning introductory environments and weather effects. So far in the campaign, these haven’t had a noticeable impact on gameplay, though I hope they will during the High-Rank hunts. Instead, they contribute to the game’s lackluster performance; even on a powerful PS5 that prioritizes framerate, the game is filled with distractingly outdated textures reminiscent of the PS2 era. The graphics have a dull, washed-out appearance, especially when compared to the more vibrant Rise, and I suspect this leads to a lack of character—aside from the monster designs, of course. I miss the Japan-inspired world of Rise. I miss its poetic monster introductions. I miss the cat dango song.

Yet then there’s the combat, which feels the best of the three titles. As a bow user, I enjoy the damage system and the ability to fire targeted homing shots for significant damage. Yes, it is somewhat straightforward, but I feel more powerful than ever, and the variety of monsters brings some particularly creative and exhilarating battles. With the ability to switch weapons more easily, I’m seriously tempted to learn a secondary melee weapon as well. Wilds excels in its core combat, and the fundamental idea of battling and skinning monsters is truly addictive. I just hope those later High-Rank hunts can help alleviate some of my early disappointments.

-Ed

Avowed, Xbox Series X

I struggle to get into large games. I tried The Witcher 3 four times before finally getting immersed in it. Skyrim, a game I own on at least four platforms, I’ve never truly made progress in, often getting sidetracked in a large mountain I shouldn’t be climbing, then kind of losing interest – I somehow managed to push my early companion Lydia off one of those mountains once and never found her again, which didn’t help. I didn’t get past the first disc playing Final Fantasy 7 on PS1, for goodness’ sake.

So, Avowed. I’m enjoying it quite a bit, having just arrived at Paradis, but as usual, I’m struggling to play it instead of getting sidetracked. With Avowed, my current concern is the visual quality on Xbox Series X. I’m playing in Balanced Mode since I wanted decent graphics without the smoother framerate compared to Quality, but it’s definitely one of the most visually chaotic games I’ve seen lately. Movement causes the image to tear quite badly, and there are some poor graphical issues I suspect are related to shadows, but I can’t be sure. The game often looks good but it also seems on the verge of breaking.

Anyway, any excellent moments so far? I thought I’d perhaps come across that spell book at the start, which is essential for burning away the overgrown thorny branches. Turns out I hadn’t. Can you actually consume them though? Like a mushroom-headed Kirby gameplay mechanic? I also spent a while admiring the beautiful scenery and walked straight off a cliff to my death. Will I keep playing Avowed? Who knows. Stay tuned.