Monster Hunter Wilds: Exclusive Oilwell Basin Ajarakan and Rompopolo Gameplay – IGN First

This year’s first IGN First “cover story” belongs to Monster Hunter Wilds, and we’re kicking off our exclusive coverage with two brand new videos featuring gameplay of Ajarakan and Rompopolo on the Oilwell Basin map. We visited Capcom’s offices in Japan, where we played the first five hours or so of Monster Hunter Wilds, and exclusively faced a few Oilwell Basin local monsters. Look out for more gameplay throughout January, along with in-depth interviews, fun details, and a final preview for Monster Hunter Wilds.

Check out the videos featuring the fierce Fanged Wyvern, Ajarakan, the abhorrent Brute Wyvern, Rompopolo, and a variety of weapons in the Rompopolo video at the top of this page and in the Ajarakan video below.

This is also our first good, extended look of the Oilwell Basin locale, where “oil wells up from the ground and accumulates in deep pools of oilsilt,” as the name implies. In the new gameplay, you can see the Oilwell Basin transition between its three “weather” cycles: the barren Fallow, the burning inclemency, the Firespring; and the peaceful Plenty. Can you tell which is which?

During our visit, the Monster Hunter developers revealed that some of the Oilwell Basin was inspired by the deep sea, which you can see more apparently in the exclusive new image of one of the caves in the depths of the Oilwell Basin below.

We also learned the mucky Oilsilt isn’t all bad news for us hunters–you can ignite Oilsilt Spouts with Torch Pods to cause explosions. Keep an eye out for Chillmantle Bugs, too, to offset the effects of the scorching heat during the Firespring, and to counter some monsters that are just too hot to handle, too.

Monster Hunter Wilds is set to be released on February 28, 2025 globally on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, and will feature cross-platform multiplayer at launch. Don’t miss our first hands-on preview, and keep it locked here for the month of January for even more Monster Hunter Wilds!

Casey DeFreitas is deputy guides editor at IGN and has been hunting monsters since the PS2 era. Catch her on X @ShinyCaseyD.