Monster Hunter Can Play Like Dark Souls or Devil May Cry, Depending on Your Weapon

For newcomers to Monster Hunter, the sudden success of Wilds might seem like it came out of nowhere. But Capcom has been fine-tuning its massively successful Monster Hunter series for global domination for years and the result is what looks to be one of the best-selling games in the series.

With over a million concurrent players on Steam, everyone is playing Monster Hunter Wilds. But if you’re feeling like an outsider looking in, unsure how or where to start, I have the secret to maximizing your Monster Hunter enjoyment with this one simple trick – finding the weapon that best suits how you want to play.

In Monster Hunter Wilds, players can immediately choose from an almost overwhelming arsenal of weapons, each with their own unique playstyle, whether that’s heavy, brutish weapons like the Great Sword, something more nimble like the Dual Blades, or ranged weapons like the Bowgun.

There’s a temptation – I think partly because it is Monster Hunter’s most iconic weapon – to start out using the big swords and switch axes first, but these cumbersome weapons have to be used in a very specific way, prioritizing intentional swings instead of brute force. As such, they’re not the easiest thing to get to grips with at first. Instead, I’d opt for something a little more nimble like the Dual Blades, which unlocks a world of quick attacks and dodges. The difference is transformative: when maining a big sword, Monster Hunter echoes the considered combat and careful approach of Dark Souls; using Dual Blades, it’s reminiscent of Devil May Cry’s action-focussed combat.

Indeed, compared to previous Monster Hunters, Wilds changes up the combat to make it a bit more in-line with modern action games. While you still need to sheathe your weapon if you want to heal, combat feels more intuitive to anyone who’s played an action RPG from the last five years. That said, the main difference – and why picking a weapon that best suits the way you play – is unlike other action RPGs, which let players customize the way they want to play through skill trees, in Monster Hunter it’s all down to weapon choice.

The decision you make at the start defines the experience you’ll have, then. If your preference is something super fast and combo heavy, that makes you feel like Dante’s been transported to the Monster Hunter series, go for the Dual Blades, which relies on fast attacks, quick dodges, and building up a meter that, when full, can unleash a rapid combo on downed enemies.

On the flip side, if you prefer something that can deal heavy damage while keeping your defences up and maintain mobility, the sword and shield is a great starter weapon. The lance – one of the least popular weapons in the game because it favors defense over flashy attacks – combines both a big weapon and shield. Its parries and counter-attacks aren’t for everyone, but practice and you get a very unique combat experience.

There are also ranged weapons like the Bowguns, which are equally if not more powerful than melee weapons. If you’re going to pick one of these, remember to pack enough ammo and make sure you’re bringing the best ones for the particular monster you’re fighting.

There are 14 weapons to choose from, each with unique abilities and characteristics, but they’re effectively divided into three main types – heavy, which deal massive damage in exchange for speed, light weapons that deal rapid attacks, and technical weapons. But there are also those that sit between these archetypes – the Gunlance has range capabilities, the Charge Blade can become a big axe or smaller blade with a button press, and the Insect Glaive and Hunting Horn can be used to gain unique buffs with the right combos.

There’s a ton of choice but don’t get overwhelmed. Try out every weapon in the game’s tutorial before you fully commit, because you will definitely find the right fit for you, whether that’s kicking up a frenzy like Dante or prioritizing strategy like Dark Souls.

Matt Kim is IGN’s Senior Features Editor.