Monster Hunter Wilds
Fight a giant pink baboon that tries to kill you with its farts. Bob and weave on the back of a bird-like raptor as you track a majestic dragon across a desert during a booming thunderstorm. Monster Hunter Wilds offers these experiences and more in a tightly wound, streamlined package that’s lavishly presented and fun as hell to play. Yes, the inventory is a mess. No, the story won’t win any awards. There’s still decades of franchise design baggage to occasionally grapple with, but it’s all in service of some of the most entertaining emergent battles ever produced in a video game, powered by an elegant but deep combat system that never misses a beat. – Ethan Gach
