How Big Of A Map Players Can Expect From Monster Hunter Wilds

Even in early previews, Monster Hunter Wilds open beta, but it seems like there's quite a bit more lurking just beyond the edges of the map. What's abundantly clear already, though, is that Monster Hunter Wilds has a more seamless and interactive map than any other series entry to date.

And Yuya Tokuda, director of Monster Hunter Wilds and World before it, seems to have confirmed that Monster Hunter Wilds is of a similar size to other recent Monster Hunter titles before it in a new interview with Screen Rant. Tokuda played coy about the exact number and types of biomes players would see in the title, but made one thing about his process very clear: the map is made to serve the monsters. "The monsters depend really on the ecology, that environment that they live in," Tokuda said, "so in order to achieve that, we need to prepare various environments to have various monsters."

A Palico from Monster Hunter Wilds, holding a wooden hammer, next to the Rathalos.

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However, Tokuda was also quick to assuage fears that Wilds' greater detail and interactivity would stifle its potential map size. While it may not be significantly bigger than World or Rise, the director of Monster Hunter Wilds promises that "you can obviously expect a similar volume as past titles, and a variety of them."

What To Expect From Monster Hunter Wilds' Map

Diverse Biomes & New Features

Early previews for Monster Hunter Wilds have already revealed a variety of different biomes for players to explore. The beta began in a vast, open desert, where a group of hunters chased after monsters among shifting dunes and deadly sinkholes. Trailers have also shown the ruddy trees and watery caves of the Scarlet Forest, inhabited by the giant arachnid Lala Barina.

The Wilds open beta featured four main monsters: the Chatacabra, the Doshaguma, the Balahara, and the hidden Rey Dau.

It's clear that the focus of Monster Hunter Wilds' map design appears to be on delivering a truly unique experience in each different area. Players got a taste of its increased interactivity during the open beta, when they were able to pull flying creatures into a swirling sinkhole in order to disrupt its pull. In the interview, Tokuda goes on to promise "a very different experience" in each biome, but just what that'll look like will probably have to wait until launch.

Moreover, Tokuda says it's not just the needs of the monsters that determine the nature of the map: it's also the story. More so than most other Monster Hunter games, Wilds is focused on its plot. We've only gotten brief glimpses at it so far, but it's clear even from the earlier chapters that there's a lot more to it. The director claims that much of the story will unfold alongside the player's exploration of the map, saying, "The story also focuses on why some of the environments and ecologies are set up in a certain way, and that's the setting that it's very focused on."

Screen Rant's Take: Quality Over Quantity Makes A Good Map

Exploring The Wilds Is The Best Part Of Monster Hunter

Characters from Monster Hunter Wilds inside of a volcano getting ready to fight something off screen.

There's something to be said for massive, open-world games: they are very technically impressive and, when carefully detailed, can be fun to explore. But Monster Hunter has never been that kind of game, and it'd be unfair to expect Wilds to conform to another genre's standard. What Monster Hunter maps have done consistently well, though, is small-scale exploration. They're almost always filled with fun little secrets that make exploring worthwhile: some rare materials here, a unique collectible there, a new campsite somewhere else, et cetera.

It sounds like Wilds will deliver exactly that, which is all I've ever asked for. The increased interactivity it apparently provides, along with the seamless transition from hunt to hunt, provides new potential for greater exploration. For that reason, no matter how big its map is, I can't wait to dive into Monster Hunter Wilds.