Monster Hunter Wilds is stirring up some chatter. Fans are feeling let down. Some even say it’s ruining their experience. What’s the big deal? There’s something crucial missing from the combat that longtime players notice right away.
Table of Contents
The Core Issue: Hitstop
Hitstop is a game design trick that makes combat feel impactful. When you hit an enemy, there’s a brief pause. This pause gives weight to your attacks. It’s like a satisfying thud when you land a punch. In Wilds, this hitstop seems to be gone, and that’s a problem.
In past Monster Hunter games, hitstop made every swing feel powerful. You could feel the heft of your weapon. It was tactile and visceral. Now, in Wilds, attacks flow without that satisfying pause. This change has left many players feeling like something is off.
So, what exactly is hitstop? It’s that moment when your character pauses briefly after landing a hit. This technique is common in fighting games and action titles. It helps players understand they’ve made contact. Think of it like the brief silence after a drumbeat—it emphasizes the rhythm of combat.
The Comparison: Past vs. Present
Let’s break it down with some examples. In Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, the switch axe had about an 8-frame hitstop pause. That’s around a fourth of a second! Players felt that impact. In contrast, Wilds has zero frames of hitstop for many attacks. You can see characters swinging right through monsters without that satisfying pause.
Why does this bother some players but not others? It might come down to awareness. Once you know about hitstop, you start looking for it. If you’ve played newer games with less emphasis on hitstop, you might not even notice the difference at first.
Different Weapons, Different Experiences
The type of weapon you choose also plays a role. Fast-hitting weapons like dual blades or long swords might not feel as different compared to heavier weapons like great swords or switch axes. The true charge slash in World has a noticeable hitstop effect, while in Wilds, it feels less impactful.
This leads to the question: why did Capcom make this change? It seems intentional, perhaps to focus more on power clashes and special attacks. But we’re left guessing until they provide more insight.
Overall, Monster Hunter Wilds is still fun to play. But adding back some of that hitstop would really enhance the experience. Since the game is still evolving, there’s hope that Capcom might tweak these mechanics to bring back those satisfying hits.