Monster Hunter Wilds’ Open World Doesn’t Feature Loading Screens

During Summer Game Fest, our on-site got to experience an early build of Monster Hunter Wilds, and oh boy, let me tell you: it’s already looking better than we thought. While most of us are here for the good old monster-hunting gameplay loop, this new game brings many QoL features that everyone will welcome with open arms. One of the most relevant ones coming to Monster Hunter Wilds is its seamless open world, which, for the first time in the franchise, won’t have any loading screens. That’s right, from your camp to the beginning of the hunt, the ride is completely uninterrupted.

While most of us never cared about the loading screens between preparing and hunting, Monster Hunter Wilds is taking a welcoming approach. From the things our team saw, as soon as you grab your meal, equip your gear, and saddle your mount, the hunt can start. That’s right. Leaving the camp will put you in the open world, ready to start the hunt. All you must do is approach the monster, and the objective will appear on your screen. To say this is an exciting feature would be an understatement. While the Monster Hunter franchise has always been known for its grandiose encounters, the open-world part wasn’t so, well, open. But now it’ll be different.

Furthermore, as soon as you end a hunt, you can remain on the map. There isn’t a screen with a countdown that’ll take you back. You can call your mount, head to a camp to heal, and tackle a new hunt, all in real-time. But that’s not everything. According to the early bits of information, the map size is twice as big as anything we’ve seen before. That means if you thought Wildspire Waste was big, wait until you reach this new locale.

Monster Hunter Wilds is truly embracing the no-boundary feel of this game. The fact that we finally get an open-world area full of roaming monsters and no stops is mind-blowing. In addition, the combination of fast-paced skills from Rise and the tracking feel of World and Wilds could very well create the best entry into the franchise so far. Still, the jury isn’t out yet. There’s a long road ahead before we can get a new monster-hunting experience. Yet, so far, it all seems to be heading in the right direction.