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Cooking scenes get most of the love in Monster Hunter Wilds, and why shouldn’t they? Capcom gets every nourishing nosh right. Food sizzling in the saucepan? It’s one of Monster Hunter‘s coziest comforts, and the series has been that way for ages. With Wilds, however, I wonder if there’s something I’ve been underrating: the forge. Crafting weapons and armor is a huge part of the franchise, and there its theatrical flair is on full display. Have the foodies lingered too long in the limelight? Is the dawn of the forge Stans near? While the controversy may be fictional, these cozy cutscenes deserve a deeper look.
Forging Something Even Tastier Than Food in MHW
How immersive is crafting in Monster Hunter Wilds? It’s a weirdly complicated question, and the forge has everything to do with it. Hunting monsters for particular ingredients, then carving vital resources off them bit by bit, can be plenty immersive. Back at camp with a sackful of monster scales, however, crafting consists of a few menus and confirmation clicks. In terms of gameplay, it’s no more interactive than Minecraft‘s crafting grid. If that were the full story, the forge in Wilds would be nothing special. Yet that’s only one layer.
The second layer comes in cutscenes. Sure, you aren’t beating the metal yourself, but once you’ve confirmed your crafting selection, you see the process in all its smelted glory. Sparks scatter across cold metal as Gemma brings her blacksmith’s hammer down on a glowing chunk of steel. Eyes protected by thick goggles, the smithy then grinds the cooled blade upon a whetstone. When at last your new Great Sword is ready, it holds an edge as keen as Rathalos fangs. As a montage of the best bits of the smithing process, it works.
Bending Metal and Hearts in Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds might be the first game in which I enjoyed the forge as much as the cooking pot. Considering the smithy is competing with the likes of Grammeowster Chef for cozy supremacy, that’s saying something. There’s no competition here, obviously: it’s fine to enjoy both or neither. It doesn’t even matter much whether Wilds might be improved by a more hands-on approach. Vintage Story, which has one of the most rewarding crafting systems out there, goes in a different direction, emphasizing methodical work. The forge scenes in Monster Hunter Wilds are a lovely demonstration that diverging paths can lead to the same beautiful destination.
Between the sparkling SFX, subtle mo-cap, and general warm vibes, the forge scenes are a treat. Sure, I’d be there for the dopamine rush of a new weapon either way, but the care evident in the scenes makes me appreciate them for reasons that have nothing to do with my DPS. Monster Hunter Wilds feels lived-in not only because it has rich lore and realistic biomes but also because little things like the forge draw you in. I’m glad my new Great Sword will help me farm Lala Barina faster, but I’m even more glad to see the blade shaped from its humble elements in this way. I’ll take that over a fried fish buff any day.
