Summary
While it was only a short teaser, theMonster Hunter Wildsreveal trailer showed a lot of promise. The game looks bigger than anyMonster Hunterbefore it, and fans are already hard at work analyzing its footage to find what exactly that extra space is for. Specifics are unclear, but monsters could have a greater population density than before, even including herds of what may normally be weaker boss monsters.Monster Hunter Wildsalso appears to be oriented around dynamic weather, with a severe thunderstorm and dust storm both featuring prominently.
However, all of that is in the background for now, as the focus ofMonster Hunter Wilds’ teaser is something more familiar to modern players. A new species, possibly a small bird wyvern, serves as the player’s mount inMonster Hunter Wilds, replacing the assorted beasts ofMH Worldand the Palamutes ofRise. This creature seems like a hybrid of the aforementioned Palamutes andPokemon ScarletandViolet’s mountsKoraidon and Miraidon, shifting its biology to navigate environments in different ways. With the mount offering such diverse functionality,Monster Hunter Wildsmay not even need any of the older animal companions.
Monster Hunter Wilds’ Mount Could Replace Palicoes and Palamutes
Totally excluding Palicoes from aMonster Huntertitle is asking for outrage, andMonster Hunter Wildsprobably won’t go that far. However, with the selling points of the newer Palamutes already subsumed by the avian mount, there’s a chance that neither the series’ new or old AI comrades will be joining hunts inWilds. Palicoes should staff the hub area as always, potentially joined by Palamutes, and there’s a chance that tribal Felynes could beNPCs found throughoutWilds’ open worldlike they were inWorld. However, they may have simply proved unnecessary in the face of the newest field operative.
The unnamed bird mount fulfillingRise’s Palamute functions is already clear, but it could also bite into Palico duties. Many fans expect the mount to have more functions than those revealed so far, particularly combat applications like Palicoes and Palamutes. The lack of a Palico beside theWildstrailer’s Hunter adds further suspicion, though that does have precedent in theMonster Hunter Worldannouncement trailer. It’s possible that Palicoes were excluded fromMH Wilds’ reveal to avoid a mounted Palico distracting the audience too much, but it’s too soon to say for sure.
Past Monster Hunter Helpers Might Not Complement Wilds’ Direction
At the very least, leaving Palicoes out of hunts would be justified enough byWilds’ circumstances.Monster Hunter Wildslooks to be a larger and more spread-out hunting experience than evenMonster Hunter WorldandRisewere. If mobile encounters like what was inWilds’ teaser trailer become the norm, then either Palico AI will spend a lot of time failing to keep up with the player, Palicoes’ existing teleportation to the player will need to become more frequent to compensate, or it will just be easier for Capcom to exchange the furry friends for feathered ones.
Palamutes Might Be Out, But Palicoes Are Monster Hunter Staples
Throw in unique equipment and combat abilities for the new mount, potentially including weapons for its bipedal stance, and both Palamutes and Palicoes will be out of a job. Considering that the creature looks directly inspired byMH Rise’s customizable Palamutes, more mount equipment is anobvious feature forMonster Hunter Wilds. With all of that said, although Palamutes seem to have been retired after their first outing, it’s likely that Palicoes will fill all of their usual roles.Monster Hunter Wildsshouldn’t leave behind such an iconic part of the tradition-heavy series, even as it hypes up a new permanent fixture for every hunting party.
