Monster Hunter Wilds Open Beta Test 2 Starts Later Today
Preload the beta and get an inside look of the gameplay from the first open beta!
Two days ago, Capcom had a showcase of Monster Hunter Wilds that went in-depth about what we can expect in the full game. This included a new icy region, new monsters to fight, and more customization options. They also provided details about the story, which seems interesting. However, in the beta, you only get a small introduction to the story to understand how you end up in the desert-like region.
For the New Year, Capcom announced that Monster Hunter Wilds will be getting a second open beta test! The first beta ran from October 28 to November 4, with the first few days exclusive to PlayStation Plus members before opening up to all platforms. This time around, the beta will be open to everyone on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC, allowing crossplay as well. It will run for two weeks in two phases: February 6-9 and February 13-16, leading up to the full release on February 28. This beta will introduce new content while keeping much of the first beta's experience intact. New additions include new monsters like Arkveld and Gypceros, a training area, private lobbies, and online single-player mode.
Open Beta 1 Impressions
Monster Hunter Wilds is the first game I've played in the series. My brother has played Monster Hunter: World, Rise, and Stories, so he had way more experience with this type of game than I did. Starting it up was really cool—you get to create your own character using Capcom's RE Engine, which makes the characters look highly detailed. One of the best parts is that you can change your character's appearance throughout the game, adjusting their build, height, hair, and more. Not only that, but you also get a Palico, a little cat companion that helps heal you and attacks enemies during battles.
Unfortunately, customizing your character after the initial creation requires an Edit Voucher. In the beta, you get an unlimited amount. Still, this feature is locked behind a paywall in the game, even for your Palico. It's disappointing, but at least we can experiment freely in the beta. Once your character is set, the game introduces the story.
The opening cutscene transitions into a tutorial where you learn how to ride Seikret. This new bird-like companion helps you navigate the map and aids in combat. It can chase down monsters, dodge attacks, and even assist with weapon-based attacks. The tutorial also covers basic combat mechanics and controls, providing a solid introduction to the gameplay.
After the tutorial, you're placed in the camp, which serves as the central hub where players can interact online. Each server holds up to 100 players, which is great for socializing, though missions are limited to four-player co-op. It would be awesome if there was a unique quest where all 100 players had to fight a massive world boss together. Maybe in a future update?
The camp has various facilities for selecting quests, changing equipment, crafting items, etc. One thing I loved was the ability to set up small camps in the field. These allow you to rest, heal, and prepare without returning to the main camp. It's a lifesaver when you're getting your ass beat by a crazy monster—you can just retreat, eat, and get back into the fight. What I enjoyed the most was using the SOS feature if I was playing by myself; it allowed anyone to join in and help me fight against the monster I was getting ready to fight. You could also find a bunch of SOS requests when looking for missions to join.
Speaking of monsters, the beta featured several difficult enemies: Characabra (a frog-like creature), Doshaguma (a boar-lion hybrid), and Balahara (a snake-like enemy that swims through the sand). The most challenging was Rey Dau, a dragon with electricity-based attacks that required an entire team to take down. In the upcoming beta, two new monsters—Arkveld and Gypceros—will be added. I'm excited to see how they compare. Rey Dau was a Rank 4 monster, the strongest in the first beta, so I wonder if the new ones will be even stronger.
One feature that I wish had been available from the start is the new training mode for Online Single Player. This lets you test different weapons and combos before jumping into missions. I had to learn the hard way during my first playthrough, so this addition is something I'm looking forward to since I need to relearn my favorite weapons after not playing since late October.
Unfortunately, connectivity issues were so annoying in the first beta. This game revolves around cooperative play, with options to send SOS requests or join ongoing missions. However, there were multiple times when my team got disconnected mid-battle. One of the worst instances was during a fight against Rey Dau—I was in a full party with my brother and two others, and we all got kicked. I almost managed to solo it but ultimately failed because of the mission's death limit. I’m sure the upcoming beta will improve the servers. Here’s a video of that boss when I was facing it with my brother for the first time.
Another issue was how overwhelming the online menus were. Joining friends was confusing and took longer than it should have. Thankfully, Capcom adding private lobbies in the second beta will make teaming up much more straightforward. But starting out after the tutorial, I really wanted to join friends, and when doing a crossplay, join - it can take some time before you're with your friends. You may have to add them as your friends by getting their Hunter Code and then letting them know your server ID, which can be a pain - since then you'd have to find out where to input that. But once you do those things, it gets easier to join. I’m sure that process will get updated overtime though.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I really enjoyed the first beta, and I'm hype for this second one dropping later today! If you're in the Eastern Time Zone like me, the beta should be available at 10 PM tonight—which is ridiculous because I've been waiting to play since I preloaded it this morning! If you plan on playing, make sure to download it in advance. It's around 25GB, so it might take a while, but once the servers open up, you can jump right in.
Another cool feature is that if you create a character (including your Palico) during the beta, you can transfer them to the full game when it releases. You can even share a code, so other players can use your character design.
A small but neat detail is that the title screen changes based on how long you've played, showing different perspectives of the area you're in. I think this will continue across different regions as you progress in the full game, which is a cool touch.
If you decide to buy the game later, you'll also receive special in-game items for participating in the beta. So definitely check it out if you're interested, it feels like this will be a great game!