The Monster Hunter series began in 2004 with a release on the PS2. While it didn’t make a huge splash in North America, Japan quickly fell in love with it as a premiere game to showcase the PS2’s multiplayer capabilities. It was so big in Japan that the sequel was exclusive to the region and the series only grew when it was released on the PSP.

There is a big reason why Monster Hunter blew up as big as it did: multiplayer. There have been innovations over the years with the latest entry, Monster Hunter Wilds, featuring ways for players to enjoy the concept of multiplayer without real people. Are these innovations better than online support or is a good old multiplayer session still king?

Single-Player: Palicos And A.I. Hunters

SOS Flares Can Save Your Life

Palicos have been a friend to hunters as long as the series has been out. Their uses have evolved over the years but they have never been reliable partners who can destroy monsters on par with players. Instead, they are good support animals to heal players or to distract monsters from players long enough to score a critical hit.

Monster Hunter Wilds changes this dynamic because players can now send SOS Flares to signal hunters back at camp to join and sometimes they even bring their own Palicos. With A.I.-based human hunters and Palicos around, players can hang back and strike monsters from the back row while they are distracted. Players can even adjust in the menu whether they want SOS Flares to signal just A.I. buddies or real ones online.

Multiplayer: Forming Strategies

Safety In Numbers

The problem with A.I. hunters is that players can’t discern how much damage they are doing. Are they just distractions like the Palicos and is Capcom keeping the levels a secret? This mystery alone is why human players can be better. It’s a lot easier to strategize with people online. For example, one of the new mechanics in Monster Hunter Wilds is called Wounds.

If players strike an area enough, a glowing spot will appear on a monster, and striking it will do extra damage and harvest parts from it automatically. Players can also ride monsters to open up them for critical hits. A.I. hunters can do these two exploits too but it’s a lot easier to coordinate with friends online plus they aren’t always good about executions. It’s also easier to tell friends online if things are going well because even just one friend along for co-op will make the hunt go by much quicker even compared to a party of four with A.I. hunters.

Single-Player: Death Is Only On You

The Punishment System Is High

As good as it is to have friends online strategically, they are only human which is to say they can make mistakes. In some action RPGs, death would not be a problem in co-op if there was a revival system. Players that get knocked out will be automatically revived in Monster Hunter Wilds but the catch is the shared revive pool.

Most monster hunts will end if players use three revives without question. It can be frustrating to come so far on a mission only to have it end unceremoniously because someone died. If players go in it alone, they only have to worry about their own mistakes as A.I. companions are more careful almost like they can’t die.

Multiplayer: Basic Human Contact

An Excuse To Hang Out

A lot of people like to play games not to win but to have a sense of camaraderie. It’s an excuse to hang out with friends that are hard to see in reality and that applies to the family too. That’s why multiplayer games like Monster Hunter Wilds are fun overall.

Hunting for monsters is just an excuse to talk about the average day-to-day drama from new movies to weird stories about seeing someone at the grocery store. No matter how advanced A.I. companions can get in games like Monster Hunter Wilds, they will never replace true human interactions. The only downside is that some people don’t have as strong connections.

Single-Player: No Waiting On Others

Go At Your Own Pace

Some people have all the time in the world to play games and some people have demanding jobs or families they have to raise, giving them small pockets of time to play games. For these types of players, every second of their experience counts. So if they log in, play with some friends, and then lose progress, it can be like a knife in the heart.

Also, waiting for others can be a pain like if they want to change their equipment in Monster Hunter Wilds around before a mission or even during a mission. Playing alone will allow players to go at their own pace no matter if they are in a rush or just want to experience the game for all it has to offer slowly. Monster Hunter Wilds is one of the best-looking games on modern consoles so players should appreciate the art design beyond killing monsters. Also, it’s not all about action as exploring for materials is a big part of the experience too which is less distracting when alone.

Verdict: Single-Player

In Any Other Entry, This Would Be Wrong

Monster Hunter was designed with multiplayer in mind. Everyone who thinks Dark Souls is a hard game has not experienced the original Monster Hunter before alone. With friends, it was easier but still demanding, and even with innovations over the years, it was always best to play these games with friends. This includes Monster Hunter: World and Monster Hunter Rise.

Monster Hunter Wilds is the first game beyond the Pokemon-like spinoffs, Monster Hunter Stories, that can be enjoyed offline without sweating so much. The ability to call in A.I. companions is huge and the overall difficulty balance is not that challenging. This may change with patches, making co-op better again, but for now, it is possible to have a great time with this game without any caveats. And that is a huge first for the series for better or worse. Co-op now is more like a fun optional mode than a mandatory one.