Monster Hunter Wilds has a new update that makes copious little and large changes to the popular animal-hitting sim. As often with PC game patch notes, the changelog is a balance of mealy fare such as fixes for broken weapons, and moments of absurdity, such as addressing a problem whereby you’d hack the tail off an Ajarakan only for it to transform into another monster’s appendage. Also, you’ll no longer be able to cheese the Gore Magala by somehow dropping a dozen boulders on it simultaneously.
The update notes in question are to be found on Capcom’s FAQ for currently known issues. The list of technical problems addressed as of today, 10th March include the “Grill a Meal” and “Ingredient Center” features not unlocking, the Field Guide becoming inaccessible, players falling through the map during the mission “Toward Fervent Fields”, NPCs not appearing in “A World Turned Upside Down”, tutorials repeating themselves, Lance Power Guards and mantles not activating properly, Insect Glaive offset attacks causing your hunter to space out, force quits due to a screen rendering bug, and wait, stop! I’m just listing and rewording them all. So much for not letting the AIs take my job.
Let’s skip to the highlights. Firstly, they’ve fixed a problem where “some environmental features such as floating rubbles” could be exploited several times. I’ve never managed this myself, but I’ve now looked up a relevant player video on reddit and well, that’s not how you’re supposed to beat Hirabami. Can’t fault the effectiveness, though.
Secondly, they’ve nobbled that issue with hacked-off monster parts transforming into parts from other monsters – see this video, in which a dismembered Ajarakan obstinately poops out pieces of Gravios. I take a fiendish delight in this bug inasmuch as Capcom have accidentally gone full Monster Gacha machine. Monster Hunter is, in my experience, pretty gentle with its randomised loot drops, but who knows, perhaps this is secretly them testing a wonderful, magical omnibeast with three rotating eyes and one big arm you yank with your slinger to make assorted wyvern kidneys fall out the bottom.
The FAQ also spotlights a few Monster Hunter Wilds bugs they’re still working on. These include network errors when firing an SOS flare right after a quest begins, link members (aka, people you’ve formed a regular four-person hunting party with) not being prioritised when deciding which players appear in base camps, Palico blunt weapons failing to inflict stun and exhaust, and problems with your profile not being editable and certain side missions being unfinishable.
Monster Hunter Wilds continues to be a Steam favourite. I confess, I’ve drifted away since last week, but that is simply because I am a news shark who must keep swimming forward to the next big release, or else succumb to a deluge of floating boulders. How are you getting on with it, if you’re still playing?