#SoITriedIt: My Journey Through Monster Hunter Wilds

After upgrading from a GTX 2060 to a 4060 Ti (yes, it isn’t top-tier, but it was within budget), I was eager to test it out on something worthy. Between work and endless travel, I barely had time to game… but I managed to allocate 63 hours so far to finish its main storyline. Here is my experience with the negatively reviewed Monster Hunter Wilds. 

From Steam Official Website

First off, the story surprised me in a good way. Yeah, it’s still got that classic “hunt this monster or it’ll ruin the ecosystem” vibe we’ve come to expect, but it actually gets emotional. I could get behind the Handler Alma, who even joins your hunt, adding a dynamic that feels real—two hunters working together. The same goes for Gemma, the blacksmith who helps trap monsters with certain quests. The game introduces moments where players actively participate in missions, making the journey feel more cooperative and lively, rather than just you versus the wild. I also enjoyed the new quest system that allows the player to take them wherever they are in the wild.

Audio is another standout—especially the fight against Rey Dau. That score hits like its laser attack, and I am for it. I breezed through the story fairly quickly since it was “easy,” but once I hit high rank, Rey Dau was back to bodying me in true Monster Hunter fashion. 

But here’s where the fun meets the frustration: performance. With frame generation (FG) enabled, I hit a smooth 90 FPS at high settings. But toggle it off, and I’m struggling to maintain 50 FPS. It’s unplayable. My Discord and the wider PC community are full of people avoiding the game entirely because of how poorly it runs without FG. But honestly? I didn’t mind using it. It made the experience playable on my affordable setup.

From Steam Official Website

Of course, my experience is personal, but it lines up with public sentiment. Steam reviews have trended “Mostly Negative” for a reason. Capcom saw a record-breaking launch with over a million concurrent Steam players, but post-launch, complaints about crashes, stutters, and framerate issues flooded in, even on high-end PCs. Over the past 30 days, approximately 75% of recent reviews have been negative. Capcom has made updates, such as tweaking VRAM usage and texture streaming, and has also revealed roadmaps for adding tougher content. However, many players say that optimization still remains a massive hurdle. 

From Capcom Official GIPHY

Additionally, while I’ve said the story felt coherent, some fans argue that the endgame lacks depth, especially when compared to previous entries. Many say Wilds’ simplified mechanics and lack of rewarding endgame goals stripped away what makes Monster Hunter so strategic and satisfying.

So yes—I did enjoy the core Wilds experience. The story is better than previous ones, the characters had energy (#handlertraumer), and the music absolutely slapped. But the performance issues on PC and thin endgame leave it feeling half-baked. Once I find time in my schedule, I plan to tackle the high-ranked Arkveld, as my initial run ended quickly.

From Capcom Official GIPHY

All in all, I’m hoping upcoming patches bring Wilds up to par, because underneath the rough edges, this is a game worth experiencing. Since I mentioned music, the way to enjoy the sound design of modern video games is through quality headphones. If you are leaning towards a quick upgrade, you can check out the Fifine Ampligame H9 and other great headphones in our Next Upgrade Shop.