Playing cards on the desk: I am an actual story man. I like me lore, wiki rabbit holes, and two-hour YouTube breakdowns. I’ve fallen to sleep to extra gaming essays and deep dives than I might care to confess, and as such have a passion for obscure secrets and techniques within the video games I play. Monster Hunter Wilds, story-wise, has individuals torn – and I completely get why – nevertheless it additionally may simply have paid homage to one of many sequence’ oldest mysteries.
This text comprises spoilers for the whole low rank story of Monster Hunter Wilds – you’ve gotten been warned!
That thriller is linked to the traditional civilisation, the ruins of which gamers have been capable of uncover and hunt round all through the sequence’ life. Wilds, nevertheless, locations this period on the core of its narrative. Beginning on the icy cliffs, you are surrounded by what’s left of Wyveria, even moreso when you hop into the ultimate main looking zone – actually referred to as the Ruins of Wyveria.
Now, whereas Wyveria is that this new-found facet to the lore, the traditional civilization itself has been recognized about by gamers for some time. In brief, we have recognized that folks had been vibing with all method of technical developments, we all know they had been killing monsters at absurd ranges. They even used dragon components to construct huge towers all over. This, as you’ll be able to think about, perturbed the monsters considerably. All of this culminated within the huge naughty occasion dubbed “The Forbidden Act”, by which the traditional civilization created synthetic life, although doing so would require one other dwelling creature to die.
That final half ought to instantly begin elevating the eyebrows of Monster Hunter Wilds gamers, as a great chunk of the sport is spent discovering (and finally coping with) “Guardian Monsters” – synthetic monsters created ages in the past and saved in cocoons. Whereas this seems to be a direct hyperlink to this lore, there’s nonetheless one vital element – beloved by followers – which may simply make an look in Wilds. The Equal Dragon Weapon (or EDW).
Now, the EDW first confirmed up in idea artwork for the very first Monster Hunter sport, however by no means truly made its manner into some other Monster Hunter venture. It’s, subsequently, non-canon. It was this Frankenstein-esque creation constructed from 30 completely different monsters, cobbled collectively by metallic plates and framework. It is correct grim stuff, and doubtless too darkish for the unique Monster Hunter video games. Within the minds of many followers, together with myself, it seems as if Guardians (and a really particular monster that we’ll contact on in a second) are an evolution of, or no less than callback to, this authentic EDW concept.
Enter Zoh Shia, the ultimate boss of the low-rank Monster Hunter Wilds story. This boss is a synthetic monster, too, and has distinct options that appears as if they arrive from completely different dragons. As you proceed via the combat, the white head armour cracks open to disclose a black dragon face and large black wings (itself a lore bombshell).
It additionally seems to make use of assaults much like the black dragon Fatalis on this later stage, lending advantage to the concept that it was an historic dragon created with the DNA of – and even straight up components of – previous dragons, all hidden behind a Wyvern Milk shell.
In Wilds, Zoh Shia is described because the “final weapon” of the traditional civilization and finally what brought about it to break down, sealed away by the keepers. In my thoughts, both Zoh Shia and the Guardian monsters are the canon model of the EDWs (with Zoh Shia as the top of that effort), or a later step within the historic civilisations’s synthetic life creation course of. Both manner, it is a implausible callback for older Monster Hunter gamers, and provides layers to the story the one deepens the enchantment of the sequence.
And it makes the setting of Wilds all of the extra thrilling. There are bookshelves full of data on the traditional civilisations that the bozo Keepers cannot even learn, and nothing however time for the Hunters to dig via ’em and uncover extra secrets and techniques. Older Monster Hunter video games have established that found historic civilisation information and notes element mysterious monsters we have by no means seen. Perhaps they will present up!
And possibly, simply possibly, in a room, in a cocoon, behind some locked door The Keepers by no means bothered to open, an precise EDW is sitting there. The stage has been set for extra details about the previous to floor, and it opens up Wilds to every kind of thrilling reveals and revelations. It is obtained me rattling excited to see what Wilds has coming within the coming months and years.
