Summary
- Monster Hunter Wilds prioritizes visually appealing in-game food, employing exaggerated realism.
- Dining is flexible, offering a campfire cooking experience rather than a formal restaurant setting.
- The game boasts a diverse culinary selection, including a secret, extravagant meat dish, designed to heighten the enjoyment of food-related moments.
Monster Hunter Wilds aims to redefine the visual appeal of in-game food, according to key developers Kaname Fujioka and Yuya Tokuda. The game features a wide variety of meat, fish, and vegetable dishes, meticulously crafted to appear incredibly appetizing, even exceeding realistic depictions.
Food has been a staple in the Monster Hunter series since 2004, initially featuring simple monster meat. This mechanic evolved, with food's importance and variety increasing over time. Starting with Monster Hunter World in 2018, the focus shifted towards realistic dining experiences, creating meals players would genuinely want to eat.
This trend continues and intensifies in Monster Hunter Wilds, launching February 28, 2025. Fujioka and Tokuda highlight the scarcity of games with truly appetizing food visuals. Fujioka explains in an IGN interview, "Making it look realistic isn't enough to make it look good. You really have to think about what makes something look delicious." This involves a blend of realism and stylized exaggeration, drawing inspiration from anime and commercials, utilizing special lighting and enhanced food models.
Monster Hunter Wilds Devs Employ Exaggerated Realism in Cooking Scenes
Unlike previous entries, Monster Hunter Wilds allows players to dine anywhere, emphasizing a casual campfire cooking atmosphere instead of a formal restaurant setting. A December preview showcased an impressive cheese pull, already captivating fans. Other menu highlights include even simple dishes like roasted cabbage. Fujioka describes the challenges of making even this dish visually appealing, showcasing realistic puffing as the lid is removed and a visually engaging presentation with a roasted egg.
Tokuda, expressing a personal love for meat both in-game and in real life, hints at a secret "extravagant" meat dish, though he remains tight-lipped about the specifics. Overall, the game focuses on diverse dishes and expressive character animations during meals, creating an exaggerated yet realistic sense of culinary bliss in its cooking scenes.
