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 maximize the enjoyment of food-related scenes.
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 look incredibly appetizing, even exceeding realistic depictions.
Food has been a staple of the Monster Hunter franchise since 2004, initially featuring simple monster meat. This mechanic evolved, with food's benefits increasing and the selection expanding. Monster Hunter World (2018) significantly enhanced the realism of food presentation, aiming for meals players would find genuinely appealing.
This trend continues and intensifies in Monster Hunter Wilds (releasing February 28, 2025). Fujioka and Tokuda highlight the scarcity of games with truly appetizing-looking food. Fujioka emphasizes that realistic rendering alone isn't sufficient; achieving deliciousness requires a blend of realism and artistic exaggeration, drawing inspiration from anime and food commercials, utilizing special lighting and stylized food models.
Monster Hunter Wilds Devs Employ Exaggerated Realism in Cooking Scenes
Unlike previous installments, Monster Hunter Wilds allows players to dine anywhere, creating a more casual, campfire cooking atmosphere. A December preview showcased an impressive cheese pull, already captivating fans. Other highlights include dishes like roasted cabbage, a challenging yet ultimately rewarding creation for Fujioka. The game realistically depicts the cabbage puffing up as the lid is removed, further enhanced by a roasted egg topping.
Tokuda, a self-proclaimed meat enthusiast, hints at a secret "extravagant" meat dish, although he remains tight-lipped about its details. The game aims for a diverse menu and expressive character animations during meals, creating an exaggerated yet realistic sense of culinary bliss within its cooking sequences.
