Monster Hunter Wilds Would Be Better If We Could Play as the Weird Cat Sidekicks

I’m struggling with Monster Hunter Wilds. I’ve gone on record here at Paste with my general disinterest in Capcom’s massively popular series, but it finally got its dual blades in me with 2021’s Monster Hunter Rise. Unfortunately the brand new Wilds seemingly tries to split the difference between Rise’s faster, less cluttered, more newbie-friendly approach and the overwhelming, molasses-slow game that the Monster Hunter faithful apparently prefer, and the results aren’t really doing it for me. This might just be a personal failing; our own Moises Taveras called Wilds “an intoxicating concoction” in his preview earlier this month, and from a quick glance at social media the buzz seems good. For me, though, Wilds is one of those times when this job really feels like work.
It’s not even the game’s depth that’s driving me away this time. Although it doesn’t seem as streamlined as Rise was, Wilds also doesn’t seem to be as complex as Monster Hunter’s rep. Like I said: it’s splitting the difference. What’s driving me away is just the general aesthetic, more than anything else. Even with the greater performance of a PlayStation 5 behind it (Rise was a Switch exclusive) Wilds is a less attractive game. The first land you hunt in is a relentlessly beige sandscape, and the pronounced Asian influence in Rise’s aesthetic and culture has reverted back to a familiar Eurocentric style that makes Wilds look like countless RPGs before it. The actual monster hunter part seems, y’know, “fun,” but I haven’t dug that deeply into it yet. There’s so much about Wilds so far that makes me feel lethargic about the whole thing; even when I want to tackle some ornery buster I’m put off by how everything looks, by the lifeless but conversation-packed camp, by the pro forma characters and story that I have to sit through to get to the action. I came in with an open mind, and Monster Hunter Wilds just isn’t giving me anything to hang on to.
Except for one thing—one thing that should be the focus of the whole game. I’d be way more excited about Monster Hunter Wilds if I could play as a palico.
Palicos are the cat-like sidekicks that shadow hunters into battle. They provide little defensive and offensive perks during the hunt, and they look amazing while doing it; imagine a three-foot-tall cat walking on its hind legs, with a huge backpack and a floppy hat with ear flaps that makes the cat look like some ‘90s hipster in winter. Now imagine if it meows like a cat but can be understood perfectly by all the humans it encounters, with subtitles for each meow so those of us at home can keep up. And finally, imagine if, unlike real cats, it was remarkably loyal and useful and attentive to its master’s needs, instead of being a cute but largely indifferent acquaintance who could take or leave their human companions. That’s a palico, they’re perfect little buddies, and they could be so much more.