Monster Hunter Wilds: A Feast for the Eyes and Taste Buds
Monster Hunter Wilds is set to redefine the culinary experience in gaming, with a focus on making in-game food look irresistibly delicious. The game's development team, led by executive director/art director Kaname Fujioka and director Yuya Tokuda, is putting a significant effort into enhancing the visual appeal of the dishes players can enjoy. This approach goes beyond mere realism, incorporating exaggerated elements inspired by anime and commercials to create mouth-watering visuals.
Since the inception of the Monster Hunter series in 2004, cooking has been a staple feature, allowing players to consume meals crafted from the monsters they've defeated. Over the years, the importance of these meals and the variety of ingredients have grown. However, it was with Monster Hunter World in 2018 that the series began to emphasize the aesthetic appeal of its food, striving to create meals that players would genuinely crave.
Scheduled for release on February 28, 2025, Monster Hunter Wilds promises to take this focus to new heights. Fujioka emphasized in a recent IGN interview that simply achieving realism isn't sufficient to make food look appetizing. Instead, the team is blending realism with exaggeration, using special lighting effects and enhanced food models to achieve a tantalizing effect.
Exaggerated Realism in Cooking Scenes
In Monster Hunter Wilds, players will have the freedom to dine anywhere, embracing a camping grill ambiance rather than a traditional restaurant setting. A highlight from a December preview was the visually stunning cheese pull, which has already sparked excitement among fans. Fujioka also discussed the challenge of making even simple dishes like roasted cabbage appealing. A video demonstration showed the cabbage puffing up realistically as the lid was lifted, topped with a beautifully roasted egg.
On the meatier side of the menu, Tokuda, known for his love of meat both in-game and in real life, hinted at a new "extravagant" meat dish. While keeping the details under wraps, he teased that it would add to the game's diverse culinary offerings. The game aims to capture the joy of dining around a campfire, with close attention to the expressions of characters as they enjoy their meals, enhancing the overall sense of food-related bliss.
Monster Hunter Wilds is poised to offer a wide variety of dishes, from meat and fish to vegetables, all designed to provide players with a visually and emotionally satisfying dining experience. The combination of exaggerated realism and a camping atmosphere promises to make every meal in the game a memorable event.
