Monster Hunter Wilds Explains Cooking System

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 menu, including a secret, extravagant meat dish, maximizing culinary enjoyment.

Monster Hunter Wilds aims to redefine appetizing in-game food, according to key developers Kaname Fujioka and Yuya Tokuda. The game features a wide array of meat, fish, and vegetable dishes, meticulously crafted for maximum visual appeal, exceeding even realistic standards.

Cooking has been a staple of the Monster Hunter franchise since 2004, initially featuring simple monster meat. This mechanic evolved, gaining importance and expanding its recipes and ingredients. Monster Hunter World (2018) significantly enhanced the food presentation, striving for realistic dining experiences.

Monster Hunter Wilds, launching February 28, 2025, pushes this further. Fujioka and Tokuda highlight the scarcity of visually appealing food in games. Fujioka emphasizes that realism alone isn't sufficient; "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 exaggerated food models.

Monster Hunter Wilds Devs Employ Exaggerated Realism in Cooking Scenes

Unlike previous entries, Monster Hunter Wilds allows players to dine anywhere, creating a campfire cooking atmosphere instead of a restaurant setting. A December preview showcased an enticing cheese pull, hinting at the game's culinary focus. Even simple dishes like roasted cabbage, a challenge for Fujioka, are enhanced with realistic details, such as puffing up when uncovered, adorned with a roasted egg.

Tokuda, a self-proclaimed meat enthusiast, teases a secret "extravagant" meat dish, though details remain undisclosed. The game features a diverse menu and expressive characters enjoying meals around a campfire, amplifying the sense of culinary bliss in its cooking scenes.