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, designed to heighten the enjoyment of food-related scenes.

Monster Hunter Wilds is raising the bar for delicious-looking in-game food, according to key developers Kaname Fujioka and Yuya Tokuda. The game features a wide array of meticulously crafted meat, fish, and vegetable dishes, exceeding realistic visuals to maximize their appetizing appeal.

Food has been a staple of the Monster Hunter franchise since 2004, evolving from simple monster meat to increasingly complex and important meal options. While Monster Hunter World (2018) emphasized realistic dining, Monster Hunter Wilds pushes this further. Executive Director/Art Director Fujioka explains in a recent 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 Enhance Cooking Scenes with Exaggerated Realism

Unlike previous entries, Monster Hunter Wilds allows players to dine anywhere, creating a casual campfire cooking atmosphere. A December preview showcased an impressive cheese pull, hinting at the game's culinary focus. Even simpler dishes, like roasted cabbage (a significant challenge for Fujioka), are enhanced with realistic details, such as the cabbage puffing up as the lid is removed, topped with a roasted egg.

Director Tokuda, a self-proclaimed meat enthusiast, teases a secret "extravagant" meat dish, adding to the game's diverse culinary offerings. The game aims to capture the joy of communal dining, incorporating expressive character animations to amplify the sense of deliciousness in its cooking sequences.