My LEAST favorite weapon in Monster Hunter finally sees a massive rework in the latest game
Capcom highlights some rather drastic changes for the classic Bow weapon type.
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What you need to know
It’s nearly been two weeks since Capcom began releasing weapon overview trailers every day forMonster Hunter Wilds, the next big installment of the popularMonster Hunterfranchise. However, we are now reaching the end of this series as there are only three out of fourteen weapon types left to cover, and the gameplay changes thisupcoming Xbox title/upcoming PC titlewill bring to them.
So let’s begin the last stretch of this journey with the twelfth weapon overview trailer for Monster Hunter Wilds, which gives players a demonstration of the franchise’s most iconic ranged weapon type - the Bow.
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The Bow is a ranged weapon that allows the player to fire a volley of arrows at monsters. You can rapid-fire arrows to dish a never-ending wave of damage or charge up single shots to deal large amounts of burst damage. The most powerful attack in the Bow’s move-set is the Dragon Piercer, which has you attach a rocket to an arrow, then let it fly to inflict a ton of damage as it pierces through the monster’s entire body.
The Bow also includes a special resource mechanic called Coatings, which you obtain by crafting them or buying them at shops. Coatings will allow the player to augment the Bow’s arrows with all kinds of passive effects, including dealing more damage or inflicting status ailments on enemies.
On top of all that, the Bow offers a great degree of mobility for the user. It has one of the fastest walking speeds out of all the fourteen weapon types, and it has special dodge moves that allow you to evade incoming attacks quickly and then immediately shoot back at the monster you’re hunting.
However, the major drawback of the Bow is that its attacks and evasive maneuvers require the most stamina out of any weapon type. So, you will need to pay extra attention to the Stamina bar while firing and dodging to ensure you don’t run out of stamina during a fight. If the stamina gauge runs out, your character will become exhausted and be left vulnerable to being picked off by an enemy monster.
In Monster Hunter Wilds, the Bow will receive some massive gameplay changes that will not only add more variety to its move-set but also improve some techniques that were underutilized in previous games. These changes include but are not limited to:
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Monster Hunter Wilds has done the impossible and has convinced me to give the Bow another shot
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I have a controversial confession to make: out of all the weapon types I have ever used in all my years playing Monster Hunter, Bow is probably the weapon type I used the least in any of the games.
My reasons for not liking the Bow in past games are plentiful. For one, I never really liked the Bow’s core move-set as I felt it was too simplistic. While I admit the Bow’s core move-set dealt consistently high DPS (damage-per-second), I was somewhat bored by it because it ultimately boiled down to spamming the same one or two attacks over and over again for the entire hunt.
Not to mention, the cool new moves they introduced for the Bow in Monster Hunter World, like the Dragon Piercer and Thousand Dragons, felt so underpowered compared to the Bow’s regular move-set because they required too much set-up for little reward.
On top of that, I much preferred the explosive spectacle of the Bow’s gunpowder-based counterparts, theLight BowgunandHeavy Bowgun.
With this in mind, I didn’t have much expectations for Bow and what gameplay changes it will get in Monster Hunter Wilds. So I watched the weapon overview trailer for the Bow, my jaw hit the floor with how impressed I was.
Not only has Capcom significantly improved the Dragon Piercer, Arc Shot, and Thousand Dragons techniques so that they’re viable to use, but they also incorporated a ton of new moves that have a high chance of completely changing how the Bow is played.
The new Tracer technique (which looks like it was inspired by the Bow mechanics from the Monster Hunter-likeWild Hearts) is such a cool idea that will help players aim their shots and reward aggressive play. And the new Focus attack (which looks like a move ripped from the Magick ArcherVocationin Capcom’sDragon Dogma 2) looks so cool when you pull it off after inflicting enough wounds on a monster, and you get to fire a quicken Dragon Piercer immediately afterward.
The new additions and gameplay changes Monster Hunter Wilds has shown so far for the Bow have now made it one of my most anticipated weapon types to try out alongside the revampedGunlanceandHunting Horn. If these drastic and exciting reworks are what I can expect for the rest ofMonster Hunter Wilds' weapon types, then I have a strong feeling that this game is going to be one of the best entries in the entire Monster Hunter franchise.
Monster Hunter Wilds, the next-gen successor to one of Capcom’sbest Xbox gamesandbest PC games, Monster Hunter World, is scheduled to launch on February 28, 2025 forXbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.
Monster Hunter Wilds
Explore the uncharted Forbidden Lands to discover long-lost secrets and hunt monsters to protect the balance of nature in Monster Hunter Wilds. Hunt the vicious beasts of the Forbidden Lands alone or with your friends in 4-player online co-op.
Pre-order at:Amazon|Best Buy|GreenManGaming (Steam)
Alexander Cope is a gaming veteran of 30-plus years, primarily covering PC and Xbox games here on Windows Central. Gaming since the 8-bit era, Alexander’s expertise revolves around gaming guides and news, with a particular focus on Japanese titles from the likes of Elden Ring to Final Fantasy. Alexander is always on deck to help our readers conquer the industry’s most difficult games — when he can pry himself away from Monster Hunter that is!
