Compared to previous Monster Hunter games, Monster Hunter Wilds feels a bit too easy for some players. The epic feeling of fighting gargantuan monsters is still there, of course, but because of all the new mechanics (like wounds), and what appears to be lower HP pools for most monsters, many have started looking for ways to make Monster Hunter Wilds more difficult.
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How Does Damage Calculation Work in Monster Hunter Wilds
In MH Wilds, the attack value in a weapon’s details screen does not translate to actual damage. The behind-the-scenes damage calculation is different.
Though there is always the option to install mods to increase Monster Hunter Wilds difficulty, there are plenty of self-imposed challenges players can take on to artificially raise the game’s challenge. Don’t take advantage of broken mechanics, limit your upgrades, and don’t rely on outside help to make Monster Hunter Wilds feel significantly harder.
Don’t Use Focus Mode To Target Wounds
Some players find that Monster Hunter Wilds‘ Wound system makes it way too easy to stun-lock Monsters, especially if you build into certain skills that enhance your ability to create wounds. When using Focused Attacks on a wound, your character locks into an animation with invincibility frames that destroys it and often sets the monster reeling.
You don’t have to Focus on a wound to destroy it, but it does make it significantly easier. To raise the challenge in Monster Hunter Wilds, avoid using Focus Mode on any weapon except ranged weapons. You’ll still be able to destroy wounds, but you won’t get the i-Frames or massive damage boost from repeatedly targeting them directly.
Never Upgrade Your Armor – Rely On Base Stats & Skills
Another way players can raise the Monster Hunter Wilds difficulty is by artificially impairing their build. To make the game harder, players should only use base armor sets without any upgrades.
All armor sets provide at least some defenses, resistances, and skills – but if you don’t use Armor Spheres to upgrade the base defensive stats, you’ll be significantly more vulnerable than players who upgrade their armor to the max.
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If Monster Hunter Wilds feels too easy, try to only use the basic versions of each armor set. Even if you allow yourself to use High Rank armor sets, the lack of upgraded stats means you will have to think of other ways to boost your defenses, like with specific consumables or combinations of armor skills.
Stay “Offline” In Online Singleplayer Mode
One of the biggest ways to make Monster Hunter Wilds easier is to engage in multiplayer. By using an S.O.S. flare, or by joining public servers, you’ll be able to connect with other MH Wilds players and team up on quests and hunts.
Though monsters do get harder with more players, having more people to distract the monster makes it significantly easier than going at fights alone. To make Monster Hunter Wilds feel more difficult, don’t join a lobby upon entering the game and take on everything solo.
If you want to play a Hardcore version of MH Wilds, abandon and re-start quests the very first time you faint and cart back to camp. This arbitrary restriction will force you to think about every aspect of your build to avoid dying and re-starting from the beginning.
No Consumables Or Food Buffs
Some of the biggest sources of power in Monster Hunter Wilds are granted by consumables like the Adamant Seed, self-buffs like those granted by the Hunting Horn, and Food Buffs gained from eating meals. These temporary buffs can significantly empower your offense and defense beyond normal levels, and eating food raises your max HP and Stamina bars.
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A major self-imposed handicap to increase Monster Hunter Wilds‘ difficulty is to avoid eating meals at all. If you never sit down to enjoy a meal, you’ll have about 25% less HP, less Stamina, and no extra skills that would normally be granted by meals, like the Defender Meal buff.
If this isn’t enough to make the game feel harder, take out all high-tier Healing Potions from your Item Pouch and only use the basic Healing Potion to heal during combat.
Avoid Using Lala Barina Paralysis Weapons
Some of the most broken weapons across the board in Monster Hunter Wilds are Lala Barina weapons. Just about every Lala Barina weapon in every weapon tree creates Paralysis buildup on hit, and Paralysis works on every single monster in the game.
High Rank versions of Lala Barina weapons can cause a monster to become Paralyzed four or five times over the course of the encounter, which trivializes just about every fight.
To make Monster Hunter Wilds feel harder, don’t use any Lala Barina weapons during the campaign or endgame. Not being able to rely on the paralysis status effect means you’ll have to consider your position and timing to connect lengthy combos and charge attacks – using a Switch Axe without the ability to cause Paralysis, for example, means you won’t have as many windows to fully charge up a Full Release Slash.
Install Mods To Raise Monster Hunter Wilds Difficulty
If setting self-imposed challenges doesn’t make Monster Hunter Wilds feel harder, try installing MH Wilds mods instead. There are a handful of mods that promise to raise the MH Wilds difficulty.
Though one should always install mods at their own risk, as long as you play in Online Single Player mode and don’t play with others, you should be fine. Capcom has not historically banned MH Wilds players who use mods, but don’t host quests or interfere with other players just to be safe.
There are two major mods you can get to increase MH Wilds difficulty: Harder Difficulty Presets, and Hard(er) Mode.
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Harder Difficulty Presets
- Created By: Steel
- Adds four difficulty presets (Moderate, Hard, Very Hard, Nightmare) which grant significantly increased HP and Damage to monsters. Also boosts Hunter Rank rewards from surveys and investigations.
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Hard(er) Mode – Increased Difficulty
- Created By: Furiante
- Boosts monster HP and Damage by a flat amount to increase overall challenge. Contains an assortment of different files that can be activated to provide various scaling difficulty levels.
- Released
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February 28, 2025
- Engine
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RE Engine
- ESRB
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T For Teen // Violence, Blood, Crude Humor