From arid deserts and vibrant forests to fiery volcanoes and icy tundras, the *Monster Hunter* series boasts a stunning array of diverse environments, each teeming with unique ecosystems and a captivating cast of monsters. Exploring these uncharted worlds, traversing their landscapes as you hunt, is a core element of the *Monster Hunter* experience. This holds true for *Monster Hunter Wilds*, the latest installment in the franchise. Following the Windward Plains and Scarlet Forest, hunters will venture into the unforgiving Oilwell Basin, a land scarred by fire and oilsilt. Here, they'll navigate treacherous terrain, encountering viscous oil slicks and blazing magma flows. Despite its seemingly barren appearance, closer inspection reveals a surprising abundance of life—small creatures wriggling in the mire, and remnants of an ancient civilization scattered throughout.
Yuya Tokuda, director of both *Monster Hunter: World* and *Monster Hunter Wilds*, sheds light on the Oilwell Basin's design:
"During the Fallow, the Oilwell Basin is a place filled with mud and oil. When the Inclemency known as the Firespring comes, it burns away that oilsilt, and at times during the Plenty the burned-away oil and soot vanishes, revealing the minerals, microorganisms and the original color of the manmade artifacts hidden underneath," he explains.
Down in the Muck
We delve deeper into the Oilwell Basin's conceptualization with Kaname Fujioka, director of the first *Monster Hunter* game and executive director/art director for *Wilds*."We had two horizontally broad locales in the Windward Plains and Scarlet Forest, so we decided to make the Oilwell Basin a vertically connected place,” he says. “The environment there changes slightly when you travel between the top, middle and bottom strata. Sunlight reaches the top strata, where oil gathers like mud, and the lower you go, the hotter the place becomes, with lava and other substances."
Tokuda adds:
The Oilwell Basin is a striking contrast—a blazing wasteland that blossoms with vitality during the Plenty. Fujioka highlights this dynamic:"From the middle to bottom strata, you'll find creatures not unlike aquatic life that may remind you of the deep seas or underwater volcanoes. In *World*, we created the ecosystem of the Coral Highlands using the idea of what it would look like if aquatic creatures lived on the surface, and we've used the knowledge we gained in the process to create the Oilwell Basin's creatures and ecosystem.
"During the Fallow and Inclemency, smoke comes out of everywhere in the Oilwell Basin like it's some sort of volcano or hot spring,” he explains. “But during the Plenty, it takes on a clear, marine-like tone as we just mentioned. Look closely at the environmental biology and you'll find that it's even a region inhabited by the kinds of creatures you'd expect to find on the ocean bed."
The Oilwell Basin's ecosystem is meticulously crafted, setting it apart from other locales. While seemingly lifeless under its oilsilt covering, it supports a diverse range of life, from shellfish to small monsters providing raw meat. A complex food chain unfolds: large monsters prey on smaller ones, who in turn filter and consume microorganisms from the environment and oilsilt, while microorganisms thrive on geothermal energy. Unlike the sunlight-dependent ecosystems of the Windward Plains and Scarlet Forest, the Oilwell Basin is a testament to life thriving on geothermal energy.
The Oilwell Basin's unique monsters are equally fascinating. Rompopolo, a globular, noxious creature with a needle-like mouth, is a prime example. Fujioka explains its design:
"We designed it as a tricky monster that lives in swamps and creates chaos for players by using its stored up toxic gas,” he says. “The idea of a mad scientist came up often when we were trying to depict this trickiness. We were inspired by this concept when giving it a slightly chemical purple color and glowing red eyes. The equipment you can craft from it is surprisingly cute, though. So is its Palico equipment."
Tokuda describes the Rompopolo Palico equipment as "amusing," a sentiment echoed after experiencing it firsthand.
Flames of Ajarakan
Another newcomer to the Oilwell Basin is Ajarakan, a formidable, flame-wreathed behemoth reminiscent of a massive gorilla, yet with a leaner silhouette than the Scarlet Forest's Congalala.
Ajarakan's design is further elaborated upon:"Another new monster appearing in the Oilwell Basin is Ajarakan, a monster that feels like a massive gorilla enveloped in flames. That said, unlike the Scarlet Forest's Congalala, it seems to have a slimmer sort of silhouette."
While footage shows Ajarakan grappling with Rompopolo, its martial arts-inspired fighting style, utilizing powerful fists, distinguishes it from other fanged beasts. Tokuda explains the design choices:
"Normally when we design fanged beasts, their hips are low to the ground, putting their heads at about eye level with the hunter,” says Tokuda. “We thought that this can make it harder to sense the threat that the monster poses. That's why we were conscious of giving this monster a more top-heavy and towering silhouette. We then added flame elements that are at home in the Oilwell Basin, as well as grabbing attacks reminiscent of a wrestler that highlight its physical strength. It's a monster that combines strength, physical attacks and flames, like its attack where it melts something and tosses it at you."
Fujioka adds:
Ajarakan's high position in the Oilwell Basin's ecosystem is underscored by its striking appearance and fiery attacks. In contrast to Rompopolo's cunning use of poison gas and oilsilt, Ajarakan's straightforward power and flamboyant attacks firmly establish its dominance. Fujioka details the evolution of Ajarakan's design:"With one unique monster after the next making an appearance, we thought that this might be a good time to add a monster whose strengths are easy to understand. That's how we got Ajarakan. It just punches or slams its fists on the ground to make flames shoot up, making it the kind of monster that's strong by way of all its super-straightforward attacks."
"At first it was just kind of a physically powerful monster,” says Fujioka. “That's why I talked quite a bit with our artists and designers about giving it more personality in some way. It's a monster in a fiery location, so I wanted to make use of flames and heat. That said, I didn't want it to simply breathe fire or create flames. That's how we ended up with a design where the monster seems to be wearing flames on its back, similar to the Buddhist deity Acala. From there we got the idea of Ajarakan's rising internal temperature giving it enough heat and power to melt anything in front of it, which seemed to give it so much more personality. Ajarakan will grab the hunter or hug Rompopolo, and we wanted to make players think about how much they'd want to avoid getting hugged by an absurdly hot creature. We decided to make it seem scary by making it so hot that it'll melt anything and everything around."
Unlike Rompopolo's trickery, Ajarakan's design emphasizes raw power. To avoid overly simplistic movements, the team continuously refined its moveset throughout development, culminating in flashy and dynamic attacks.
"We kept adding lots of different interesting techniques, like it jumping into the air, balling itself up and falling to the ground," he says.
A Monster Generations in the Making
Reigning supreme as the Oilwell Basin's apex predator is the "Black Flame," finally revealed as Nu Udra. This monstrous cephalopod, with its slimy, flammable oil-covered body, writhes and stretches across the landscape. Similar to the Windward Plains' Rey Dau (controlling lightning) and the Scarlet Forest's Uth Duna (enveloping itself in water), Nu Udra commands the element of fire. The developers emphasize the strong connection between apex predators and their environment in Wilds.
Tokuda highlights the demonic influences in Nu Udra's battle theme:"Yes, it was octopuses,” says Fujioka. “We also wanted its silhouette to be striking when it rises up and gave it what look like demonic horns, but we also tried designing it in a way where you can't tell where its face is."
"We had the composers include phrases and musical instruments reminiscent of black magic,” he says. “I think it ended up being a unique and good piece of music."
Nu Udra's writhing movements draw inspiration from past monsters like Lagiacrus (Monster Hunter Tri). The concept of a tentacled monster has long been a goal for Tokuda and Fujioka.
Fujioka discusses the influence of past tentacled monsters like Yama Tsukami and Nakarkos on Nu Udra's design:"One of the concepts in *Tri* was underwater combat, so I did write a proposal for an octopus-shaped monster at the time, emphasizing its distinctive underwater movements,” says Tokuda. “I had fun coming up with all kinds of ideas, like 'It has lots of legs, which means lots of parts you can sever!' There were challenges keeping us from making that a reality, though, including technical ones. But even so, I've been holding onto that proposal for all this time."
"We're always interested in using monsters who move like that in moments where they'd stand out, as their silhouette and the impression they give are nothing like standard monsters with limbs and wings,” he says. “While including too many unique monsters will cause players to get tired of seeing them, dropping one in at just the right moment leaves such a strong impression. That's why we had Yama Tsukami appear in the game the way it did,” he says, referring to the scene in *Monster Hunter 2* (*Dos*) where you encounter Yama Tsukami floating over the mountains in a deep forest. “You glance up, see it flying above you, and think, 'What the heck is that?' I think there's a kind of adventurous feeling you get from seeing something a bit odd, similar to cryptids."
Tokuda adds:
"You know, I'm the one who put that (Yama Tsukami) there."
The dedication and creativity of the Monster Hunter team are evident throughout the development process. Even if technically challenging, the creators strive to bring their imaginative concepts to life. Nu Udra's realization is a testament to this commitment.
"While Yama Tsukami and Nakarkos were monsters that attacked you with their tentacles while fixed there in a stage, Nu Udra makes use of its physical traits as a cephalopod to freely move around the area. In that way, the gameplay it enables could be seen as something we're trying for the very first time here."
Fujioka continues:
Tokuda adds:"Monsters with tentacles like that pose a lot of technical challenges, like controlling it with respect to the terrain and its target. When we began development on *Wilds*, the technical department's tests went incredibly well, and so we felt like we could really make it happen this time."
"When we saw the tests, we also thought to make it the apex predator of the Oilwell Basin,” adds Tokuda. “That's just how much of an impact this monster has.”
"While there are countless proposals that I've had rejected due to technical reasons, it feels like I'm finally getting to attempt one of those this time around."
Nu Udra's animations are meticulously detailed, even in its interactions with the environment. Its ability to seamlessly navigate the terrain, including wrapping around pipes and squeezing into holes, showcases the artistry of Fujioka's team.
"We did quite a lot of work on depicting flexible bodies this time with Nu Udra,” he says. “At the start of development, we try coming up with pretty unreasonable ideas, whether or not we can actually achieve them. It's a challenge to ourselves in a way, and while it does cause a lot of challenges for our artists, the final product looks so amazing if we're able to actually make it take shape."
The team's commitment to pushing technological boundaries is evident in Nu Udra's design.
"When we first implemented the movement of it going inside a hole, an animator told me, 'When you weaken it and it starts heading back to its nest, please wait here for a moment!',” says Tokuda. “Apparently they wanted me to see it going into its little hole, and I still remember replying, 'Oh, that really is amazing!' The animator looked so satisfied as well."
Fujioka adds:
"It might not be easy to get the chance to see it, but the way it squirms around while wrapped around a pipe is so well made too,” says Fujioka. “I do hope you check it out. Only games are able to depict things like that in real-time instead of as some premade scene. I'm incredibly proud of it as a crystallization of the staff's efforts."
Nu Udra presents a formidable challenge, with its flexible body and powerful attacks. Severing its tentacles offers a strategic advantage, but its sensory organs, located at the tentacle tips, require careful observation.
Tokuda offers advice on defeating Nu Udra:"Its body itself is fairly soft, and it has lots of breakable parts,” he replies. “I think hunters should think about how to determine where to attack. Cutting off a tentacle will also shorten its area of effect attacks, making it much easier to move around. You could also call it a monster made for multiplayer, as that means its targets will be split up. You may be able to enjoy it even more by using SOS flares, Support Hunters included."
Fujioka adds:
"As we designed this monster, I thought it's one that can be tackled in a way that's very much like an action game in the sense that destroying its parts can help you get closer to defeating it. Gravios is another monster where you discover a way to defeat it as you destroy its tough armor, right? The ability to carefully watch a monster's movements and use that to make a decision fits perfectly with *Monster Hunter*'s overall approach."
A Welcome Reunion
The Oilwell Basin also marks the return of Gravios, last seen in Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate. Its rocky carapace and hot gas emissions make it a fitting inhabitant of this fiery locale.
Tokuda explains Gravios's reappearance:"When we were thinking of monsters that match the Oilwell Basin's environment, make sense in the game's overall progression and don't play too similarly to any other monsters, we thought that we could make Gravios seem like a fresh challenge and decided that it would reappear," he says.
Gravios's formidable defenses remain a key challenge, requiring hunters to utilize the wound system and part breaking mechanics to overcome its resilience.
"When bringing Gravios over to this game from previous titles, above all else, we wanted to make sure it still had its distinguishing features like its hardness,” says Tokuda. “From a game design perspective, we also wanted it to be a monster that appeared after you've progressed a good bit and had gone through everything the game's design has to offer. That's why I came up with the idea of it being a monster where it's difficult to figure out a way to defeat its hard body at first, only for hunters to find more and more clues as they make good use of the wound system and part breaking."
The absence of Basarios is noted, a decision made after careful consideration of the game's overall design. Many other monsters will also grace the Oilwell Basin.
17 Images
