Monster Hunter Wilds is here, and if you've been enjoying your time hanging out with your cute little Palico friends and slashing and stabbing monsters, just remember that there's a team of real, actual people behind their motion capture animations, who genuinely look like they have one of the greatest jobs ever.
PlayStation Access previously released a video giving a sneak peek at the effort that went into motion capture sessions for Capcom's latest action RPG, and it's a real sight to behold. Not only do we have motion capture for the hunters themselves – beautifully demonstrated by the guy flailing a foam sword and diving onto a mattress (not seen in the final version of the game, believe it or not) – there are also people behind the dear, sweet Palicoes.
While some developers employ actual animals for their motion capture efforts – like how Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 brought an actual horse into its mo-cap studio as a four-legged actor – it doesn't seem that Capcom turned to any actual cats to help, but rather actual humans roleplaying as the Felynes. From scratching their imaginary fluffy ears to waving their paws around, there's something very funny about grown adults in motion capture suits embodying the adorable companions.
- Monster Hunter Wilds devs know players love the beta's buggy origami monsters: "It was a nice thing to see that people were enjoying it in a way that they were having fun"
- Monster Hunter Wilds art director and 20-year series vet says the new game intentionally leans into a question fans have debated forever: "What is a hunter?"
"Your lovely Palicoes are motion-captured by these guys," one Redditor points out, bringing anyone swept away by the vision of their cute kitties being actual fluffy friends straight back to reality.
Elsewhere, someone's got to be the monsters themselves, and you can see the lion-like Doshaguma come to life, too. Again, it's amusing to watch someone charging around on all fours, roaring and swinging their arms, but you can't deny that there's a genuine skill to it – the side-by-side comparison of the actor and the game footage is incredible.
In our Monster Hunter Wilds review, we called the new action RPG the "peak of the series," and its "diverse roster of new and old monsters" is an important part of that. Imagining all the humans behind them does put them in a slightly different light though, it's got to be said.
While you're here, be sure to check out our roundup of the best Monster Hunter Wilds weapons.
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