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Slay creatures at high resolutions when ‘Monster Hunter World’ hits PC in August

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Monster Hunter: World - PC Trailer

Monster Hunter World is already the best-selling Capcom game in history, with more than 8 million copies sold, and it was only released for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in January. Up to this point, PC players have been left out of the action, but they’ll be able to hunt down and mercilessly slaughter monsters like the rest of us when it comes to the platform this August.

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Monster Hunter World will release for PC on Steam, and those who pre-order the game will get access to the Origin armor set and Fair Wind Charm. These are the same pre-order bonus items that were available for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions earlier this year.

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Capcom also released the system specifications needed to run the game on PC, and they’re surprisingly modest. It’s recommended that you have an Intel Core i3 8350 CPU at 4GHz and a GTX 1060 GPU, along with 8 GB of RAM, and the game will only take up 20GB of storage space. If you want to run the game at minimum settings, you’ll even be able to get away with a GTX 760 GPU, a card that came out more than five years ago.

Customization options appear to be extensive, with the ability to change water reflection, foliage sway, subsurface scattering, ambient occlusion, dynamic range, and several other elements. One other feature will be included that players aren’t likely to appreciate — Denuvo DRM. The software is intended to stop players from tampering with the game, but it has been known to cause performance issues in other titles and can typically be “cracked” in a matter of days or weeks.

Monster Hunter World comes to PC on August 9, and Capcom plans to support the game with free content updates similar to those for console versions.

The game isn’t available on Nintendo Switch and it seems unlikely the system will be capable of running it, but you can buy Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate for Switch on August 28. An updated version of the 3DS game Monster Hunter Generations, the Switch version supports four-player cooperative play either locally or online, and it should give you your Monster Hunter fix while you’re on the go.

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Gabe Gurwin
Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
Where to find iron in Monster Hunter Wilds
Gemma working the forge in Monster HUnter WIlds.

Ask any Monster Hunter Wilds player and they will tell you that the most important tip and trick to know is how vital it is to always upgrade your gear. There are no levels like a normal RPG, so the only way to get stronger is to forge better weapons and armor at the blacksmith. Like almost every game, you can't just make better gear for free. It costs you money and the raw materials to make it. One of the early materials you will need to get is iron. Unlike monster parts, you need to go out of your way to find deposits of iron to mine to get your hands on it. If you're at a loss for where to track down this ore, here's where you can find iron in Monster Hunter Wilds.
Where to find iron

Iron is a very common resource in the starting area of Monster Hunter Wilds, Windward Plains, but it also shows up in Scarlet Forest. You can see it as a big blue geode on the ground and a blue icon on your map. The easiest way to locate them on your map is to open your map and open the Filter Icons menu. Turn everything off except for the Mining Outcrop icons. Then, all you need to do is find an iron one on your map, set a waypoint, and have your Seikret take you there.

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A hunter leaps at a Monster in Monster Hunter Wilds.

There are dozens of important tips and tricks you need to master in Monster Hunter Wilds, but they all pale in comparison to learning how to use your weapon effectively. All 14 are available right from the start and each one completely changes the flow of a hunt. Experienced hunters will be familiar with most of them, but there are some new aspects to take into account this time around. If you plan on playing with friends especially then you will want to make sure you're not holding the team back by just spamming attack. Before you put a new weapon on your wishlist, check out this quick weapons guide for Monster Hunter Wilds.
Weapons guide

As mentioned, there are 14 weapons in Monster Hunter Wilds. We will give you a basic idea of each one's strengths, weaknesses, and playstyle but the best thing you can do to decide is take on into the training area and try it out.
Great Sword
If you like a slow weapon that packs a massive punch, the Great Sword is still the king. This is the iconic weapon of the franchise capable of high-damage charge attacks and a block. You need to be brave and account for your slow swing speeds to land a hit, but once you do, it will count.
Long Sword
A sword so long even Sephiroth would be jealous. This weapon allows you to perform perfect dodges and counterattacks more like an action game. It also has nice wide, sweeping attacks for smaller mobs and hitting multiple parts of a monster at once. Landing hits builds a spirit gauge you can spend on a special combo that buffs your attack.
Sword and Shield
If you're new to the series, this is a great weapon to start with. It has fast attacks with the sword and shield, a decent block, dodge, and is the only weapon that lets you use items without having to put your weapon away first.
Dual Blades
For something a bit more fancy, the Dual Blades are just as fast but have more layers to consider. They give you a Demon and Archdemon gauge that buffs your attack power and speed as you build each one up. If you want to be fast and aggressive, give these a whirl.
Hammer
The Hammer is a lot like the Great Sword, only dealing blunt damage that can quickly tire a monster out or stun it if you target the right body parts. You're not as slow with this weapon and have a dodge, but no guard.
Hunting Horn
This weapon is one best saved for veterans or players who are part of a dedicated squad. The horn plays different tunes that buff yourself and other hunters in addition to attacks, meaning you need to pay attention to the entire battlefield and know which buffs to trigger when.
Lance
If you fancy yourself a tank, pick up the Lance. This weapon lets you attack from relative safety behind your big shield at the expense of speed and damage. What it lacks in damage, however, it makes up for in targeted damage. You can easily wound and exploit a monster's limbs with precise thrusts.
Gunlance
The Gunlance is basically what it says on the tin. You still have the heavy shield, but now focus on shooting explosive shells. It gives you a lot more range to work with and has a dodge.
Switch Axe
This weapon feels ripped right out of Bloodborne. You can use it as a heavy axe or transform it into a more nimble sword. Each one has their strengths, such as being able to cause explosions, but neither are the best in their class. If you want to be as versatile as possible, go with this.
Charge Blade
Another transforming weapon, the Charge Blade also has an axe mode as well as a sword and shield. Most consider this the most difficult weapon to master in the series since using one mode powers up the second and each has their own complete combo list to internalize.
Insect Glaive
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Light Bowgun
The first pure ranged weapon, this bowgun keeps you light on your feet and has a fast rate of fire for great DPS if you can keep the monster in your sights. Landing hits build up a gauge you can spend on a Rapid Fire ability to unload all at once. Just make sure you come stocked with ammo.
Heavy Bowgun
We suggest saving the Heavy Bowgun for party hunts since it is most effective from long-range while others draw aggro. You do have an auto-guard just in case, but an ideal run with this weapon will have you sniping from a distance with the correct ammo type to bring down your target.
Bow
The Bow is unique compared to the other two ranged weapons. It uses your stamina to draw and fire but encourages you to stay somewhat close since a perfect dodge will completely refill your stamina. The coolest feature, though, is the tracer shot. Once you land this, all the arrows you shoot after will home in on that spot. Eventually, the tracer explodes for even more damage.

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Gemma working the forge in Monster HUnter WIlds.

Monster Hunter Wilds is finally here and it's already making a huge impact on Steam. If you're one of the millions of players jumping in this weekend, we've got a lot of guides to get you started, including some basic tips and tricks. But there's one significant choice that you'll need to make on your own.

You see, the long-running series has a fantastic armory totaling 14 unique kinds of weapons. There are multiple kinds of blades, blunt instruments, and even guns to pick from, and I firmly believe that your signature weapon says a lot about you as a player and as a person. It's sort of like a horoscope. What does your Monster Hunter Wilds weapon choice say about you? I'm here to help.
Great Sword

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