Ajarakan in the Burning Land: The Elemental Beauty of Monster Hunter Wilds

Sparks drift by with the serenity of fireflies. The land itself is a twisted crag, stuck somewhere between volcanic rock and industrial steam nightmare. The burning arena in which you confront Ajarakan in Monster Hunter Wilds is as beautiful and intimidating as the beast itself. How difficult the actual fight is varies a lot. Your reach, speed, element, crit chances, and combo potential all play a role in your survival. As fun as it can be to theorycraft the most efficient way to slay the beast, that’s not the bit that captivates me. What keeps bringing me back to the Ajarakan fight is how well it blends everything that gives Monster Hunter its iconic feel. There’s just no molten monster like it.

Molten Miracles

While my heart (and Great Sword) may belong to Lala Barina, Ajarakan is one of my favorite hunts in Monster Hunter Wilds. Check out the design of the creature itself. Is it a a magma-infused boar? Some kind of bear-lizard-ape thing? I’m sure, like every other beastie in Wilds, Ajarakan has a lovingly-detailed bestiary entry that could answer all my questions, lore and otherwise. All I know is it’s my favorite of the fire baddies, and there are several excellent ones to choose from here. The Black Flame’s octopoid flailing? Not bad. Zoh Shia? Stunning. Ajarakan, though? It has this Doomsday quality to its design, and if it took a break from fighting me to go punch Superman through the Daily Planet, I’d understand.

There are a millon ways to do the whole fire elemental thing, but Capcom took the perfect approach to Ajarakan. It’s the scales. It’s easy for that “coal plucked from the forge” glow to come off as cheap and plastic, but here it doesn’t. When I’m not worried about my hunter getting torn, tossed, battered, burnt, and otherwise offed by the blazing beast, I’m staring at its scales. They’re a perfect reflection of the monster’s evolving upset as the fight devolves, hurt and panic overtaking its early defiance and rage. Wilds does an excellent job of making me empathize with the beasts I’m hunting. Its something the series has always excelled at, and Wilds is arguably Capcom’s peak in this area.

Monster Hunter Wilds Loves Ajarakan & So Do I

It takes a special arena to complement a monster like Ajarakan, and Oilwell Basin is just that. Mountainous volcano textures and a corroded industrial vibe create the fantasy equivalent of There Will Be Blood. I keep expecting Daniel Day-Lewis with a bowling pin, but the region’s ferocious monsters aren’t much kinder. Ajarakan’s iconic arena sets this hunt apart in Monster Hunter Wilds. That’s true even though it’s far from the game’s toughest fight. I love that Capcom gave the same love and attention to mid-tier monsters that it did to the franchise flagship. Between the craggy confines and cranky critter, there’s someting weirdly cozy about the Ajarakan hunt too.

Wilds takes pains to establish a consistent ecology, and it does wonders for immersion. Setting aside the obvious supernatural schenanigans, monsters behave like the animals they are. Ajarakan and Oilwell Basin are two strong examples. The consistent visual design make the encounter feel natural and engaging even when it’s your 10th hunt on the grind for crafting materials. Ajarakan is Owlbear meets Human Torch, and that’s a wavelength I’m happy to be on while I brush up on my Great Sword combos. Thanks, lava buddy.