Monster Hunter Wilds' ghastly spider monster is actually key to the game's more approachable design

rockpapershotgun.com:

Monster Hunter Wilds features an absolutely dreadful spider monster - a spider that, going by preview encounters and trailers, strives for the point on the Venn diagram between Malenia in Elden Ring and the demon arachnid from Hunt: Showdown. The spider monster is called the Lala Barina. If I saw "Lala Barina" out of context I would assume I was reading about a successor to Suzuki's subcompact automobile the Holden Barina, whose brave and sturdy outline once graced the roads of Oceania. I would not picture a giant, greasy rose blossom with jet-black darting mandibles. I would not picture nests of scarlet silk and status effects literally out the wazoo.

The good news is that the Lala Barina isn't just an absolute bastard spider. It's a teacher. This is the impression given by Wilds producer Ryozo Tsujimoto and director Yuya Tokuda, who have been talking to Polygon about the game's newly newcomer-friendly design. "Looking back at Monster Hunter: World and Monster Hunter Rise, we focused on where first-time players would drop out from the game," Tsujimoto told the site. "From there, we analyzed that player data and looked into how much we can address - that was our homework for Monster Hunter Wilds."

The fruits of this analysis come across throughout in the addition of handholds like the Seikret, a rideable lizard who'll guide you towards your prey. But they're especially apparent in the game's first few hours, which are sort of one big tutorial. While learning the ropes, you'll tangle with the toadlike Chatacabra, the bovine Doshaguma (alas! My beloved), the Brute Wyvern Quematrice, the Rompompolo - a T-Rex crossed with a mosquito - and our lovely friend the Lala Barina.

Should you find these creatures appalling, you may rejoice in the knowledge that they are there to subtly inculcate the basics of Monster Hunting. "At the beginning of the game, you'll first fight Chatacabra, which teaches the players how to avoid big attacks," Tokuda explained to Polygon. "For