Monster Hunter Wilds has an arachnophobia mode as part of its accessibility offering that turns spider-like creatures into amusing blobs.
The forthcoming game in the series has an open beta coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam, with PS Plus subscribers getting early access that’s now available.
Right at the start, players can tweak the settings and turn on Arachnophobia Assistance, which “adjusts the appearance of some small monsters and endemic life to accommodate players with arachnophobia”.
The result is creatures becoming golden globules that wobble around environments. As an arachnophobe myself, it certainly put a smile on my face.
Note, however, this only applies to small monsters rather than the main monsters you’ll be tasked with properly hunting.
That’s fine for the menagerie of dragon, lizard, bear, and toad-like monsters, but the spider-esque Lala Barina seemingly won’t be affected. Still, it does have four legs rather than eight – and the legs are the worst.
The beta also provides a look at other accessibility options, with three presets for visual, auditory, and motion sickness options. These can also be toggled individually in the options menu.
The arachnophobia mode is fast becoming standard in games – World of Warcraft finally received one earlier this year after 20 years. Call of Duty Black Ops 6 turns spiders into something even worse. But Dragon Age: The Veilguard doesn’t bother, because thankfully there aren’t any spiders to begin with.
Elsewhere the beta (from the start at least) is the same demo I was able to play at Gamescom this year. It begins with a chase across sand dunes, before hunting a monster with an exceptionally large tongue.
I came away impressed with that demo, calling it the most approachable Monster Hunter in the series yet. And while that’s a descriptor often used for each new game, it’s a welcome evolution that streamlines the experience with tidier menus and NPC teammates.
The Monster Hunter Wilds beta launches across all platforms on 31st October and lasts until 4th November. We’ve got all the beta times in our guide.
The full game will be released in February next year.
Will you be checking out the beta this week?
