Monster Hunter Wilds Focus Mode is a crucial mechanic to understand as it lets you direct your attacks and use Focus Strikes to tear up monsters. However, while it can be toggled on with a single button on PC and consoles, it's not very intuitive to use overall. That's par for the course for Monster Hunter Wilds but it doesn't make it any less important to wrap your head around. Here's everything you need to know about Focus Mode in Monster Hunter Wilds and how to use it on mouse and keyboard and controller.
Monster Hunter Wilds Focus Mode explained
Using Focus Mode in Monster Hunter Wilds is essential as it helps with aiming your attacks and lets you perform savage Focus Strikes to severely injure monsters. To activate Focus Mode, you need to press L2/LT if you're using a controller or ALT on a keyboard while your melee weapon is drawn.
Using either of these methods toggles Focus Mode on or off, but you can change it to only activate when the button is held:
- Controller: Open start menu > System tab > Options menu > Controls tab > Aim/Focus Mode Controls on page 2/3 > set to L2/LT to Activate Mode.
- Mouse and keyboard: The hold to activate button is automatically bound to one of the mouse side buttons, though you might not have these on your mouse and so will need to rebind under the Keyboard Configuration menu on the System tab.
Activating Focus Mode places a central aiming crosshair on your screen which your Hunter always looks at. This causes your Hunter to strafe and direct all attacks with their Monster Hunter Wilds weapons at the crosshair, so you need to point the crosshair at the monster you're battling using the right stick or mouse whenever you're performing a melee combo. Note that this is not the same as locking onto a monster, which is done by pressing in the right stick on controller.
Focus Mode also allows you to perform Focus Strikes by pressing R1/RB or Shift while in Focus Mode. Performing a Focus Strike and hitting a monster's wound (the glowing red bits) launches you into a brutal attack that destroys that wound, and potentially others depending on the weapon used, dealing a lot of damage to the target monster and leaving it reeling. Additionally, you can counter certain monster attacks that are very briefly telegraphed with a red glow. If you get the timing right, this similarly deals massive damage and cancels the monster's attack, saving you from potentially massive damage too!
Focus Mode is generally for melee weapons as pressing L2/LT or ALT while using a ranged weapon toggles precise aiming instead. Furthermore, if your weapon is stowed, or you're riding your Seikret, pressing these buttons causes you to aim with your Slinger which you can use to help apply status effects.
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