On April 23rd, something big is coming to Europe. Exclusive to Wii, Monster Hunter Tri will roar into life on these shores after having already left a sizeable footprint on the Japanese entertainment landscape. With more than one million copies shifted to date in the country of its origin, the game is part of a cultural phenomenon that has grown to monstrous proportions since first rearing its head half a decade ago.

Dedicated Monster Hunter training camps, festivals and a raft of licensed merchandise tell the story of a series that has captured public imagination and inspired unbending devotion from scores of Japanese gamers. But, as Monster Hunter Tri producer Ryozo Tsujimoto of Capcom explained when we tracked him down, such success is not instantaneous:

“Since previous games in the Monster Hunter series have sold millions of copies in Japan, many journalists in the west think the series was an overnight success and ask me why the games haven’t made the same impact elsewhere. In Japan, however, it took a long time to reach the point we’re at. Word of mouth, our support for the Monster Hunter community and the release of new games gradually led to that level of success. There was a sort of saturation point we had to reach and after that we were able to tip the scales. So, in Japan, it’s now at the level where there’s a kind of peer pressure – if you’re not playing Monster Hunter you might feel a bit embarrassed about it! In order to reach that point it was hard work for us. It takes time. In the west, we feel we’ve laid the foundations now and Monster Hunter Tri is the next step.”

Spreading the word: Ryozo Tsujimoto outlines Monster Hunter Tri to an expectant audience

As with all the best ideas, the premise at the centre of Monster Hunter Tri is simple. You assume the role of a fledgling hunter out to become as successful and powerful as possible by accepting and completing all manner of challenging Quests. Unsurprisingly, these Quests revolve around the act of overcoming scores of deadly monsters that exist in the wilds beyond your village base.

From humble beginnings you’ll have to learn how to wield a variety of weapons, collect and combine items to use in defeating your enemies and acquire knowledge about the particular threat posed by each monster. The possibilities for how you play are nearly infinite as you set out to explore an expansive, varied and visually stunning world. For Tsujimoto-san though, there is one particular aspect of Monster Hunter Tri that he believes has most captivated gamers in Japan. With an online multiplayer mode that invites hunters everywhere to share the game experience together, Monster Hunter Tri offers an exciting alternative to going it alone.

“This is an action game but, on top of that, everyone can play together. Both skilled players and novice players can play alongside each other, and everyone can be rewarded equally when they complete a Quest. There is an element of luck involved, so while there is depth for the skilled players, novice players – even if they haven’t got much skill – can equally enjoy the Quests with the help of more skilled players.”

Not only will Tsujimoto-san be hoping the game’s online features prove to have a universal appeal when Monster Hunter Tri arrives in Europe, he says he is also interested to see the overall response to what he believes is the most accessible game in the series so far.

“I think bringing Monster Hunter Tri to Wii will be especially interesting in relation to the western market, because we would like to appeal to people who never played a Monster Hunter game before. Remembering all the buttons and how things work in games can be quite intimidating, but Wii has been successful in drawing a wider audience, so we want to introduce the world of Monster Hunter to that audience as well. The Wii Remote makes things easier as it’s so intuitive to use and means you don’t need to remember as many button controls, so we just thought that we had an opportunity to expand the world of Monster Hunter for everyone with Monster Hunter Tri.”

Before long, this more accessible Monster Hunter world will throw its doors wide to European players who may be preparing for their first tentative steps into the wild. And while the knowledge that land, sea and sky are populated by unfamiliar predators may leave some shaking with trepidation, those who dare to enter will soon discover that the rewarding, skill-based gameplay that lies at the core of this Japanese juggernaut translates perfectly for adventure seekers everywhere.

To see more of Monster Hunter Tri in action and learn what awaits in the wild, click here and visit the official website for the game.

Monster Hunter Tri will be in shops 23 April, only for Wii.