The Monster Hunter series is a huge and successful IP from Capcom that is extremely popular in Japan. The series is slowly gaining more and more fans in the west with each new game released. Unlike other franchises under Capcom’s belt, Monster Hunter is one of the few that consistently sells well. It is gaining more traction in other parts of the world. We’re talking about a series of games that have sold consistently well and made platforms like the PSP and 3DS more prolific with a great multiplayer community. The last two entries sold over 7 million copies combined! With each iteration being remarkably better than the last while also streamlining a few game mechanics to entice new players but still provides a challenging endgame for vets.
Monster Hunter has remained stranded on handheld systems since 2005. This isn’t because the game is bad in any regard, no, its because this series is known for its community meet ups and gathering friends to play together. In many ways, its similar to Pokemon. GameFreak had always remained adamant of keeping mainline Pokemon games on handheld devices because it helps promote players to gather and make new friends. Monster Hunter also believes in this design decision which does promote fans of the series to introduce these games to new players. I’ll tell my story and experience with Monster Hunter and how I think now is the most perfect time to give it a try.
Monster Hunter *SNORE*
I, like many players, have always heard of Monster Hunter as a game series that was popular on the PSP. Friends and other acquaintances would play the game together and go on several hunts to find rare materials for crafting. I decided to get the game on my own and give it a try to see what the excitement was about. That was my first mistake. Older Monster Hunter games were packed with several items and mechanics that a new player could be easily put off by. Which is exactly what happened to me. There were many things that the game didn’t explain that it left me irritated and confused. Thus dropping off before the game ever got good. Monster Hunter during that time was a huge social phenomenon and playing with friends was key.
Playing the game solo wasn’t the best idea and the game wasn’t built to support newcomers without help from others. Monster Hunter Freedom came out in 2005, so let’s jump to 2014 when Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is released. During this time, gaming outlets and word of mouth were raving about the changes and the approach-ability of MH4U.
Being the avid gamer that I am, I decided to give Monster Hunter one more shot on the 3DS.
The game impressed me with how quickly it got me into the action without the use of dry tutorials. I knew I was hooked after I defeated my first Great Jaggi and crafted a nifty purple armor set. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate stream lined the process of getting new players up to speed on how to play the game. Then you start to learn the gameplay loop that fans of the series love: hunt a monster, carve the monster up, make better stuff to hunt bigger monsters and repeat. This is the same addictive gameplay loop that many loot-based games like Borderlands, Diablo 3, and Destiny use. The Monster Hunter series is a loot based RPG that requires skill and offers a huge variety of unique and challenging monsters.
How Monster Hunter Will Make You a Better Player
In this post-loot box world people are always seeking to buy their way into gear upgrades, weapons, competitive edges, etc. The producer of Monster Hunter, Ryozo Tsujimoto, is a firm believer that this franchise wouldn’t be able to support a system like that. He has stated that their focus is on “wanting to get people to play [Monster Hunter] and feel the kind of satisfaction that comes with the achievement you get with completing a hunt and getting rewards. [He] want[s] people to have the experience that [they’ve] made for [players] rather than the option to skip the experience.”
What Monster Hunter: World can offer to new players is getting better at skill based games. The game will guide players at a good pace and offer plenty of options to get together with other hunters to develop a helpful community. After I seriously invested a ton of time in previous monster hunter games. Monster Hunter helps players develop skills such as timing, frames, and on the fly strategy. It is a deliberate game of both cat and mouse when hunting a monster but you also learn how to dance. In a similar way to fighting games, there is a rhythm when it comes to learning about hunting a new monster that is different than generic boss battles. I personally noticed that Monster Hunter helped me become a better player at tougher games like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Nioh.
Mr. Tsujimoto is right!
There is a sense of great accomplishment knowing your able to overcome difficult battles and your rewarded with great gear. Sometimes games are just a past time that are meant to entertain and relax. I can understand if your hesitant on tackling challenging games like Dark Souls but Monster Hunter is different. Monster Hunter: World is a culmination of game mechanics that have been streamlined to appeal to a bigger audience but without losing its depth.
What Monster Hunter: World Offers to New Players
Here is a small list of some of the new changes that will help new players in Monster Hunter: World.
- A Testing Area: The game will now provide players with a testing area to try out their different weapons. This is a great idea and it allows new players to quickly switch between weapon types. What older games would do is set up a row of quests for each weapon. That system is slow and cumbersome when compared to this new training area.
- The Open World: New players will be floored when they see how lush and vibrant each area is in Monster Hunter: World. Having it open world allows players more freedom of movement.
- Video Tutorials: This is a trend that I’m happy to start seeing more often in games. Monster Hunter: World will have small videos that show new players different techniques or using certain items. Games like Nioh also employ video’s in their tutorials that show the player how it looks like in practice.
- Mounting Monsters is Easier: You know what’s better than hitting a monster in the face with a massive weapon? Riding them while you hit them in the face. This latest entry makes the mounting mechanics player friendly with the option to ride the monster’s head, back, or tail. This makes obtaining certain monster materials easier like cutting off the tail.
- Tracking: Monster Hunter: World introduces a tracking mini-game of sorts before you discover a monster whereabouts. Slowly filling your tracking meter will reveal the monster position and release “scout flies” that guide you to it’s location. Before, you would have to travel between different sections of the map, which was tedious.
- The SOS Flare: If a hunt is too difficult, players can equip an SOS flare which will summon random players to help your hunt! The Monster Hunting community is helpful and I know I’ll be doing my share when helping newbies out!
There you have it folks. Please give Monster Hunter: World a try as this is the best entry point in the series to date. This is a great series with plenty of single player and multiplayer offerings. Capcom mentions that post-game DLC monsters will be free with additional quests. Monster Hunter: World comes out on Jan. 26, 2018!
CultureOfGaming.com is your source for great reviews, news, and editorials!
Seeking to get into Monster Hunter? Pre-order MH: World here!
