Despite being the fifth mainline installment in the Monster Hunter series released by Capcom in 2018, many people never heard of Monster Hunter until the release of World.
So, what is Monster Hunter: World (MHW) about? The game begins with an introduction to the player’s character and the Fifth Fleet where the player learns that they are on a journey to a “New World” in order to discover the purpose as to why dangerous monsters known as “elder dragons” were migrating there. Once the player arrives at the New World, they begin assisting the Research Commission in their studies. To do so, the player will take on quests to hunt or capture monsters from various locations and environments. Each quest provides new materials that can be used to craft better and stronger gear and weapons in order to face more dangerous monsters.
Let’s take a look at what else World has to offer.
Pros:
- Immersive gameplay
- Ecosystems have different ways of travel, exploration, and interactable objects to possibly change the outcome of a hunt; these factors vary with each locale
- Every creature and monster have their own behaviors
- Certain monsters tend to stay in the air, underground, or tend to move solely around a specific area
- Non-playable characters (NPC’s) perform their respective duties
- Many options for customization
- Make your character your own, pick a preset, or select the randomizer
- Change how your armor looks with layered armor, pendants, and pigments
- Dress your Poogie by finding costumes hidden within the Main Hubs
- Choose and switch your weapon or armor of choice whenever you want, whether you’re prepping for the hunt at the hub or when you’re out on the field
- Choose, change, and or switch your play-style
- Customize your armor and weapon buffs with boosts given by charms and jewels
- Decide or switch between the 14 available weapon choices, each with their own unique attack styles and strategies
- Create windows of opportunities with mantles that give various buffs or advantages
- Decide your Palico’s behavior during hunts through their gadgets
- Choose between gadgets that heal, trap, provide buffs, etc.
- Play with friends (human and furry ones alike)
- MHW, by default, has you create an online session in which you can either:
- Play with friends
- Play with other hunters in a public or private session
- Play alongside your Palico and Grimalkynes you may befriend during hunts
- MHW, by default, has you create an online session in which you can either:
Cons:
- Can be confusing for new players/ those unfamiliar with the Monster Hunter franchise
- Tutorials are very basic; many hidden mechanics are learned over time through hunts, experimentation or with guidance from veteran players/ the internet
- (However, they do a decent job with guiding you through tools you need to use for the first time)
- Items and interactions overload
- Can be a headache to remember different items, their uses, and which NPC’s (non-playable characters) you need to or should interact with
- Can miss out on item boosts, sales, expansion, etc.
- Can be a headache to remember different items, their uses, and which NPC’s (non-playable characters) you need to or should interact with
- Tutorials are very basic; many hidden mechanics are learned over time through hunts, experimentation or with guidance from veteran players/ the internet
- Story is not fully multiplayer: Unable to watch cutscenes with friends
- Major story quests cannot be played with friends until all participating players have reached a certain point in the quest, only able to join each other once they have completed viewing the story cutscene
- MHW does not support crossplay between consoles and/ or PC
- To play with friends, you must use the same platform whether that is only PS4/5, only Xbox One, or only PC.
Overall, Monster Hunter: World is a fun game to play whether alone or with friends like we did. As the hunters say, “may the Sapphire Star light your way.” Good hunting!
8/10
Written and Reviewed by Chris Salas
