Does this sound like you? If so let me put it simply- this game will welcome you with open arms. Monster Hunter: World is easily the most newbie friendly entry in the series. Are there still a lot of mechanics to learn? Yes. But the system as a whole has been redone in a way that just works. Even my husband, whom I've tried to get playing for years, has sunk his teeth into this title and is playing through the story. If you're on the fence- don't be. Plain and simple.
Now that we have that out the way let's get into what this game is even about (besides hunting monsters). For those of you who like stories don't fret! Right at the start of the game hunters can be seen boarding a ship to travel to the new world. These plans quickly go south when an elder beast, Zorah Magdaros, hits the ship during your voyage. Many cut scenes later you find yourself in Astera where a commander assigns you missions in an effort to uncover why Zorah has traveled to the new world.
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| One of the first looks you get of Astera after starting the game. |
So yes, this game does have a story. However I've never known anyone to play a Monster Hunter title for its story. The real meat of this game is in the hunting. By slaying various monsters you are able to forge different weapons and armor sets that not only make you more powerful but make you look just plain awesome as well. Myself, and many other Monster Hunter loyalist spend hours upon hours searching and slaying for materials to make these armor sets. And better yet, once the story mode is over you also get awarded more difficult quests in order to keep you playing for hours on end (and trust me I would know. I'm 80 hours in- please send help).
There are 14 different weapons in the game, all of which take a certain level of mastery to become good at. Do you like doing huge amounts of damage with swings? Try the hammer. Want to be fast and whack away a monsters health? Try dual blades. Do you prefer more of a support role? Try out the hunting horn. All weapons are very different and there is truly something for everyone.
Despite how well practiced you are with a weapon you may occasionally find yourself in a pickle fighting a certain monster. At this point you can fire an SOS flare to signal to other players that you need assistance. Players can then select your mission from a multiplayer screen and join you in your quest to kill the monster. Monsters in the game will progressively become more difficult and you will need all the help you can get (I'm looking at you elder dragons).
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| We won't talk about how many tries it took me to kill this jerk. |
The multiplayer in this game is fantastic but does still have a few hiccups. Due to cut scene limitations players aren't able to join a mission with you until after you have discovered a monster in the wild which is a huge issue for those who wish to play the entire story along with friends. Currently the best option is for friends to start the quest alone, have one person abandon their mission, and join the other friends mission. This seems like something that needs to be remedied in a future update as it is an unnecessarily long work around for a game that is heavily multiplayer based.
As you play you will most likely make in-game friends that you like to do missions with. At this point you could create a squad in order to make sure that you can always play together when online. While this has proven to be a handy feature in multiple instances it too has it's flaws. Only the squad leader has the ability to add new users. This is an issue since some squads are very large and the leader may not always be available to add users. There really needs to be functionality added in to appoint vice-leaders or something of the sort. I will say however that I have found great joy in joining my squads player hub and helping other hunters complete their missions. It is very rewarding and lets face it- I can grind for materials I need at the same time.Everything you've just read is exactly what my experience with Monster Hunter: World has been like. A never ending cycle of missions, killing monsters, upgrading gear, killing another monster, rinse and repeat. While this formula may seem like it gets boring over time I can promise you that it doesn't. At 80+ hours in I have yet to run out of things to do. There are tons of optional quests and investigations to complete in addition to forging all of the monster sets. Some of which are very difficult and will challenge even the most seasoned hunter. You'll definitely get plenty of hours out of this game.
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Despite a few flaws, Monster Hunter World is still a fantastic game. The only way this game may not be for you if you don't find grinding enjoyable. The fun of Monster Hunter is in the hunt and if you're going to want to do that once or twice and stop- then Monster Hunter just isn't for you. I haven't been able to put it down since release and if you're like me and love playing online and being strategic with other then I assure you that you won't regret it. Monster Hunter is a very social game and in my opinion is best when played with others.
Taking all matters into account, I believe a score of 9 is suitable for this title. While it is wonderful in many ways the multiplayer functionality issues keeps it from being perfect.
Oh yeah and one last thing- if you need someone to play with and help you out don't be shy to ask. Long time fans of Monster Hunter love seeing new people get involved in the series and the fanbase is very receptive to newcomers. It was thanks to a few friends I met online that I was able to fall in love with Monster Hunter and it's only natural that I return the favor. My PSN is @KilljoyAEM and I'd be happy to hop in.
Do you need a few more tips to help get your started? Check out last weeks post that contains 10 tips for players brand new to the series.
Regardless, happy hunting!
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| I'd be lying if I said I wasn't super proud to have this armor set. |
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