Monster Hunter World

[Danimal]

Any one purchase this game and if so for which system?

I'm thinking of getting it but would want to coop so I'm curious if anyone got it.

[AcemanPR]

I picked it up over the weekend, have about 3 hours into it. Initial impressions are that this is one deep and in-depth game! Definitely has that JRPG vibe to it, but the controls, combat, graphics are all pretty top notch. Plus your cat sidekick is a lot of fun to play with. I think I am mostly done with all the "tutorials", so now I can start figuring out how all this works together.

I've heard this game gets pretty hard once you get to the fights a little deeper in the game, so co-op will be a must. If you end up picking this up, let me know and we can definitely hook up for some online co-op play.

[TCrouch]

I picked it up on the XBox One X. They at least have resolution, framerate, or "graphics" options (the first two are pretty self explanatory, while the last seems to add more shadows and whatnot to the presentation while still being 1080p and 30fps).

The problem is I'm playing it DIRECTLY after playing more Witcher 3 (which was, in turn, after ACO). I never finished TW3, but I finally did on this run through, even if it took weeks at 30 to 60 minute increments. After playing TW3, the controls are clunky AF, but I expected that going in. The animations and combat are decidedly "Japanese game-y", if that makes sense. It definitely has its own style, and I could see getting into it, but I honestly couldn't find a weapon and combat style that I liked, but again...gone are the days where I can sink hours into a game and then come up for air the next day, so I have very limited time with it. I knew going in that combat was a "slower" pace, not like TW3, and that it required a lot of planning and controlling pace to enjoy, so that's not the issue for me, personally.

But the tough part for me is the total inability to remap controls. Attacks are Y and B. Who does that, without allowing us to remap it? I used the config tool within the XBox Accessories to basically create a "flipped" map for my elite paddles, so in combat it's basically the same as TW3 (my top paddles are X/A, bottom paddles are Y/B for most games, so I basically reverse those two sets for MH). It's when you go to accept/decline something that I'm screwed up, as I constantly mean to accept, and end up canceling something.

I realize none of this is commenting on the gameplay itself, but if stuff like that annoys you (like it does me), be warned. However, there is a massive, massive chunk of the gaming population that doesn't care and swears by the MH series, and one of these days I'll be able to devote some actual time to it and maybe push past the clunkiness and find that "kill/harvest/craft" loop that everybody talks about.

To this point, however, I'm not feeling it as much as I thought I would, simply because of controls and combining that with unusual combat systems means it will likely take some time for me to warm up to it.

[Danimal]

Ace what system did you get it for?

Terry I've played the game before on hand helds so i don't know if the controls will bother me or not. It's always been a bit clunky. It is one of those games you either love or hate. I'm just looking for a good RPG co-op experience that isn't an MMO.

[AcemanPR]

I am playing it on Xbox One X.

[Rodster]

I bought Monster Hunter 3 for the Wii U sometime ago based on reviews and comments and just couldn't get into it for some reason.

[Bakes]

This is my first Monster Hunter game and after putting about 10 hours in to it I am totally hooked. Everything has such an organic feel in this game. I've taken down a few of the bigger monsters multiple times and they never felt like the same experience. During my last quest another monster came out of nowhere and took down the one I was chasing.

As for the combat I'd definitely recommend watching a tutorial video on your selected weapon type. The game doesn't do a great job of explaining things fully. I had been using the charge blade and after watching a video on it I realized I was only utilizing like a quarter of the moves. Another nice thing is that you are free to swap between all of the 14 weapon types. You aren't tied to anything.

[pk500]

I've been gaming since the early 80s, and this is the first I've heard of the Monster Hunter franchise. I'm not a RPG guy, though. Still, I feel sheepish for knowing nothing about this series.

Is this more of an action RPG, with more combat than quests, spells, etc.? Would it be a friendly title to a tactical and strategic FPS player like me?

Color me intrigued, mainly due to the gushing reviews here and elsewhere online. Thanks for all feedback.

[Danimal]

I've been gaming since the early 80s, and this is the first I've heard of the Monster Hunter franchise. I'm not a RPG guy, though. Still, I feel sheepish for knowing nothing about this series.

Don't it has mainly been on handhelds up until now.

Is this more of an action RPG, with more combat than quests, spells, etc.? Would it be a friendly title to a tactical and strategic FPS player like me?

Put simply No, this is not a friendly game IMO. It is an action rpg but it does have quest and contracts(?) or maybe they are called investigations. This is the most friendly version of the game but it still has some minutia in it from what I can tell. To give you an idea, in the old games you needed to find or buy whetstones to keep your weapons sharp. It was a royal PIA in this game I hear there is just a sharpen button.

Color me intrigued, mainly due to the gushing reviews here and elsewhere online. Thanks for all feedback.

I certainly don't want to talk you out of it but I would suggest watching a stream or some video first looks. You basically choose a weapon type and learn it, you can switch but this dictates your weapon style.

The appeal to this game is going out and killing monsters with a group. It can be quite fun or very dry depending upon how much time you put into it.

[pk500]

Thanks for the detailed feedback, Dan!

[Bakes]

The game is definitely a bit overwhelming and I still don't understand how everything works but I've put 10+ hours in and I'm not at all frustrated with it. I've found all of the weapons I've tried generally easy to use but have a lot to learn and master to be able to use them to their maximum effectiveness.

The main idea is to go hunt monsters and either kill or capture them and then use their parts to craft new items, weapons and armor. Wrapped around that is a story mode that is ~ 40 hours and tons of side quests, investigations etc. There is probably hundreds of hours of stuff to do in the game. The cool thing for me like I mentioned before is that all of the fights have felt different from each other. I'm chasing down a monster I've been battling with for a while and then bam a huge dragon looking thing swoops in and rams in to the monster I'm after. You never know what can happen.

On the negative side the multiplayer (even more specifically on Xbox) is pretty cumbersome to set up at this point. It has gotten better and they are apparently working on it but it is still a bit of a mess.

Overall it's not for everyone and I'm still struggling with some things but I'd at least take a look at some gameplay videos to get a closer look. I'm new to the series and am really glad I decided to check it out.

[sportdan30]

Paul,

Lengthy review, but I think you'll find the following helpful in making a decision. Not to mention, ACG's humor is right up your alley.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6mIneehyEY

[pk500]

Thanks for the tip, Senor Wasserman!

[Sudz]

Got it. Hate it. Too steep of a learning curve for me.

[Danimal]

I broke down, here is my high level opinion.

It is easier than previous Monster Hunters to get into but is still tedious in spots. If you've ever been Monster Hunter curious then this is the one to try. If you played Monster Hunter and hated it, this will not change your mind.

[fanatic]

I do have to say that there was no way I thought I would ever play a Monster Hunter game.

However, after hearing about all the praise and improved accessibility I decided to give it a try.

At 15 hours in, I actually do get the hype. It's a masterfully crafted experience that is so simple in its concept, yet so complex due to all the systems underlying it.

I've been mostly using the Heavy Bowgun, which gives me that familiar shooter experience and overall, I think the combat feels really good. I enjoy switching up the ammo and aiming for those weak spots.

My only concern now is that I seem to mildly stuck on defeating the Anjanath in the main story. I've probably failed (thus returning to base) 3 or 4 times, which I'd say took a good 4-5 hours overall. A couple of times I think I had it on the ropes, but inevitably would be taken out by a couple lethal charges in succession.

I'm sure that I can prevail eventually, but I'm wondering whether I have the fortitude to keep this persistence up for another 30-40 hours. I know that's what the game is ultimately about, but I'm wondering if I step away at this point, get the trade in value and the knowledge that "I tried a Monster Hunter game, ended up appreciating it, but am not a hardcore fan", which I think you ultimately have to be to finish this one.

[Bakes]

The Anjanath was the first "wall" for me as well (as I think a lot of players). You can always fire off an 'SOS' flare to get some help if you want to speed things along. In general I've found most people that will join your game will be very helpful.

You'll likely hit another "wall" if you keep playing as there are many more monsters to fight after the Anjanath, some of which are even more difficult at first. It can be frustrating but the feeling of finally taking down that monster that has been giving you fits is a pretty good one. Eventually you'll be going back to fight the Anjanath and beating him down in no time at all.

One more thought on that - if you find yourself struggling with a monster sometimes trying a different weapon type can be a big help. There are certain monsters that I've found much easier with ranged weapons vs melee and vice versa.

[fanatic]

Thanks Bakes!

You might be right that I need to change up my weapons.

I've taken a mild break from this game while I catch up on some older xbox games that I've missed being ps4 only for a while. So far, I have to say that Quantum Break is fantastic! So far it brilliantly executes a fun story and the shooting/stop time mechanics are really cool.