Monster Hunter is a franchise that never really caught my attention when I was younger. I tried a few of the earlier installments, but for me and a lot of the western audience there was just a little too much complexity.

This time around Capcom decided to shake things up a bit though, with the series making it’s long awaited return to consoles after living in the handheld scene for a while.  Furthermore they removed most of the confusing elements that bogged the past titles, while simultaneously proving the game with a much deserved graphics overhaul. All these things combine to make one of the most exciting and rewarding hack and slash games to hit the market in years.

A Whole New World

From the very start of the game, Monster Hunter World envelops you in the game’s sense of adventure and exploration. After the ship you and your fellow hunters are traveling on happens to run in to a mountain sized dragon, you and your new companion are left stranded in a forest of a new mysterious continent dubbed the New World. You fight your way to the main encampment in the new world named Astera, this servers as the main hub for most of the game. From here you are given your choice of weapon and tasked with trimming down the local monster population.

There is a story to Monster Hunter World but it is rather bland and forgettable, but that’s okay. The game more than makes up for this with it’s fun and addictive game play. From the very first mission I found myself hooked on the games simple armor and weapon crafting system. The system used in Monster Hunter World finds you killing big monsters and then harvesting their bodies for crafting materials which can then be combined to upgrade your gear or craft all new set of equipment. It’s just simple enough for most people to quickly grasp it but if you dig deeper there is an unimaginable amount of depth. That is one of the major draws of the game, the whole experience is as simple or as intricate as you want it to be. This can lead to some fun experimenting with different weapons or armor sets to see what fits your play style.

I can’t tell you how many times I told myself that I would just do one more hunt for the last piece of material I needed to complete my new weapon, only to look at the clock and have 3 or 4 hours gone by and I was doing “just one more” to make a new item. Capcom did an outstanding job with the progression system this time around. Every time I got an upgrade to my gear it felt rewarding. This allows you to take on new and challenging monsters and get even more upgrades. It’s this consistent cycle that kept me coming back day after day, challenging myself to get new gear, and take on the biggest and most intimidating monsters.

Monstrous Fights

The combat in Monster Hunter World like the crafting seems simple on the surface, but if you really dig deeper there is a really rewarding learning curve to most of the game’s vast array of weapons. You could get by with just mashing attack buttons for most of the game, some of the game’s most satisfying moments are when you perfectly block or dodge roll a huge attack from a monster. The game manages to keep you on your toes the entire time you are fighting any of the monsters, with it’s fast paced action oriented combat. The first time you kill a new monster is very akin to the feeling of beating any of the bosses of a dark souls game, it’s exhilarating and provides you with a real sense of accomplishment.

Another staple of the Monster Hunter series is it’s online co-op, which allows you and up to 3 other people to hunt monsters together. However for all the positive changes made by this entry this is one area that didn’t really change. You are made to connect to other players lobbies but are unable to see or interact with other players until you are in a mission together. The game does offer a voice chat system but in my experience no one really used it, probably because it is hidden in an obscure part of the games clunky menu system. The whole online aspect of the game feels undeveloped, not so much as to detract from the fun of the game, however it did leave me with something to be desired.

Wrap up

Monster Hunter World has an incredible amount of content and replayability. The story isn’t very intriguing, however all that is more than made up for by the gameplay. Every part of the core gameplay feels polished and satisfying. The progression system is easily one of the best around. This is a must play game for anyone that enjoys action based games or the dark souls series, just be warned once you pick it up it will be hard to put it down.

Good:

• Thrilling fast paced monster hunts
• Brilliant crafting systems
• Gorgeous environments

Bad:

• Clunky outdated UI
• Weak forgettable story

9/10