Monster Hunter World (75/60$)
I can’t tell if this is improvement or regression
Monster Hunter World is an underwater tunnel full of treasures. For some reason people like comparing video games with large bodies of water. A common critique of many games claims they are, “as wide as an ocean but as shallow as a puddle.” It implies that the scope of a game may be great, but the mechanics of the game are not intricate enough and therefore lack the depth to offer new refreshing experiences.. Although, you can have a lot of fun in a puddle. The problem is that most games take this approach to their design. Monster Hunter World is not such a game. The game is an abyss of mechanics that offer incredible depth at the risk of frustrating and overwhelming the player. The feeling of mastering the mechanics over time feels like learning a language and martial art at once, and will change the standard for large boss fights in your mind.
First impressions of the game's combat might feel clunky when compared to other 3rd person action games, but the game will entice you to play more and more by teasing large and dangerous monsters,and then giving you other monsters needed to take down in order to be strong enough to reach the big boss. The story is not important, but the challenge of losing a hunt to a new monster will keep the player coming back. With each hunt the preparation coutine grows, until before every hunt you complete a checklist as if you are leaving for a camping trip. The environments on each map are varied and fun to learn and traverse, yet each map is different enough that if you ever want a change there are always options. The fights themselves are grueling 20-45 minute slugfests between a man and monster 4x their size. The player needs to monitor health, stamina, ammo, potions, weapon sharpness, environmental hazards, traps, and other monsters on the map in order to take down just one of these mythic beats. The feeling of winning a tough fight is rightly rewarding, especially after 45 minutes filled with close calls and strategy. If you get bored just change a weapon, change your strategy, and hop back in the hunt.
But that is all you will do. Hunt monsters. There are resupply systems such as raiding parties and herb gardens to manage, as well as variation of the standard hunting quests, but there is nothing else in this game. The story serves as a relatively pointless backdrop with well designed, but ultimately incredibly forgettable characters. The grind of the game can get repetitive, especially when stuck on a challenging monster, although those with online access can always find people to help, but then it’s rarely a challenge at all. The real issue with the game is it’s complicated menus and systems being incredibly overwhelming. This is always the compromise a developer makes when they opt for deeper games. The real issue is that mastery of these systems is needed during challenging hunts. More complete and interactive tutorials have always been lacking from the series.
Thankfully there is a large Monster Hunter community full of guides and people wanting to play. That is where this game truly shines. Soon you will be reading through wikis and manuals learning the ins and outs of the games systems. You hear legends of challenging monsters from past regions. All while creating new strategies to tackle the new monsters. It’s the type of community that creates momentum for the game, and it’s the type of game that capitalizes on it’s old content and always builds itself better. Playing Monster Hunter 3 and then Monster Hunter World feels like the perfect jump to next gen. The game offers around 50 hours of base game content, with free updates added post launch that easily adds another 10 hours. It’s pretty, fun, and you can play with your friends. If you like killing Monsters, this might be the only game you need (75/60$).
