On Monster Hunter World

On Monster Hunter World

Posted by on Apr 5, 2018 in Commentary, featured, PS4 |

Monster Hunter World is my third attempt at getting into the Monster Hunter series. The first two were on handhelds, the PSP and the 3DS. I couldn’t get into them because I struggled with the camera controls. I also felt that the series wasn’t noob-friendly, so it was pretty discouraging. In fact, for years I fostered the belief that the cycle of mission-based games—get a mission, complete the mission, get another mission, repeat—wasn’t for me. I thought it was the reason why I didn’t finish MGS V, Freedom Wars and the like. Who knows? Maybe it’s still not.

Monster Hunter World is a good argument against it though. It’s certainly more accessible than the previous versions I played, which is good. It’s also great to hear that series veterans aren’t turned away by it. In gaming, making something more accessible to newcomers usually means watering down complex gameplay mechanics, the same mechanics that series veterans expect and love. MHW managed to strike a balance, a rare feat in modern gaming design.

So what’s it like being a noob in Monster Hunter? Challenging—sometimes to the point of frustration—yet rewarding and ultimately fun. It took a second character and around 200 hours to get to the point of feeling like I know what I’m doing, and even then I still feel like an idiot when I get my ass handed to me. A key thing that MHW does masterfully is how it delivers progression. The raised difficulty of each new monster feels just right, that the challenges presented are tough but fair. I will say this though: the game requires a lot of investment. I don’t recommend it for anyone not willing to put in the time and effort.

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