YBLTV Review: CAPCOM CO., LTD. - Monster Hunter: World
The first thing I do in Monster Hunter: World is create my character. Choosing from a large list of options, I try to create something that I won’t have a problem seeing in cutscenes. Next, I customize my Palicoe, my cat-partner in this monster-infested world. I meet my handler before crashing into the creature that will haunt my dreams for more than 80 hours, the Zorah Magdaros.
Monstrous Introduction
Zorah roars his disapproval of my presence and quickly destroys our ship. After traversing the gargantuan that has destroyed our vessel, we reach land and the true scope of Capcom‘s Monster Hunter: World (MHW) is finally seen. The landscape before me is amazing. Flora sways in the wind. Fauna scurrys about in abundance. The world of Monster Hunter is immediately engrossing. The opening jaunt through the beauty of the Ancient Forest, the first of six huge maps in MHW, is a breathtaking guise for the mass of monsters that are eager to have you for dinner.
The Hunter arrives at Astera, a basic hub for the player. The town is a gritty, bustling little village that the user will return to constantly on their quest toward that next elusive monster. The user chooses their first weapon, and sets out to hunt their first monster in Monster Hunter: World.
Gameplay
Being a hardcore gamer, I don’t want to harp on the FPS (frames per second) or its graphical comparisons on which console, or relate it to any other game. Since, there are plenty of writers doing that for anyone to get an idea of their opinions, let’s discuss enjoying a game. Because I love playing games and this game is remarkable.
Playing MHW is entertaining to say the least. The excitement of hunting a monster, which can sometimes be triple your size is intimidating, but if you’re prepared, it can also be exhilarating. You feel the impact from each weapon strikes. Battle scars appear on the monsters throughout the course of the battle. This is a fun game and that’s what a game should be about- having fun.
Multiplayer
The big new thing in this iteration of Monster Hunter, is the ability for other users to quickly join a game. This is where I feel the developers fall a little short and a little explanation could help. Joining a game with friends is difficult. The problems in level recognition can cause a player to miss joining with friends. The user’s inability to free join expeditions and monster difficulty caps are other small gripes, but they are worth noting.
“Monster Hunter World: When hunting a monster it’s best to become one,” - Washington Thompson III, @WashThompson3 YBLTV Writer / Reviewer
Pros
- A beautiful, living load-less world that is teeming with large and small creatures
- Players can choose from fourteen Archetype weapons with a deep evolutionary tree
- Huge monsters that players can hunt alone or in a group of four friends
- 50+ armor sets available to characterize Hunter
- Interesting story that spans both low and high rank missions, a first in Monster Hunter series
- Bounties that can be achieved while progressing through the story quest
Cons
- It is often difficult to connect with friends in multiplayer
- Scout flies get lost or off track
- Intermittent clipping occurs during combat
- Unable to capture monsters outside of investigations
- Monsters will leave locale when weakened during hunting expeditions
Final Thoughts
MHW is a pretty good game. The cons listed above are small issues that I have to provide to keep myself somewhat impartial. I have played the game almost everyday since its release and feel like everything I need to continue delving into the land created is already in the game. If you haven’t tried or heard of Capcom’s Monster Hunter franchise, I suggest you give this one a try.
