Monster Hunter: World Impressions: Patience, Planning, and Execution
It’s only a few days now until Monster Hunter: World arrives on 26 January. After three betas, I feel satisfied with just about everything I’ve seen.
Despite global exposure and generally high praise, the Monster Hunter franchise still toes the line between stardom and cult hit. It’s been a few years since Western audiences have had a new entry, and this will mark the first time the series graces Western PCs. The newest of the pack, Monster Hunter: World, looks to shake things up a bit, hopefully garnering more attention and sales throughout the world. With a seamless world, less loading zones, and global multiplayer/servers, Capcom has shifted the game enough to intrigue newcomers while still catering to the series veterans. My time with the betas has proven the heart of the franchise is still beating.
Now, Monster Hunter: World does not necessarily ease the learning curve if its strict gameplay. But through training, on-screen cues, and detailed tutorials, it certainly aims to make accommodations for those willing to try. The grind and strategy of the series is still deeply ingrained in this game. You definitely do a bit of hunting while traversing these gorgeous worlds. Tracking and identifying monsters sometimes takes a good chunk of time off your hunt, so careful team planning is key. The time constraints, especially on the higher end missions, are a bit steep. They really put a lot of pressure onto your team’s execution of the hunt — but that’s part of the Monster Hunter package.
Being a long-time Monster Hunter fan myself, there isn’t much that surprised me or I felt needed changing in Monster Hunter: World. There are some identifiable issues with collision detection and hit boxes, but most of my time with the game was spent staring at the beautiful locales and intricately detailed monsters that roamed. I love how populated each area is, and how the seamless transitions from area to area add to the feeling that you’re really out on a hunt. The global network that Monster Hunter: World runs on makes matchmaking a breeze, as well. Finding games never took more than a minute. The small, but noticeable changes Capcom has made to this game are very welcomed quality of life changes. Making the online interactions more accessible will open the gates to more and more people diving into the experience and learning the ways of the hunt.
Monster Hunter has always been a rarity of its kind: a game built to be grinded out through repetition that maintains its allure and excitement. The depth and strategy that go into each consecutive encounter are deeply tied to the foundation of the game. It’s not just every hunt that’s different, it’s every individual encounter that shifts the way you have to play.
While keeping its heart in the right place, and simultaneously adding the little things to increase accessibility, Monster Hunter: World seems primed to firmly place itself among the best of the year. There is a lot to love in what we’ve seen so far, and plenty of reminders why Monster Hunter still reigns when it comes to this genre. Come Friday, I’ll be gathering my Whetstones and joining the hunt. Will you?
